An Economy of Giving:
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery (‘Birken’) is supported solely through the ancient tradition of ‘dānā’ (‘generosity’ or ‘giving’), in the form of monetary and material donations, as well as voluntary labour. Generosity is a quality of the heart which the Buddha greatly encouraged for its benefits to the giver in this life and beyond. Unless they are clearly invited to do so, monastics may not ask for anything directly. Practically speaking, donations supply everything from food, soap and stamps, to generator fuel, building costs and insurance. Your gifts enable the monastics to continue their work of training in, and sharing, the Dhamma, and support resident stewards who offer their services free of charge. This facility and its resident monastics have no outside means of support. Monthly or quarterly donations are especially appreciated, as the regularity helps to stabilize our financial operations.
Anumodana – we rejoice in your generosity!
Charitable Status: The monastery is a registered Canadian charity.
Official Name: The charitable society is officially known as “Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery”.
Registered Charity No.: BN 89263 5483 RR0001.
Announcing the Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery Endowment Fund
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is pleased to announce the establishment of an endowment fund which will allow stable support into the future. Passing through this present pandemic has made us highly aware of the fluctuating nature of support for the monastery. The monastery is in a well established condition with most of its building having been completed and we wish to have a stable base for ongoing operating expenses. The endowment fund, which is managed by Nicola Wealth, will allow us to use modest interest earnings as a reliable source of ongoing funding. As in major endowment funds for universities, etc., the capital fund is to remain stable and increase while a certain percentage of earnings is used yearly.
We are at the beginning of this fund and if supporters would like to contribute to it for long-term benefits for the monastery, a minimum donation of $5,000 CAD may be contributed to Birken utilizing any of the donation methods described below. Please indicate “Endowment Fund” on your donation; tax receipts will be issued by Birken, with the exception of donations made through Canada Helps and CAF America which provide tax receipts directly to donors.
If you would like to donate securities in-kind to the endowment fund, please contact our treasurer (treasurer@birken.ca) for more information. We also suggest you consult with your financial advisor or tax professional to confirm that it is a good strategy in your financial situation.
We welcome this form of stabilization to the uncertain and non-profit structures which the monastery relies on.
Donation Methods:
There are many different ways you can make donations to support the monastery. Donations by cash, cheque or money order can be made at the monastery or sent by post. If you have access to online banking with a Canadian financial institution, you may send money directly to our bank account through a secure Interac e-Transfer (email money transfer). You may transfer funds to Birken using CanadaHelps OR PayPal (these services charge administrative fees.) It is also possible to make non-monetary donations of material goods or labour. For more information, please feel free to contact our Offsite Treasurer at treasurer@birken.ca.
Donations at the Monastery:
You can make donations by cash, cheque or money order when visiting Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery. If requesting a tax receipt for donations of $25 or more, please write all the required information (full name, residential address (including postal code), and email address) on the front of your donation envelope, and then insert into the Donation Box located in the main foyer of the monastery.
Mail a Cheque or Money Order:
You may make cheques or money orders payable to ‘Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery‘ and mail to:
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery
7000 Smith Lake Forest Srv Rd.
Knutsford, B.C. V0E 2A0
CANADA
Non-Monetary Donations:
Many donors enjoy offering a prepared dana meal, food supplies, and/or material goods. Please consult our Food and Material Offerings page for more details and a current list of useful dana items.
Physical labour or skilled labour are also valued forms of dana. If you have particular skills you’d be able to contribute to the monastery (e.g. carpentry skills, plumbing expertise, etc.), please email us to inquire about possible opportunities to help (meditate@birken.ca). While you are here for a visit, your help with various volunteer ‘yogi tasks’ and the general upkeep of the monastery is also appreciated.
Interac e-Transfers:
You may send us an Interac e-Transfer (secure email money transfer) from your Canadian online bank account.
How to send an Interac e-Transfer:
– Login to your personal online or mobile banking account (participating Canadian financial institutions only).
– Choose Interac e-Transfer within Transfer/Payment menu options.
– Select a recipient by entering an email address: treasurer@birken.ca.
– Fill in the dollar amount, account from which to withdraw the funds, and an optional personal message (this is a good place to enter your full name, residential address (including postal code), and email address for tax receipt purposes).
– Next, please send a separate email to treasurer@birken.ca the first time you make an Interac donation. This will also enable us to email you a tax receipt by having your email address on file. Please note that our Treasurer does not reside at Birken and may not know you personally.
– Follow the instructions to confirm and complete the transfer.
– There may be a small administrative fee for sending an Interac e-Transfer; it is usually a flat rate fee of $1.50 per transfer, but this may vary depending on your financial institution.
Canada Helps:
You may send us a donation via CanadaHelps by several means (see “Donate” buttons below). In all cases there is a small administrative fee charged by Canada Helps at the time of donation (3.5 – 4%, except as noted below). CanadaHelps takes the fee directly from your donation and provides a tax receipt to you directly as well.
Credit Card/PayPal
Donate by using your credit card OR your PayPal account for a one time offering or monthly giving. Just click on the button below.
Securities & Mutual Funds
You may also support us with a donation of securities or mutual funds (2-3% administrative fee applies) by clicking on the button below.
Tribute Giving Donation
Making a donation in memory or in honour of someone dear to you is another wonderful way to support Birken. Choose an occasion such as a birthday, wedding, sympathy, thank you, a new baby, or an upcoming holiday. Simply click on the button below.
PayPal:
You may choose to send us a donation through PayPal Secure online payment (with a credit card, bank account, or PayPal balance). PayPal uses an email address to identify the recipient of the funds. Please use: treasurer@birken.ca
Under “Send and Request”, select “More”, and then “Send a Gift”. By using this method your entire donation will come to Birken; no fees will be charged by PayPal. Should you select another option, PayPal will charge an administrative fee between 3 – 6%. Birken treats these fees as a part of our business expenses and we will provide you a tax receipt for the full amount of your donation.
CAF America for US Donors
We have a new resource for US residents to donate to Birken and receive a US tax receipt. CAF America facilitates donations to foreign charities with an 8% administrative fee (minimum of $80) through their Donor Advised Gifts (DAGs) program. DAGs enable all types of US donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations, to make single donations as desired. This 8% administrative fee will be deducted from the donation amount sent to Birken, yet CAF America will provide you a tax receipt for the full amount of your donation.
Please see their Donor Advised Gifts form for further information. If you would like to donate to Birken through CAF America, just click on the button below.
Tax Receipts:
Please note: Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery (‘Birken’) has an Offsite Treasurer who is responsible for processing all donations and issuing tax receipts. If you reside in Canada and would like to request a tax receipt, you must provide your full name, residential address (including postal code), and email address with each donation. Our Treasurer does not have access to Birken’s contact database.
Financial donations to the monastery are tax deductible in Canada and eligible for a Canadian tax receipt. While charities are under no legal obligation to issue tax receipts, we are pleased to do so for a minimum $25.00 donation IF we receive all the required information referenced above for each of your donations. If we do not receive this information from you at the time of your donation, it will be assumed that you do not require a tax receipt.
If you donate electronically through PayPal or Interac email money transfer, please be sure that we have the required information mentioned above – you can email this information to our Offsite Treasurer at treasurer@birken.ca. CanadaHelps issues a tax receipt to each donor; you will not receive an additional tax receipt from Birken if you use this donation method.
Tax receipts are normally issued electronically by e-mail, but can be sent by post if this is specifically requested with the donation. Tax receipts for eligible donations will be sent within 30 days of the donation’s receipt by our treasurer. Please note that we cannot issue tax receipts retroactively for donations made during previous fiscal years (Birken’s fiscal year runs from August 1 – July 31).
Throughout the year, there are many individuals who donate anonymously or request not to receive tax receipts for their donations. The Birken community expresses its gratitude to these individuals for their generosity and rejoices in their good merit.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the issuance of tax receipts, please email treasurer@birken.ca.
Anumodana to our many supporters – we rejoice in your generosity and great merit!
treasurer@birken.ca
Support the Monastery
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is a registered Canadian charitable society and is supported entirely by donations or ‘dānā’ (generosity). All teachings, accommodations, and meals are offered free of charge. It is left to the good will and discretion of visitors and well-wishers to decide how they might support the work of the monastery.
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Mailing Address:
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery
7000 Smith Lake Forest Service Road
Knutsford, BC | V0E 2A0 | Canada