FAQ

1. What is the Mission of the Tibetan Community Center of Northern California (TCCNC)?
2. Why does the Bay Area Tibetan community need a community center?
3. What kinds of programs will the Center offer?
4. How will the Center benefit the greater Bay Area community?
5. Is the Center part of the Tibetan Association of Northern California or is it a separate organization?
6. Who is in charge of the campaign to establish the Center and are they paid?
7. How much money is needed for the TCCNC, and how long will it take to raise it?
8. What kind of a space are you looking for and where?
9. How much money has been raised so far?
10. How do I donate?
11. If I donate, how do I know my money will go directly to the Center?
12. I would like to volunteer. What areas does TCCNC most need help in, and how do I contact TCCNC about volunteering?

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What is the Mission of the Tibetan Community Center of Northern California (TCCNC)?
The mission of the Tibetan Community Center of Northern California (TCCNC) is to empower Tibetan-Americans of all ages to thrive in the United States, while promoting the continuity and development of Tibetan social, cultural, and artistic traditions. The TCCNC will be a refuge for Tibetans in exile, and a gateway to the living culture of Tibet for the Bay Area community at large. The Center will provide a mixture of social services and educational, recreational, and cultural programming to the Tibetan and Bay Area communities.

Why does the Bay Area Tibetan community need a community center?
Over the last 15 years, the Tibetan community has undergone exponential growth in the San Francisco Bay Area. From only a handful in the 1980’s, the community is now estimated to be 1,500, with many more new arrivals expected in the coming years due to the deteriorating political conditions for Tibetan refugees in Nepal, the increased numbers of Tibetans fleeing Tibet for Nepal and India, and other factors.

There are two core areas of need for the Bay Area Tibetan Community that a community center would address. First, there is a lack of social, educational, and vocational services that are specifically targeted to meet the needs of the Tibetan community. The most pronounced lack is in programs addressing the needs of elderly Tibetans with little to no knowledge of English, and those targeting middle school and high school-aged Tibetan youth. Whether it is providing a space for elderly Tibetans to spend the day, worship, and get a hot meal, or in providing classes in Tibetan language and culture for young Tibetans, the shear number of Tibetans requiring services make it impossible for community members to keep doing these kinds of activities without the support of a formal facility.

Second, on the level of culture, Bay Area Tibetans, like Tibetans everywhere, are engaged in a larger struggle to save their culture from the very real threat of extinction. From the lack of access many Tibetans inside Tibet have to classes that teach Tibetan history and language, to the continued, well-documented attack on Tibetan Buddhism and its institutions by the Chinese government, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s phrase – “cultural genocide” – accurately summarizes what the International Commission of Jurists, officials of foreign governments and numerous non-governmental organizations have found in Chinese-occupied Tibet.

In response to this situation, Tibetans in exile have, over the last half-century, set themselves the enormous task of preserving their cultural traditions, religion, and language in the diaspora.

The TCCNC is certainly a part of this effort, but many Bay Area Tibetans emphasize that the planned Center is as much about developing a culture as it is about preserving one. With many Tibetans being born in the United States, it is critical that we create conditions in which this population of young people can excel and develop as well rounded people in this society. This means nourishing their Tibetan roots, but it also means providing them with the social and educational tools necessary to succeed in this country. At the heart of the mission of the TCCNC is that, if we as a community put in sufficient effort and gather sufficient resources, this effort will enable the next generation to balance a deep understanding of their Tibetan identity with a rich and engaged life in the United States.

We are at a point in history where the number of Tibetans in the Bay Area, the energy in the Tibetan community, and the longstanding interest of the Bay Area community in Tibetan culture, can combine to create a truly unique community space – a permanent home to a living culture. We must not waste it.

What kinds of programs will the Center offer?
The TCCNC executive committee is currently in engaged in a community needs assessment to determine which programs should be prioritized within the Center. We have already had one large town hall meeting with the community, and more are planned in the remainder of 2006. We predict, based on our experience of organizing Tibetan community events over the last decade that the following programs will likely be included (for a fuller description of these programs, visit About the Center):

• Training Program in the Tibetan Performing Arts
• Classes in Tibetan Language
• After School Care and Youth Empowerment Programs
• Care of Tibetan elders
• Program to Assist New Arrivals
• The Center as a Hub for all Things Tibetan

How will the Center benefit the greater Bay Area community?
Enshrined in the charter of the TCCC is the notion that the Tibetan community will actively give back to the greater Bay Area community the generosity that has been showed to it.

The San Francisco Bay Area has long been a strong zone of support for Tibet. With one of the largest concentrations of Buddhist practitioners in the West, as well as key educational and artistic institutions that have pioneered the introduction of Tibetan religion and culture to the United States, it is obvious that Bay Area communities are well positioned to take advantage of the programming at the TCCNC.

Having a developed outreach program to non-Tibetans will be a priority of the center from the beginning. This program will include a year-round calendar of events that gives non-Tibetans in depth exposure to the various aspects of the Tibetan tradition. Non-Tibetans will have access to courses and workshops taught by Tibetan Buddhist teachers, introductory classes in the Tibetan visual and performing arts, and even classes in Tibetan cooking.

As a refugee committee, we are particularly interested in reaching out to and including other communities in the Bay Area that have suffered displacement from their homeland as the result of armed conflict or other hardships. With one of the highest concentrations of refugees and asylees in the U.S., there are limitless opportunities for us to explore our common bonds through events and gatherings. This especially pertains to the numerous other Asian Buddhist communities represented in the Bay Area.

Is the Center part of the Tibetan Association of Northern California or is it a separate organization?
The TCCNC is a project of the Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC) – a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and it’s being structured as the cultural, educational, and social service delivery arm of TANC.  The proposed community center facility will be owned by TANC.  A new body to manage the operations and programs of the community center will be established, and this body will have members from the TANC Board of Directors and it will report to TANC.

Who is in charge of the campaign to establish the Center and are they paid?
The Capital Campaign Committee also known as the Executive Committee was set up by the TANC Board of Directors. The key task of this body is to design, implement, and manage a campaign to raise sufficient funds for a Tibetan Community Center in the Bay Area.  There are currently ten members on this committee including the President and Treasurer of TANC. The members in turn selected an Executive Director from within to lead and coordinate the work of the committee. The campaign has been able to compensate the Executive Director for a portion of his time starting May 2008 thanks to support provided by the Betsy Gordon Foundation.  The other nine members are not paid. At present, the Capital Campaign Committee consist of:

Kelsang Aukatsang, Executive Director; Phuntsok Dolma, TANC Treasurer; Chime Lhamo; Chris McKenna, Secretary; Fran Strachan; Kalsang Y Tashi; Tenzin Tethong; Dechen Tsering, TANC President; Thupten Norbu; Sonam Thunden; and Tsering Youdon, TANC General Secretary.

In addition to the Executive Committee, we also have a paid Community Coordinator position who runs the TANC office and helps with a number of TCCNC activities.

The Executive Committee coordinates all major decision making, and approves all major expenditures, with the TANC board – principally via bi-monthly meetings on the progress of the Capital Campaign. Please see the Governance section for more information.

How much money is needed for the TCCNC, and how long will it take to raise it?
The initial goal for the capital campaign is to raise $1.5 million by the end of 2009.

Even after meeting this goal, we will need additional funding. The exact mixture of up front money with other financing is dependant on a number of factors, including the municipality the building is in and how much re-design and renovation are required to make the space workable.

Moreover, we acknowledge that even if we meet our immediate fundraising goals, there is still a considerable amount of planning and work needed to ensure that the Center is sustainable over the long term. Most community centers have income generating activities, and the TCCNC will be no exception.

What kind of a space are you looking for?

We are targeting industrial buildings, warehouses, and other similar types of properties in Berkeley, Emeryville, El Cerrito, Oakland and Richmond.  The project desires a 5,000 square feet plus property with space for a community hall for up to 200 people, a large kitchen, classrooms, offices, and a library.  In addition, there would be a small stupa where members can gather and perform their daily spiritual practices. This initial space assessment may adjust, principally because we are aware of the importance of location to any successful center, and that we may have to compromise on certain aspects of the space in an effort to have the Center centrally located near large clusters of Tibetans.

How much money has been raised so far?
Please visit the Campaign Summary section to download information on money that has been raised.

How do I donate?
There are a variety of ways to contribute financially to the Center, including a one time donation, monthly giving, gifts of stock, and planned giving. We encourage you to visit the donation page of our website for details on all these options.

In brief, you may send checks to:

The Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC)
2288 Fulton Street, Suite 312
Berkeley, CA 94704
(Attn: Community Center Capital Campaig)

You may make a secure online credit card donation here

TANC is a 501(c)3 organization and all contributions to the Center are fully tax deductible.

If I donate, how do I know my money will go directly to the Center?
All contributions to the capital campaign will go straight into a bank account established for community center fundraising. TANC has a formal accounting system and we have set up a  separate bank account for TCCNC contributions. All expenses incurred are being paid out of general TANC funds.  So, 100% of every dollar you contribute to TCCNC is being set aside for the purchase of the building.

We promptly issue donation acknowledgement letters and keep meticulous records of capital campaign donations in a safe and secure place. As more revenue begins to be generated, the TCCNC will likely self-audit to prove to our funders that we are using their money responsibly.

I would like to volunteer. Who should I contact?
Please see our volunteering section and contact our Community Coordinator, Ugyen Tsering, at ugyen@tanc.org/new / Tel: (510) 666-1355 if you would like to volunteer.