Board and Finance
ANBI
On this page you will find the information that comes from the legal requirements surrounding ANBI. This information is necessary as the government has obliged all ANBIs since 1 January 2014 to provide more transparency and accountability, whereby donors, beneficiaries and beneficiaries gain more insight into the functioning of philanthropic institutions. The ANBIs must present the information referred to in the law in an accessible manner to the public on the internet (their own or industry site).
Anual Report
Board and organisation
Stichting Phuntsok Chö Ling
RSIN / Tax number: 816828349
Visiting and postal address: Oostkousdijk 17 b, 3024 CL Rotterdam
Objective:
To work for a better society and a better environment as well as for self-realization, based on and in accordance with the Buddhist philosophy.
The board:
In 2019, the duties, responsibilities and powers of the board were laid down as follows:
Michel Jansen, Chairman
· Rotterdam network
· Fundraising
· Programming
· Classes
· Facilitators
Etienne Duijf, secretary
· Marketing and communication
· Events
· External contacts
Tine Langedijk, controller
· Financial statements and budget
· Financial and legal affairs
Remuneration policy:
The activities arising from the board positions as well as all other activities within the foundation are carried out entirely on a voluntary basis. Board members may choose to participate in retreats at cost, if the costs otherwise preclude participation. The fees are in accordance with the requirements set by the government.
Policy Plan:
Phuntsok Chö Ling Foundation is a Buddhist organization. Under the leadership of Lama Jigmé Namgyal, we want to bridge the gap between an ancient peace culture of wisdom and compassion and the Western way of life. Central to this are meditation, study and following education. Everyone is welcome to participate in our activities. Participants are given the opportunity to become acquainted with Buddhism and are supported in following the path and practicing meditation.
The Phuntsok Chö Ling Foundation is a philosophical / religious institution that wants to engage socially. The foundation is under the spiritual guidance of Lama Jigmé Namgyal and is supported by the board. Phuntsok Chö Ling Foundation is a non-profit foundation. Her activities are devoted to the general social interest.
The Phuntsok Chö Ling Foundation carries out various activities:
- Meditation classes, study classes and community days.
- Activities for a wide audience: lectures, meditation courses, retreats, and meditation weekends. The aim is to expand the activities for a wide audience.
3. Social cooperation: with and participation in national and regional organizations and giving lectures and presentations based on the vision of Tibetan Buddhism to health centres, community centres and schools.
Phuntsok Cho Ling constantly monitors the correctness of her organization, policies, meditations, courses and translations of texts through consultation with her teacher Lama Jigmé Namgyal. After the pioneering phase (from its foundation in 2003) and a phase in which the organization was strengthened, the foundation has now been laid for a stable, professional organization. This has been further expanded in recent years. From 2015 new housing has been found, which opened in 2016 and the interior of which was furnished in 2018.
About fifty percent of the active participants take on tasks as volunteers. The foundation strives to ensure that volunteer tasks correspond as much as possible to the Buddhist development path of the volunteer. In the coming years, the foundation will offer more structure and further professionalise the required tasks.
Phuntsok Cho Ling’s income consists of:
- donations;
- contributions from participants in study activities such as meditation classes, retreats and lectures;
- all that the institute obtains through inheritance, bequest, donation or in any other way;
Study activities must be at least cost effective. Any positive result is added to the reserve or used for matters that are necessary for the (better) functioning of the centre. Every month, a stipend is paid to the Center Culturel Tibétain in Luxembourg for the living of Lama Jigmé Namgyal and costs are made for improving the centre. In addition, there are incidental costs for the organization of events.
The treasurer manages the foundation’s finances and bank account. Only expenses that fit the budget and have been approved by a majority of the board can be made. The treasurer prepares the annual figures on a cash basis. The annual figures are then presented to the auditing committee set up in 2018. The statement of income and expenditure and the capital position are explained annually for all interested parties and subsequently on the website.
The Phuntsok Chö Ling Foundation strives for a regular reserve of € 15,000 for unforeseen circumstances. An additional annual reservation has been made for a new, larger accommodation, which was used last year to renovate and furnish our new location.
The board decided on June 30, 2020, due to the restrictive Corona measures, to publish the financial reporting for 2019 later than July 1, 2020, but no later than October 31, 2020 on its website. Enclosed you will find the board decision in Dutch.
Besluit uitstel publicatietermijn.pdf
Strategy-document 2020-2021
Introduction
View of the future
Phuntsok Chö Ling (PCL) is in full development. In recent years there has been a certain changeover. From an organizational point of view, this has resulted in a (new) co-team being set up and a new board in the meantime. The positions of chairman and secretary have now been filled by Michel Jansen and Etienne Duijf respectively and we are doing everything we can to fill the position of treasurer as soon as possible.
In recent years, a good and healthy foundation has been laid in many areas. At the same time, we as an organization, look and want to move forward. Partly because of this, we have a healthy ambition to take the next (professionalization) step on a number of subjects. An English-language website and expansion of the online offer are examples of this.
There is also a need to take the next step with regard to the strategy and, by extension, concrete communication. In 2018 a nice refreshment of the visual identity took place. Steps have also been taken with regard to the profiling of PCL in the online (read: social media) environment.
Having said this, a need has arisen to act even more strongly and, above all, in a more targeted way in the profiling and to actively engage with various stakeholder groups.
Background
Taking the next steps from a solid foundation
As mentioned, PCL has gone through a relatively turbulent period. Partly due to the departure of a number of members, the organization has been somewhat shaken up. At the same time, this offered the opportunity to set up a new way of organizing. This has actually happened, with a prominent role for the co-team. In the meantime, peace has returned to a reasonable extent and it is now possible to look ahead again.
With the arrival of a newly formed board, there is a solid basis for taking the next steps. This is also necessary, because on a number of fronts it is crucial to make a so-called professionalising step.
Continuity
It goes without saying that PCL has no direct profit motive. At the same time, it is desirable that there is a solid income stream that enables the continuity of PCL as a Buddhist centre.
Fortunately, that is the case. The financial data shows that the organization runs annually to a large extent on the basis of the contribution of its members and achieves a modest positive result through the events that are organized. These events are mainly in the nature of deep Buddhist teachings (study mornings) and retreats. This fact offers a beautiful and solid basis.
It goes without saying that there is a natural trend in the amount of members. It is therefore important to see if we can grow faster in the amount of members that join than the amount of members that leave. In the coming years, we therefore strive to gradually grow as an organization. In that context, 2019 was dominated by stability and / or a slight recovery. On 1-1-2020 the number of members was 66 members and the number of friends 15 compared to 68 members and 3 friends on 1-1-2019.
At the same time, it is important to keep organizing sufficient events every year in order to build a healthy buffer for the necessary investments that are made annually (such as the investment for the financial and membership administration, refurbishing and heating the foyer and temple, the purchase of our new altar and any other investments or unforeseen expenses).
In short, the organization is financially healthy and that provides a good, solid basis for further development.
Strategic course for the coming years
Two-track policy
How will PCL develop in the coming years? As in previous years, we will walk the path of gradualism. At the same time it is necessary to provide structure and make choices. This for a number of reasons:
- • By making choices, we create a clear profile and we work in a targeted manner;
- We work with (a small group of) volunteers. Making choices ensures that we all work from the same goals and ideas; •
- Whether we like it or not, we live in a world where people have an abundance of choice. So in a sense we will have to do “marketing and communication”. This mainly concerns raising awareness (= visibility) of PCL as a place for interested parties to join. Whether they want or will is entirely up to them! So we will not conduct marketing in a ‘manipulative sense’
With the above in mind, the question is how PCL wants to grow. The activities are basically divided into two domains. These are:
- Meditation (more general in nature);
- In-depth Buddhist teaching.
In other words, there is a group of people to whom we want and can be relevant when they are looking for a place to meditate. At the same time – and here of course lie the strong roots of PCL – there is a possibility to receive profound Buddhist teaching under the guidance of Lama Jigmé Namgyal.
Obviously, both domains are an extension of each other and it does happen, for example, that people are initially interested in meditation and then seek further depth at some point. Call it an interesting growth model! In principle, the structure of the academic year follows this line, just like the previous year.
Sunday (open meditation) and Thursday (learning to meditate) offer an accessible way to become familiar with meditation, from the Tibetan Buddhist point of view. For those who want to continue with meditation or for the advanced meditation practice, Tuesday evening offers a great opportunity. And for those (who are also) looking for more depth with regard to Tibetan Buddhism, Monday and Wednesday evenings offer the possibility for this. Through this wide range, PCL therefore offers ‘something for everyone’ so to speak.
Growth opportunities from the growth model
Based on this approach, we ideally create a natural growth of members for ourselves (whether or not ‘helped’ or stimulated by, for example by offering a trial subscription). A higher number of members triggers a broader income stream that ensures that we continue to break even or even immediately write positive figures. If desired, it also offers the possibility – despite aspects such as inflation – to keep the contribution as low as possible.
A higher number of members may also have a positive effect on the income streams in the ‘Buddhist domain’. Experience shows that retreats and study mornings are often (mainly) visited by members of PCL. By increasing the number of members, it is quite possible that the events / retreats will be attended even better and thus extra income will be generated. It will also be necessary to look for other possibilities to recruit more participants, for example by bringing these special teachings of Lama Jigmé to the attention of Buddhist platforms and / or at fellow (international) Buddhist centres.
If you have any questions regarding this document, please contact the board via bestuur@phuntsokcholing.org.