By supporting the Center financially and/or by contributing your time and talents as a volunteer, you help us continue a tradition that dates back 2,600 years. CIMC is committed to making the Buddha’s teachings available to everyone regardless of financial circumstances. And the realities of operating and maintaining a meditation center in a modern urban setting make this a challenge. We invite you to consider these many ways to practice generosity at CIMC, and to help us meet this challenge:
Donations
CIMC relies on the generosity of our community and unrestricted gifts are particularly welcome in supporting our day-to-day operations. We encourage those who are able to consider establishing a monthly donation practice and truly welcome gifts of all sizes. Click here to donate.
Membership
Membership contributions provide a vital source of financial support for all aspects of the Center including teachers and staff, fellow practitioners, programs, scholarships and the upkeep of our building. We invite you to consider CIMC Membership as an act of generosity and kindness, a gift to others who are benefited daily by all that CIMC offers. Membership provides a way to express your commitment to Dharma practice and an opportunity to join and support a community dedicated to this practice. If Insight Meditation is of value to you, and you would like to support the Center’s work, please consider becoming a Member.
Teacher Dana
The practice of generosity — dana — is one of the ethical foundations of insight meditation. Individuals who wish to practice dana by making financial gifts directly to individual teachers may do so here. Please note that gifts made to named individuals are not tax-deductible.
Benefactor Rate
CIMC is committed to keeping the cost of programs as low as possible. As a result, our current fees take care less than half of the Center’s expenses each year. When you register for any of our programs we invite you to choose the “Benefactor Rate” which more accurately reflects the true cost of offering the teachings. Doing so supports others in the CIMC community. Thank you for your generosity.
Legacy Giving
Everyone can make a lasting contribution through legacy giving. A legacy gift is a planned bequest of any amount that supports a charitable organization after your death. It can be organized through bequests, life insurance, retirement plans, and appreciated stock. As part of your overall financial and estate planning, a legacy gift provides an opportunity to extend your generosity well into the future while still preserving and enjoying assets you may need during your lifetime.
Your gift is a statement of faith in the mission of CIMC to be a welcoming refuge and teaching center for all who seek inner peace through the liberating practice of insight meditation. For 2,600 years individuals have sustained Dharma centers throughout the world so that these teachings are still available to us today. You have the opportunity to do the same on behalf of generations to come. Every bequest, of any size, is significant for the future of CIMC.
Qualified Charitable Distribution
If you have a Traditional IRA and must take Required Minimum Distributions, a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is one of the most tax-efficient ways to make a gift. Each year, you can authorize tax-free QCD distributions of up to $100,000 from a Traditional IRA directly to qualified charities such as the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center.
CIMC Endowment Fund
The CIMC Endowment Fund exemplifies our commitment to preserving the values and goals of Cambridge Insight Meditation Center for generations to come. The endowment permits donors to create a legacy of support that will assist in underwriting current programs and help to ensure the future strength of CIMC so that it continues to prosper and maintain its prominence as a leading Western center for meditative practice. All donations are encouraged and valued as expressions of dana that will preserve CIMC and the dharma for future generations.
Funds contributed to the endowment are invested prudently, in consultation with experienced financial advisors, in instruments designed to yield additional annual income to support CIMC programs. For more information, please contact the office.
Scholarship Fund
CIMC is committed to making the Buddha’s teachings available to everyone regardless of financial circumstances. In 2014, CIMC established the Jerry Bass Scholarship Fund and we invite you to make a contribution to this fund to support others in the study and practice of the Dharma.
Annual Appeal
Each fall CIMC conducts a major fund drive — our Annual Appeal — to help meet our yearly operating expenses. Some companies offer matching gifts for employees who donate to nonprofit organizations. Please check with your employer to see if it will match your gift to CIMC.
Retreat Meal Dana
CIMC provides delicious meals at all day-long, weekend and multi-day retreats. In keeping with tradition, we invite you to sponsor a retreat meal as a simple and meaningful act of generosity. You will have the option to share a dedication of your generosity, perhaps to someone in your life, to a special occasion or to an aspiration. Please contact the office for more information on offering Meal Dana for any of our retreats.