CHITHURST BUDDHIST MONASTERY
Financial Support
General Information on Financial Support
One of the most convenient ways to offer support is through financial donations. The Sangha itself requires relatively little - however, it does cost about £10,000 each month to keep the monastery buildings running, for paying bills for electricity, maintenance, transport, etc., so we do need regular donations.
The use of these donations is overseen by committees of laymen and women, in consultation with a group of senior monks and nuns. The needs of the various buildings and members of the community are decided through due consultation and consensus. Cittaviveka is administered as one unit and does not have separate accounts for monks or nuns.
In accordance with the original monastic code of the Buddha - the Vinaya, our monks and nuns are prohibited from handling or holding personal rights over money. Consequently, the finances of the Monastery are ‘stewarded’ by a charitable body, The English Sangha Trust Ltd, and are administered by the charity’s Finance Sub Committee, which reports to the Board of Trustees. Trustees and Committee Members are friends and supporters of the Monastery, who serve in this capacity as an expression of their commitment to Dhamma. All of the funds are administered by the Trust and the Committee who manage the funds in accordance with the wishes of the donors.
The latest audited financial statements of The English Sangha Trust Ltd can be accessed on the UK Charity Commission website by using the following link: Charity Commission
One-Off Donations can be made in the form of cash or cheques made payable to The English Sangha Trust Ltd and placed in the donation envelopes provided at the monastery. Again, under certain circumstances, the monastery can claim tax relief.
Online Donations (Credit or Debit Card)
Please Click here if you'd like to make an online donation
Donations by Post
If you live in the UK there is the option of posting a cheque. Cheques should be made payable to:
The English Sangha Trust Ltd
and sent to:
Chithurst Buddhist Monastery,
Chithurst, Petersfield
Hampshire GU31 5EU.
If you wish your donation to be used for a particular purpose please inform us of this when sending the donation. Please note that if the amount is more than necessary for the particular purpose any excess will be used for the general support of the Sangha.
Bank Transfer
To make domestic or international transfers please email the Lay Treasurer for details of the monastery's bank account (treasurer{at}cittaviveka.org).
We recommend that you check with your bank what charges will be made for a funds transfer. Please note that if your donation is for a specified purpose and the amount donated is more than necessary for the particular purpose, any excess will be used for the general support of the Sangha.
Standing Order & Gift Aid
It is very helpful to the monastery to know that there is some degree of regular financial support. Standing orders are one way of ensuring this. If you are in a position to make such an offering then you can do so by completing a standing instruction to your bank (monthly, quarterly or annually). In certain circumstances it is possible for the Trust to obtain tax relief on such donations. Please see below to access a copy of the standing order form.
If you wish to make a donation to the monastery by a standing order with your bank, please click to download the standing order form and, after printing it out and filling it in, post it to:
The Lay Treasurer,
Chithurst Buddhist Monastery,
Chithurst, Petersfield,
Hampshire GU31 5EU
Give as you Earn
Some larger employers subscribe to this scheme, that enables employees to instruct that a monthly deduction from their salary is paid to the charity of their choice. At present the charity receives tax relief on the donation.
English Sangha Trust (EST) Policy on Cryptocurrencies e.g. Bitcoin
The EST Trustees, on the advice of the Sangha, have decided not to accept
donations of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies at present. This policy will be reviewed in 2024.
This was decided because of environmental and other ethical concerns.
If you have funds held in cryptocurrencies and you wish to make a donation to support the Sangha you are, of course, welcome to convert your gift into pounds sterling and to offer it in that form instead.