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Securing Rigpa’s Lineage & Legacy – For the Dharma to take root and flourish in the modern world, it is vital that we support the training and development of scholars, translators, teachers and practitioners, who cultivate their potential to a high level, and then share their knowledge and experience with others. In this way, the unbroken living lineage of wisdom that is the heart of the Buddhist tradition may continue to bring benefit to the world long into the future.

For more than 40 years, following the unbroken practice lineage of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingtik, in the ecumenical spirit of Rimé, Rigpa has emphasised the importance of openness to other Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Rigpa has always had great interest in drawing out the essence of Dharma from authentic teachings, to make an accessible path to enlightenment available for people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. The goal of these grants is to ensure that the key pillars of Rigpa's unique spiritual heritage have the vital support they need, to secure the continuation of Rigpa’s contribution to Dharma long into the future, for the benefit of all.

  • Protecting the vast library of teachings that is Rigpa’s precious heritage and make it available to the sangha and the public.
  • Supporting Senior Teachers and Practice Holders to deepen their understanding and experience and to allow them to teach and guide others.
  • Appreciating and acknowledging the selfless offering of those who have dedicated their lives to manifesting the vision of Rigpa, and supporting them as elders of the wider our sangha.
  • We wish that as many students as possible with a sincere wish to progress on the path should have the best opportunities to do so. 

In recent years projects that have received support from the Tertön Sogyal Foundations include The Treasury of Wisdom, Prajna and Sukhavati Spiritual Care Center. The Foundations will now support three restricted grants which will also be financed by direct fundraising appeals and sponsorship.

Grants Currently Available: (taken out ‘to Rigpa students')

Fund icons 07Study & Practice Grants aimto financially support Rigpa sangha members in their study, practice and retreat, from newer students to senior teachers… Read more

Fund icons 02Light of Dharma Grants aim to sponsor projects and programmes that make Dharma teachings available in ever new and inventive ways, attuned to these times of fast developing technologies and great unpredictability… Read more

Fund icons 06Elders Grants aim to create communities for senior Rigpa members who have devoted their lives to Rigpa and reached retirement age, to spend the remaining years of their lives deepening their spiritual path… Read more


Grant-making Process and Committee 
– The grant-making process is based on the principles of fairness, transparency, inclusion and adherence to Rigpa’s long-term priorities. It is led by a grant making committee that will meet twice a year (July and December) to award grants. The committee will oversee applications made to all three grants as well as to other projects that are conducive to securing Rigpa’s Lineage and Legacy. Grants may be awarded for a single year, multiple years or for the long-term, for instance in the case of the Elders grant.

Mindful that all donations have been given by members of the Rigpa sangha, we respectfully ask people only to apply for a grant if they have a genuine financial need and have fully explored alternatives. With this in mind, we ask them to only apply for the minimum amount that they actually need.

Setting Annual Priorities and Grant Amounts – Each year, the grant-making committee is informed by the Terton Sogyal Foundations boards of the total amount of money to be disbursed. After that the Vision Board meets with the International Steering Group to agree the priorities for the next round of grants and then they recommend these priorities to the International Board and the Tertön Sogyal Foundations' boards for approval. Once approved, the priorities will be shared with the grant-making committee as guidelines for this grant-making cycle after which the committee makes a formal announcement to the whole sangha including priorities, total amount to be granted and deadlines. 

Applying for Grants – Application – Grant applications are accepted up to 6 weeks before the start of an event one wants to participate in. The grant-making committee receives the applications on or before the deadline date in digital format. 

Awarding Grants – One or two people from the grant-making committee will review the applications to ensure they are properly presented and if not, they will contact the applicant with comments so they can correct the application prior to the deadline.

The Grant-making Committee will meet two weeks after the deadline for applications. During this time, they will prioritise grants in line with the guidelines described above. The committee will review all applications and their referrals or recommendations from the Vision Board, Teachers, National and Retreat Centre Directors etc. as any of these may influence decisions. The committee will strive for unanimous decisions but when that cannot be reached they will decide by simple majority vote. Grants will be awarded in amounts that are not greater than  the available funds for each year.

The Committee will recommend the grants awarded to be ratified and approved by the International Boards and the Foundations boards. As soon as the grants have been ratified, the applicants will be informed of the result. Information on the grants awarded will be shared in the Rigpa’s Lineage and Legacy Annual Report.

Rigpa’s Lineage and Legacy Annual Report – A detailed Annual Report containing the priorities, grants awarded, investment and fundraising will be published online around Losar of the following year.