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Where We’ve Been…2010
Whew, what a year! 2010 was a year of great challenges for Against the Stream. Financially, we felt the pinch everyone experienced in this economy, but the sangha came together and we ended the year breaking even. Most importantly, however, we were able to continue to make the teachings of the Buddha available to anyone who wished to receive them and turned no one away from our regular classes and programs because of lack of funds. 2010 was a year of tremendous gratitude to all of you for your support in all the ways you show it.
In fact, 2010 was a year of growth for us. We signed a one-year lease on the Santa Monica facility which has allowed us to plan and expand our programs there. We now have a meditation group in Sherman Oaks as well. Last year we continued to offer daylongs and class series and hosted several dana-only events. In all, we increased our programming by over 10%.
Where We’re Going…2011
As with last year, our focus remains on three specific areas
Programs: The growth is continuing. This year, we will offer an East Coast Retreat in September, and hold our third annual retreat at Joshua Tree. Along with our regular classes and special programs, we will again host the Buddhist Recovery Network Conference, will have a Year-to-Live group forming later this year, and currently support four Community Groups: Buddhist Recovery, People of Color, LGBTQ, and a Women’s Group. Live streaming of some classes with Noah should be available by mid-Spring.
People: A large part of our agenda is building the community. Stay tuned for more bowling nights, movie nights, a photo shoot, and just-for-fun sangha events. We are instituting some Days of Social Action and we’ll be announcing the details shortly. As we continue to grow, we need your volunteer support more than ever. If you’d like to be a part of the community, let us know.
Finances: As a non-profit, finances will remain our most challenging area. We’re projected to be in the red for 2011 because we frontloaded and spent some income for much needed operating expenses in 2010. However, we will have another Silent Auction, Sit-a-Thon and other fundraising events throughout the year and hope to grow the Monthly Supporter program. We thank you in advance for your constant support and help in keeping the doors open.
For our Financial Details, please check out the following links:
We’d love to hear from you. If you have comments, suggestions, or would like to get involved, please write This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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