KTC Pledge Drive Inspires a Challenge – Giving 1 Percent!

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KTC supporters, friends, and members have begun responding to our 2016 Spring Pledge Drive, pledging their monthly support for Columbus KTC.

On March 22, we began a four-week campaign to increase monthly contributions for Columbus KTC in advance of looking for a new KTC Center. The campaign ends April 24–three weeks from today.

Our guiding teacher, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, has asked Columbus KTC to seek a larger building than its last one, which was destroyed by fire on Jan. 31, 2016, and has suggested that we work on raising “as much money as possible” to both obtain the space and pay our new monthly costs, which might include a monthly mortgage payment.

Well, the campaign is only a little over a week old and in that week, we have received a challenge.

Marcus Casey, who grew up the son of a Christian minister, said he wanted to introduce the idea of donating a percentage of monthly income to his Buddhist temple. Although Christians, in observance of a passage in the Bible, give 10 percent of their monthly income to their church, Marcus says he wants to start small – he and Jessika want to give 1 percent of their monthly income to the KTC. So they renewed their membership and are giving 1 percent of their income to the KTC each month.

He told the Columbus KTC Board about his idea, and immediately, several KTC sangha took up the idea and followed suit. Steve Phallen and Justin Fitch have pledged 1 percent of their monthly income.

If anyone would like to join the “1 Percent Giving” challenge, contact Steve Phallen at treasurer@columbusktc.org.

In addition to seeking new members, we are asking all existing members to take a close look at what they are able to give. Some may only be able to increase their giving by a few dollars a month: others will take the 1 Percent Giving challenge; and others may find that they can give more than 1% each month.

Whether you’re taking the 1 Percent Challenge or not, your monthly pledge of support – of any amount! – is appreciated. You can write checks monthly, use a credit card, or have your bank send a check monthly. There are lots of ways to give.

Want to get started? To view and print off a copy of this membership drive letter, please click here.

To view and print off our new pledge form, please click here.

Once you’ve reviewed the information on our new pledge form and know how you would like to give, you can mail your completed form to our new mailing address:

Columbus KTC
PO Box 14946
Columbus, Ohio 43214

or, if you would prefer to set up your monthly donations online, you can use our new online donation tool by clicking here.

You can also set-up or continue automated payments through your bank by simply indicating to them the current or new monthly pledge amount you would like to give and also updating them with Columbus KTC’s new mailing address as indicated above.

Please send questions you might have about setting up your monthly donation to our treasurer, Steve Phallen, at treasurer@columbusktc.org.

We’re so delighted at the response of our sangha to the Columbus KTC’s need; may your merit and virtue grow and flourish, and may the KTC rebuild one day soon!

Sincerely yours in the dharma,

The Columbus KTC Board
Kim Miracle
Tanya Schroeder
Steve Phallen
Justin Fitch
Eric Weinberg

Columbus KTC: Post-Fire Update — 3/31/16

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Dear Dharma Friends:

It’s been a busy few weeks for us at Columbus KTC. We’re getting ready to host Lama Dudjom Dorjee in April, and we’ve just learned that Lama Karma Drodhul will be bringing us blessings from Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche in June. We’ll be back serving supper to homeless families at the YWCA Family Shelter in May – and gathering strength for our annual Comfest appearance at the end of June. Meanwhile, our weekly pujas and instructions continue at Congregation Tifereth Israel. So much to be grateful for!

On the “Rebuild KTC” project, we’ve had some developments to share. Here we go!

– Building Surveys. The two building surveys gave the KTC sangha a chance to provide design specifications for our new future KTC home. We know how many rooms we want and need, and how large they should be. And the location survey gave us an idea where we might re-locate if we are unable to rebuild on our current property.

Links to both surveys are here:
Room and Use Survey: please click here.
Location Survey: please click here.

– Reviewing our options. As you know, we have identified three basic option for a future KTC home:

Option 1 – Rebuild on our current lot
Option 2 – Rebuild on a different lot
Option 3 – Buy an existing building and remodel

We’re researching all three options at once, so there’s a lot going on. Here’s what’s happening:

– Option 1: Rebuilding on our current lot. With the help of a pro-bono (no cost) attorney, we are preparing to meet with the East Franklinton Review Board to see if rebuilding on our South Grubb Street lot is possible under city zoning rules. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche urged us to build a larger building, and the sangha survey showed agreement with his suggestion. We’re working with another pro-bono professional, an architect, to develop conceptual drawings for a building that would reflect the size of building suggested by the sangha. Our meeting with the EFRB will tell us whether a larger building on the Grubb Street lot is possible.

Since Option 1 hasn’t been thoroughly researched yet, we won’t need to move on to Option 2 just now.

– Option 3: Buy an existing building and remodel
We’ve met with a commercial realtor in Columbus who has given us a list of properties to view. Over the next few weeks, board members and sangha with building expertise will visit and evaluate the properties.

But there’s even more news – some of it financial!

– GoFundMe. Our online donations have slowed a bit, but we received an unexpected happy donation of $3,555 from KTD to help us reach $65,000 – which will help us pay the demolition bill for the old building. KTD lamas Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin, Lama Tsultrim Gyaltsen and Lama Lodro Lhamo gave us a combined total of $2,600!

– Namse Bangdzo Bookstore at KTD is giving us 25 new texts for Chenrezig/Amitabha, Medicine Buddha, and Green Tara at no cost. Thank you, Namse Bangdzo!

– We’ve purchased new meditation cushions for the temporary KTC shrine room located in the Lower Social Hall at Congregation Tifereth Israel. They will arrive in a few weeks.

– More meetings ahead: KTC Board members have and will continue to meet with financial advisers at banks and credit unions in the coming weeks to see if a loan is possible. They’ll also meet with experts to learn how to develop a capital fundraising campaign and identify and interview potential building contractors.

That’s the update for today; meanwhile, please keep up your prayers for Columbus KTC. Although Khenpo Rinpoche has told us that “rebuilding the center” is our best prayer, it may be good to recite the Tashi Prayer every day and dedicate it to the center’s re-establishment. We pray to be of benefit to all beings in Columbus and beyond. Karmapa Chenno!

Wishing you all the best,

Your KTC Board
Kim Miracle
Tanya Schroeder
Steve Phallen
Justin Fitch
Eric Weinberg

The board greatly appreciates everyone’s input and feedback.
Thank you!