Through compassionate giving and service, The Sogan Foundation aspires to bring hope and opportunity to those most in need.
The Sogan Foundation (TSF) is a humanitarian non-profit foundation which was founded in 2004 in the Bay Area of Northern California by Venerable Sogan Rinpoche with the support of his students and friends in the local community and around the world.
TSF's projects are concerned with addressing the roots of poverty and the harms that so often attend it, including poor health, lack of education, degradation of the natural environment and a community sense of isolation and disempowerment.
December, 2023 – Donation to Support the Jamyang Lophel School & Tibetan Cultural Center in Belgium
In 2023, Ven. Sogan Rinpoche visited the Jamyang Lophel School and Tibetan Cultural Center in Belgium. After his visit, the Sogan Foundation made a donation of $1,000 to support the school and its mission.
The Tibetan Cultural Center in Belgium started in 2008 out of a strong wish to promote and protect our language and culture. In 2008 a wave of unrest leading to several acts of civil disobedience across Tibet grabbed the attention of the international media and of our supporters. The backlash that followed made us Tibetans realized how under threat our language and culture are. Equally there are now many young Tibetans being born all over the world and it is vital they are educated about their background, culture and language.
The school is called Jamyang Lophel School; a name given us by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is responsible for running 6 programs of weekend language classes in these 6 cities: Brussels, Antwerpen, Ostende, Leuven, Brugge and Ghent. There are currently 549 students, 47 teachers. For more information, please visit: www.tccbe.org.
March, 2023 – Fundraising to Support the Children Affected by the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria
Dear Friends,
The tragic devastation resulting from the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey were extraordinarily heart-wrenching with confirmed 59,259 human casualties. Experts from the United Nation also estimated that more than 1.5 million people were left homeless.
The Sogan Foundation raised funds to support the ongoing relief effort by contributing to the valiant efforts of those providing aid. This was implemented in a short turn around time to address the urgent need. A total of $5,532 was wired to the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) to support children and family most affected by the natural disaster.
August, 2022: Communication Regarding Fundraising for Ukrainian Refugees
Dear Friends,
At the beginning of the terrible human tragedy that struck the Ukrainian people, we responded to the call of the Mayor of Mori to help Ukrainian refugees who might have arrived in this area. Our intention was to host families here at Tupten Osel Ling Center, and in this regard the
Sogan Foundation activated a fundraising initiative that involved several friends and students of Ven. Sogan Rinpoche, in the U.S. and also in Italy, and resulted in raising the generous sum of 12,500 euros.
A series of subsequent circumstances caused no family to arrive at the Center, so we decided to donate the sum raised to associations and individuals who have particularly distinguished themselves in supporting Ukrainian refugees in this Mori area. Therefore, on Saturday, August 13, 2022 - at the presence of Ven. Sogan Rinpoche, the Mayor of Mori, representatives of the various associations involved, some Ukrainians, and
members of the Manzano community - we donated € 12,000 to the following entities:
1) Association "Sermig Arsenal for Peace": € 3,000 that will be allocated to purchase essential goods to be sent to Ukraine;
2) Association "Let's Help Them Live in Ukraina": € 3,000 to cover part of the expenses for the purchase of an ambulance to be sent to Ukraine;
3) Cedas Caritas Mori: € 3,000 that will be allocated to the purchasing of essential goods for refugee families residing in the municipality of Mori;
4) Association "Arci Mori": € 1000 to support the expenses of organizing Italian Language courses for Ukrainian refugees;
5) Volodymyr Skakevych: € 2,000 to this Ukrainian citizen who lives in Mori and has managed to host up to 13 fellow Ukrainian refugees in his home.
(click HERE for event pictures)
The remaining 500 euros are currently kept aside for possible emergencies involving Ukrainian refugees in the area. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who -with great generosity and good hearts - took action to support the Ukrainian refugees, and especially the Sogan
Foundation for the generous and immediate response of our dear American friends.
A warm greeting to all
The Board of Tupten Osel Ling
August 2020: Providing Aid to Marginalized Tibetans in Exile
To provide aid to those Tibetans in exile who are most in need, particularly those affected by COVID-19, The Sogan Foundation donated $1,350 to the Golok Families Relief Funds.
April 2020: Coronavirus Relief Efforts in India
The Sogan Foundation donated $1000 to PM Cares which is a program created to support relief efforts in India to aid in the treatment and containment of the Coronavirus pandemic in India.
November 2018: Helping Those Affected by the Camp Fire
To assist with the relief efforts in California following the Camp Fire, TSF donated $1,000 to "Caring Choices" based in Chico, CA (for more information click HERE). The Camp Fire was one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history. It destroyed over 18,000 structures and killed more than 80 people. The town of Paradise, CA was largely destroyed within the first day of the fire, losing an estimated 90% of its buildings. With the terrible toll of those affected by this tragedy, we felt the urgent need to contribute to the relief efforts focused on providing aid to the survivors in Paradise, CA.
September, 2017: Helping Those Affected by Hurricane Maria
To assist with the relief efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, TSF donated $1,000 to the "One America Appeal" campaign of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation. Hurricane Maria was the strongest storm to strike Puerto Rico in more than 80 years, and it reduced homes to heaps of splintered wood and crumbling concrete, turned streets into rivers of churning brown water and left the island without power. With the scarcity of food, clean water, shelter, gas and medical supplies, we felt the urgent need to contribute to the relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
September, 2017: Helping Those in Exile
In order to assist those from the Golok region of Tibet currently in exile, TSF donated $1,604 to the Golok Trust Fund based in Mcleod Ganj, India. The Golok Trust Fund aims to support the people of the Golok region of Tibet who are in exile by contributing towards their greater economic self-sufficiency, increased educational opportunity, improved public health, providing medical and humanitarian assistance, and helping to protect and preserve the natural environment.
In January 2017, Sogan Rinpoche visited the Senior Citizen Center in Pharping, Nepal and spoke with the residents there.
June 2016: Helping those Affected by Tragedy in Orlando, Florida
In response to the shocking events of June 12, 2016, TSF joined contributors from around the world and pledged $200 to support victims of Pulse shooting, a fundraising effort on behalf of those directly affected. 100% of all funds received will be distributed to victims' families, survivors, and those in the club who may not have suffered physical injury but are in need of trauma support.
Nepal Earthquake Relief and Community Hall Project in Pharping
On April 25, 2015 the Country of Nepal experienced a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake. Aftershocks reached 7.4 magnitude and continue up to the present. In response to this tragedy, The Sogan Foundation partnered with a local Nepali NGO, Earthgarden Nepal, to provide immediate relief supplies of food and shelter materials to affected communities in several districts of the country. As the critical phase passed, The Sogan Foundation then committed to working with Earthgarden Nepal and the village community of Pharping, on the southern outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley, to construct a community hall and earthquake shelter. Fundraising through private donations, online crowd-sourcing, and local contributions successfully gathered the following amounts:
Phase I: $36,021.00 Earthquake Relief
Phase II: $34,306.00 Community Hall & Earthquake Shelter
Construction began on the project in the spring of 2016 and was completed in July, 2017. The site chosen for the shelter was on land offered by the Dakshinkali Municipality, adjacent to the town' Senior Citizen Nursing Care Center. Thus the shelter serves several functions. It is a safe, central meeting point in the case of future disasters. It is a space for important community meetings and can be used by other local groups for events. Finally, it is a resource for the senior citizens who live beside it, allowing them a clean and spacious place for yoga and exercise programs. The shelter will be managed by the administration of the Senior Citizen Center and revenue from programs there will contribute to supporting the senior residents.
To view photos and learn more about Pharping Village, the Community Hall proposal and Earthgarden Nepal's other post-quake activities, click HERE.
A Note of Appreciation for TSF' Support for Victims of the 2015 Earthquake in Nepal
Dear Sogan Foundation Donors,
We extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to each and every single one of you for your support, which undoubtedly helped ease the acute suffering of many individuals.
In the wake of Nepal's two major quakes on April 25th and May 12th, the first priority was to ensure temporary shelters for the thousands whose homes were rendered unlivable. We focused on providing shelter materials (tarps and tin roofing) and food to approximately 533 households. Many recognized that these kinds of grassroot level efforts to bring supplies directly into the hands of those affected by the crisis were the most effective and fruitful relief work that occurred.
With gratitude and thanks from Nepal,
The Earthgarden Nepal Team
A child in the Kathmandu Valley sleeps under a TSF-funded tarp in a makeshift shelter. To find out more about the post earthquake situation in Nepal and to see more photos, click HERE
The Sogan Foundation's First Projects
Kunsel Kyetsal School
A new school for native Tibetan teenagers who need a modern education to sustain hope for a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
In 2004, in partnership with local officials and community leaders, The Sogan Foundation (TSF) began work on establishing the Tibetan Institute for Science and Technology (now called Kunsel Kyetsal) in response to a critical lack of educational opportunities for Tibetan teenagers in Golok. At that time there was only one Tibetan high school for all of Golok's 135,000 inhabitants, and it was poorly furnished and in dilapidated condition.
Local leaders envisioned a spacious new building - with fully equipped, modern classrooms - where secondary school students could receive training in the sciences and information technologies in their native Tibetan language. They approached Golok native Sogan Rinpoche with their plan and in response Rinpoche started The Sogan Foundation in 2004.
Kunsel Kyetsal, the science and technology school facility in Golok was TSF's first project. The building was completed in 2007 and since then has welcomed a new class of students every fall. To learn more about Kunsel Kyetsal and see photos of construction, the festive inauguration in 2007 and its hardworking students and teachers, click HERE
Bayan Water Project
Clean, accessible drinking water for Tibetans living in a new settlement for retired nomads near the monastery on Bayan Mountain.
In keeping with a centuries-old tradition of caring for elderly nomads in Golok. In 2007, a small settlement for older Tibetan men and women was established near Bayan Monastery. In 2008, The Sogan Foundation agreed to fund construction of a simple water system for the fledging Bayan senior community.
Before the new water system was installed, residents had to fill buckets with water from an unprotected spring some distance away, and haul it back along narrow dirt paths to their homes. The hike was difficult even in summer and in the icy Tibetan winters it could be treacherous.
Within a few years several dozen simple homes had been constructed. Here, elderly Tibetans can leave behind the rigorous nomadic way of life and settle for the remainder of their days with the companionship of life-long friends and family and caring monks nearby to offer support.
To find out more about the Bayan senior community and how support from TSF had made their lives safer and healthier, click HERE.
The Sogan Foundation Supports Initiatives from Other Humanitarian Organizations
In March, 2012 TSF gave $1,000 to the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute in support of its mission to serve as a bridge of goodness between East and West. The Institute, which was officially inaugurated in December, 2013, is located in Sarnath, India - a sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site - and its academic focus is on the study of Buddhist languages: Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and English.
On December 24, 2013, we contributed $1,000 to the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education, the first Tibetan college for the exiled Tibetan community in India. Its prime mission is to inspire Tibetan students to study the Tibetan language and culture as they continue to pursue further studies. The college which is located near the city of Bangalore offers a broad curriculum including science, arts, counseling as well as computer and information technology.
Pictured below: The Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education
Ven. Sogan Rinpoche Performs Tsok at Bayan Monastery in Tibet
Dharma
For more about Ven. Sogan Rinpoche and his Buddhist teachings, see the website of the California Dharma group, Tupten Osel Choling