Banner: Health and development workers, Pune, India, friends of BODHI and supported in part by us.

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His Holiness XIVth Dalai Lama, 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate, Susan Woldenberg, Colin Butler, Dharamsala, India, 1990 photo: Tenzin Geyche Tethong

Since 2015 this has been the website for the NGO Benevolent Organisation for Development, Health and Insight (BODHI) Australia. Founded in 1989 during teachings by the Dalai Lama in Los Angeles BODHI has supported small scale development projects mainly in India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Tibet. We are possibly the world's fourth  oldest Buddhist development (aid) organisation, following Tzu Chi (founded Taiwan 1966), the Karuna Trust, (UK 1980), and Gaden Relief Projects, (Canada, 1988) (We have ongoing links with three of these groups.) The Jamyang Foundation was also founded in the late 1980s.

"Bodhi" in Sanskrit can be translated as "true nature". "Bodhicitta" means the development of mind ("citta" or awareness) - that wants to be of benefit to all.
BODHI's partners and people are predominantly Buddhist, but not exclusively.
Our main aims are to improve:

Education, especially pre-school, primary and high school
Health - and its determinants
Human rights and tolerance
Founding Patron: His Holiness XIV Dalai Lama (1989 - present)
Co-founders (1989): Professor Colin D Butler, Susan Woldenberg Butler
Advisors: see
Committee: see

Current partners

Aryaloka Computer Education, based in Nagpur, India (since 2016)
Karunadeepa (Malati Wankhade), Pune, Maharashtra, India (2005 - present) Karunadeepa and her team were part of TBMSG, an organisation which works to improve living conditions for Dalits in India. Their new organisation (2017 - present) is called The Bahujan Hitay Women and Child Welfare Society

past partners
Kirti Nishan Chakma, Moanoghar Children's Home, Rangamati, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh (2009-2017)
Susanta Chakma, SNEHA, New Delhi, India (2005 - 2016) (schools in Arunachal Pradesh)
Suresh Bauddha, Mainpuri, UP, India, Youth Buddhist Society & Loreto Convent barefoot teachers centre, Kolkata, India (2010-2011)
Ven Bimal Bhikkhu, Shishu Koruna Sangha, Kolkata, India
Bodhgaya Development Association (working in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India) (2012-2015)
Red Kangaroo in India (2013-2015)
Chakma Mahila Samity Women's Group (CMS), Mizoram, India (2012-2013)
Professor Melvyn Goldstein, Case Western University, Ohio, US (Revolving Sheep Bank, Tibet) (1999-2004)
Dr Arunrat Tangmunkongvoraku, reproductive health project, Thailand (2012-2014)
The Underprivileged Children's Educational Program Dhaka, Bangladesh (we would still like to re-start this)

India representatives (previous, none at present)

Nalori Chakma, New Delhi, India (2013-2014)
Krishan Chakma, Guwahati, Assam, India (2010-2013)
Tenpa TK, Mundgod, Maharashtra, India (1994-2005)

ACFID - we are not a member, as we are as yet unconvinced of the benefits, as we place no volunteers overseas and our income is currently too low to justify ACFID's fees.

Access to our audited accounts and other public information is at the Australian Charity and Non-profits Commission (ACNC). You can search for us there by using our ABN: 90575989334

Incorporated in Tasmania: Registration number 02547C.

Running costs: BODHI's administration is largely provided by volunteers. Since 2017 we have paid Colin Butler 5% of the total external* income for the previous calendar year. In 2018 that was $1,671. Other running costs (bank charges, audit fee, government charge, website fee, donation for AGM venue) in 2018 totalled $1158. In all, we spent an average of 11% of our total income for 2017-18 on running costs. 

*by this, we exclude funds donated by our committee members.

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