Following the unbroken practice lineage of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingtik, Rigpa emphasised the importance of openness to other Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
Rigpa has always had great interest in drawing out the essence of Dharma to make an accessible path to enlightenment available for people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds.
To preserve Rigpa’s lineage and legacy, three types of grants have been established to ensure the key pillars of its unique spiritual heritage receive the vital support they need.
Projects that receive support from the Tertön Sogyal Foundations are based on priorities established by the vision board and international Rigpa leadership.
The Tertön Sogyal Foundations inform the Grant-Making Committee of the total amount of money to be disbursed.
Rigpa’s Vision Board then meets with the International Steering Group to agree the priorities for the next round of grants which are then recommended to the International Board for approval.
Once approved, the priorities are shared with the Committee as guidelines for this grant-making cycle after which the Committee makes a formal announcement to the Rigpa sangha including priorities, total amount to be granted and deadlines.
The Grant-making Committee is made up of 12 members representing a broad range of experience both within Rigpa and professionally. It oversees the grant-making process based on principles of fairness, transparency and inclusion.
The Committee meets regularly throughout the year to award grants. They discuss applications made for all three grants as well as for other projects that are conducive to securing Rigpa’s Lineage and Legacy.
Grants can be awarded for a single year, multiple years or for the long-term, for instance in the case of the Elders grant.
Grant applications are accepted up to 6 weeks before the start date of an event or retreat. The Committee reviews all applications, checks their referrals and recommendations. Applicants will be contacted with comments if there are any corrections to be made.
The committee strives for unanimous decisions but when that cannot be reached then decisions will be made by majority vote. Grants are awarded equal to and not exceeding the available funds for each year.
As soon as the Committee has awarded the grants, the applicants will be informed of the result. Information on the grants awarded are shared in the Impact Report.