The Pema Chödrön Foundation Charitable Projects

Gampo Abbey is a Western Buddhist Monastery in the Shambhala Tradition, located in Nova Scotia, Canada. Since 1984 Gampo Abbey has flourished as a contemplative community for monastics and lay practitioners alike. The Abbey has grown to include the main monastery; Sopa Choling, a three-year retreat center; the Vidyadhara Institute, a monastic college; the Stupa of Enlightenment, consecrated by Thrangu Rinpoche in 1999; and cabins for individual retreat.

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The Tibetan Nuns Project provides humanitarian aid and education to refugee nuns from Tibet and the Shaalan regions of India. With the support of the Pecho Foundation, many nuns have now completed the Gima degree which, until recently, was only available to men. These young women will go on to become the teachers, leaders, role models, and inspiration for coming generations of Himalayan women.

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For the past 30 years, Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles has provided hope, training, and support for formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of their community.

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The Prison Mindfulness Institute supports healing, rehabilitation, and personal transformation of men and women through meditation instruction in prisons. Their aim is to bring transformative practice, not just to individuals, but to the entire criminal justice system.

The work of the Prison Mindfulness Institute mitigates the extremely destructive impact of incarceration on families, communities, and the overall society.

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Malezi School in Nairobi, Kenya, is the first school in the community’s history to offer affordable education. It is creating sustainable, grassroots change through care and love. Our support provides breakfast and lunch daily to 220 undernourished children and nine teachers in the slum challenged by poverty and hunger.

Teachers report that the meal program has had a profound impact on the well-being of the community; they see improved attendance, class participation, and exam performance.

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Himalayan Environment and Life Protection (H.E.L.P) was created by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche in March 2023.

To continue Tergar Charity Nepal’s work to mitigate climate change in the Himalayas, Rinpoche created this non-profit to empower communities to become resilient in the face of climate change and protect the environment in the Himalayas.

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