2020 Fundraising Campaign

October 20 - November 20, 2020

Fundraising Campaign through DONATIONS

November 1 at noon until November 8 at 6 pm

Fundraising via an online SILENT AUCTION
NOW CLOSED

Dear Supporters and Donors,

First and foremost, we hope you and your loved ones are all staying well through these uncertain and challenging times. Your generosity goes a long way to support those who are in dire need.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, the Ottawa Friends of Tibet was forced to cancel its annual fundraising dinner this Fall. We always look forward to seeing the faces of our supporters, donors and friends and feel great sadness not to be able to get together this year.

Instead, this year we are organizing a 2-part Fundraising Campaign to raise $14,000:

1. Fundraising campaign through DONATIONS
2. Fundraising via an ONLINE SILENT AUCTION

1. Fundraising Campaign through DONATIONS from October 20 - November 20, 2020

We would greatly appreciate your continued support through your kind donations so that we may continue our various programs in these difficult financial times. We hope you might consider a donation instead of your usual ticket purchase ($75). OFT will issue a tax receipt for the full amount of your donation.

You can donate in any of the following ways:

• By cheque with your email address, name and mailing address in order to receive a tax receipt.

  Cheque payable to The Ottawa Friends of Tibet
  400 Piccadilly Ave. North
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1Y 0H4

• PayPal/credit card: Click the "Donate" button below and your donation will go directly to OFT.
  

  Please include your name, email and mailing address in order to receive a tax receipt.

  

• e-transfer to oft@oft.ca:

  Please send your security answer as well as your name, email and mailing address to oft@oft.ca in order to receive a tax receipt.

Note: In January, OFT will issue all tax receipts in the donor's name and mailing address via the email address provided.

2. Fundraising via an online SILENT AUCTION on Facebook from Sunday, November 1 at noon until Sunday, November 8 at 6pm sharp - NOW CLOSED

This year, we are having our first online auction via our Facebook page that includes some amazing artifacts, jewelry, textile items and more. We hope you will find the items of interest and are generous in your bidding.

Here is a sneak peek at a few items:

Hand crafted antique Buddha statue made of terra cotta	Small, delicately designed ghau amulet	Dazzling embroidered Kashmir wool shawl

Details about the Auction will be posted on this website and OFT’s Facebook page on November 1.

Below is a brief update of all our CURRENT PROJECTS:

1. University and College Scholarship Program

ISSUE: When Jurme Wangda last visited Dharamsala in July 2019, he connected with all the authorities involved in the projects OFT supports. Drakpa Rinpoche, the founder of the Maitreya Foundation, told him that small business owners were suffering the most. Their business profits were minimal and the government was not providing any support. For this reason, the small business owners have had difficulty supporting their children in obtaining a higher education.

RESULT: In 2015, after similar discussions, OFT recognized this gap and created the OFT Scholarship program to help those students. OFT started this program on HH the Dalai Lama’s auspicious 80th birthday as a gesture of gratitude for his inspirational life. Drakpa Rinpoche’s 2019 words confirmed the importance of these scholarships which resulted in OFT’s commitment of $4000 annually.

SUCCESS: Since 2015, OFT has sponsored ten students to attend university and college. Even though two discontinued their studies, four have successfully completed their degrees; two Bachelors of Arts (BA) with Honors and two BAs. Three students are continuing their BA Hons at their respective universities and colleges.

2. Nhenang Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal

ISSUE: The monks need OFT’s continued support because their spiritual master, Palden Pawo Rinpoche, is still unable to leave Tibet. The monks need to sustain the existence of this monastery until their spiritual master is able to join them in Nepal to take care of them and others.

RESULT: At this time, the monks need funding for food and to hire teachers for their education mandated by the Nepal Government, which is above and beyond their traditional monastic education. Without the Rinpoche present, few people visit the monastery to offer donations for support. This lack of funding has been felt more strongly during this pandemic shut down time. OFT is committed to sending $5000 to meet these needs.

3. Maitreya Foundation (Delhi, India) in partnership with Child Haven International

ISSUE: Since 2008, the Tibet-India border has been closed and therefore no new students have been able to come to India. This unfortunate situation has meant that all the students from the Delhi Maitreya Foundation (MF) have been transferred to the well-equipped upper Dharamsala Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV).

RESULT: The Maitreya Foundation building is now being used to provide rooms for needy Tibetan students, who are going to post-secondary schools in the New Delhi areas.

SUCCESS: OFT has dedicated $5000 annually through Child Haven International to support the work of the Maitreya Foundation and to support students living in Tibet, as described below.

4. Project in Tibet in partnership with Child Haven International

ISSUE: Funding for education, food and shelter is provided for students and delivered by contacts at a monastery in Lhasa Tibet.

5. The Tara Mandala Seniors’ Home in Kalimpong, India

UPDATE: At this time, financial support from OFT is not needed, but we thought you would be interested in hearing their recent news. The Kalimpong Seniors’ Home is established and running well and the residents are happy and healthy. The staff is keeping them busy streaming HH the Dalai Lama’s teachings and Birthday celebration for their entertainment. There is no COVID19 within the compound of the home or among the staff.

We hope all of you are in good health and high spirits. The pandemic has given all of us a great lesson on what we need vs what we want. There are so many times when we have depended on the kindness of our own communities or the kindness of strangers. This is the perfect opportunity for us to pay it forward. Each and every one of us can do our best. The most important thing is by helping one another, it is the best way to create a proper human society.

We are most grateful for your continuing generosity.

Tashi Delek and looking forward to hopefully seeing you in 2021.

Jurme and Angela Wangda and the OFT Executive committee