In 2024, the FPMT Community Support Fund (CSF) was launched as a new evolution of the much‑loved International Merit Box Project, which for more than 21 years provided grants to local FPMT centers, projects, services, study groups, and Dharma initiatives around the world. This new fund continues that meaningful legacy, offering vital support to projects that bring the Dharma to life in communities across the globe.

Each year, during January and February, the FPMT International Office invites grant applications for a wide range of activities aligned with the FPMT mission and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions. In 2026, the CSF awarded US$11,800 in grants to eight inspiring Dharma projects and activities, reflecting the diversity, creativity, and compassion of the global FPMT mandala.

Thubten Norbu Ling  | Liberation Prison Project | FPMT Mongolia |Tekchen Choeling | Jamyang | North America Regional Office

Thubten Norbu Ling (USA)

Ksitigharba statue installed at Thubten Norbu Ling Centre.

This year the CSF offered a grant of US$700 to Thubten Norbu Ling Buddhist Centre in Santa Fe, USA, in support of the Path of Wisdom and Compassion Project. This contribution will help advance the creation of an accessible and welcoming environment by supporting the construction of a circumambulation path, the installation of the Ksitigharba statue and pedestal, and the enhancement of the garden with benches, landscaping, and memorial wind chimes. This project brings the compassionate presence of the great bodhisattva Ksitigharba to the center, creating a lasting source of blessings and healing for all, and a meaningful expression of FPMT’s vision to offer rich opportunities for practice and accumulation of merit.

Liberation Prison Project (USA)      

Edovo deployment in the USA

 US$2,500 in support was offered through the CSF to the Liberation Prison Project’s Edovo Deployment and Hosting initiative. This grant will help fund the deployment, publishing, and hosting of FPMT Dharma offerings on the Edovo learning platform, ensuring sustained access for incarcerated individuals across the United States. Through this support, a total of 50 FPMT courses, books, and content items will be made available to people in correctional facilities. These resources include Buddhist Meditation 101, Buddhism in a Nutshell, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive e-books, Wisdom Publications e-books, and FPMT e-books, along with additional study and practice materials. By making these teachings accessible via Edovo, the Liberation Prison Project continues its mission to bring the transformative power of the Dharma to every incarcerated American, creating meaningful opportunities for learning, reflection, meditation, and inner growth behind prison walls.

FPMT Mongolia

Participants of the Mahayana Children’s Program with FPMT Mongolia’s resident teachers,
Geshe Thubten Soepa and Ven. Thubten Gyalmo, alongside Ven. Roger Kunsang who was visiting.

FPMT Mongolia’s  project “Strengthening Universal Education in Mongolia” was supported by a grant of US$2,000 from the CSF. This grant provides additional resources to strengthen and expand both the Mahayana Children’s Program and 16 Guidelines activities, key pillars of FPMT Mongolia’s work in promoting Universal Education for Wisdom and Compassion. The grant will support classroom upgrades for the Mahayana Children’s Program, including seating, mats, rugs, and learning materials that help create a warm, engaging, and supportive environment for children aged 6–15. It will also contribute to the expansion of 16 Guidelines activities through the translation and review of 16G materials into Mongolian, support for outreach and training activities, and the development of high-quality resources for use by teachers, parents, and community partners.

Through this support, FPMT Mongolia continues to nurture children, families, and adults by combining Buddhist values, life skills, and ethical education. The project carries forward the vast vision of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to benefit beings through education rooted in wisdom and compassion.

21 Taras Thangka Display poster, with the event set to launch on May 16, 2026

Tara Institute (Australia)

This year, the CSF offered a grant of US$1,000 to Tara Institute in Australia in support of the Twenty-One Taras Thangka Display as part of the Victorian VESAK celebrations. This grant contributes toward the specialized truck hire required to safely transport and install the magnificent 15‑meter‑high Twenty-One Taras thangka, ensuring that this holy object could be displayed in its full form at Melbourne Town Hall on May 16, 2026.

Originally presented to Tara Institute by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the Twenty-One Taras thangka was offered with the wish that it be seen by as many people as possible, creating vast benefit and positive imprints. Participating for the third consecutive year in the Victorian VESAK celebrations, Tara Institute will made this extraordinary thangka accessible to thousands of visitors from diverse backgrounds, encouraging reflection, compassion, and interfaith appreciation through this powerful visual teaching.

Tekchen Choeling, Buddhist Center (Spain)

We are pleased to share that the CSF has offered US$1,700 to Tekchen Chöeling Buddhist Center in Ontinyent, Spain, in support of creating a new entrance for the center’s new location, including a glass door and glass storefront. This new entrance is a key part of the center’s broader renovation project and is intended to make the Dharma center more visible, accessible, and welcoming to the wider community.

Rendering of the center’s new glass door and storefront

In 2024, Tekchen Chöeling took a significant step forward by purchasing a new property to relocate its activities. This move is part of the center’s Strategic Plan for Greater Reach, a long-term effort to increase visibility, accessibility, and community engagement. The new venue includes two spacious commercial units and a central urban garden, offering the potential for a vibrant and welcoming Dharma center in the heart of the city.

The 2026 grant reinforces a crucial and symbolically meaningful element of the renovation – the entrance through which people will quite literally enter the Dharma. By helping to create an inviting storefront at street level, this support contributes to Tekchen Chöeling’s ongoing efforts to bring the Buddha’s teachings to more people and to establish a strong, accessible presence in Ontinyent for years to come.

Jamyang Buddhist Centre (London, UK)

The Kindness Café at Jamyang London.

The CSF offered US$1,100 in support of The Kindness Café at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre, a community and social services hub rooted in compassion, inclusion, and connection. This grant contributes to the development of a welcoming space where individuals from diverse backgrounds can come together to build wellbeing, resilience, and meaningful relationships.

The Kindness Café offers a range of peer‑led and community‑focused activities, including bereavement support and Death Café dialogues, listening spaces for developing communication and nonviolent listening skills, creative and skill‑sharing workshops, community walks, Climate Café discussions, and school and local outreach coordination. Through these initiatives, the Kindness Café addresses social isolation, grief, and emotional wellbeing while embodying Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision of engaged compassion and FPMT’s commitment to bringing Mahayana values into everyday life.

FPMT North American Regional Office

This year, the CSF offered US $1,800 in support of the ongoing North American Regional Teacher Tour Program. This program builds a sustainable system that expands geographic access to qualified FPMT teachers, strengthens regional coordination, and increases educational equity by making authentic Dharma teachings available to centers of all sizes across North America.

In addition, the Fund has offered US$1,000 to support the development of regional fundraising infrastructure for FPMT North America. This initiative focuses on building shared fundraising capacity for all 28 North American centers, projects, services, and study groups through the creation of standardized donor communication templates, shared campaign toolkits, training for center leaders and volunteers, and ongoing consultative support. By strengthening fundraising skills and coordination at the regional level, this project supports long-term financial sustainability and helps ensure that Dharma study, practice, and retreat opportunities can continue to flourish.

Community Support Around the World

The projects supported through the 2026 Community Support Fund demonstrate how even modest grants can have a profound impact – helping centers expand access to teachings, nurture community, support social good, and create conditions for study, practice, and retreat in many different settings around the world.

This year, we also awarded 17 additional grants totaling $63,034 through the various FPMT Charitable Projects — we’ll be sharing updates on each of these soon. In addition, through our Annual Designated Grants, awarded each year to schools, elder homes, health initiatives, and Sangha support, we offered an incredible $672,543, bringing the total we granted through our charitable giving to nearly US$750,000.

As we reflect on these inspiring initiatives, we also look ahead with hope and aspiration. Our wish is to continue growing the FPMT Community Support Fund, so that in future years we can offer more grants, reach more FPMT communities, and support an even wider range of Dharma activities. This is only possible because of the kindness and generosity of donors and supporters who make these grants a reality. On behalf of all who benefit, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped sustain this precious fund and make these offerings of Dharma possible!

Please read more about the FPMT Community Support Fund and detailed information about the grant application process for FPMT projects and activities.