Current Fund Raising Projects

    • Winter 2011

    • Aim

      Winter is a tough time at Yokoji - there are roads to plow and repair, paths to shovel and firewood to cut and stack. The strain of the harsh weather often leads to pipes bursting, leaks forming and tractor and truck repairs resulting from the heavy work demanded of them. Unforeseen expenses materialize and must be met. Currently, we are barely covering the cost of basic operations. Your donations help meet this need and provide funds to award scholarships to those who commit to train and work at Yokoji.

      Please consider making a donation or becoming a member, Temple Guardian or Friend of Yokoji to help us through this season and on into the future. Thank you.

    • Goal

      $10,000

    • Donations-to-Date

      $8,837


      $12,000 Needed to Upgrade Off-grid System - Spring 2011

    • Aim

      Yokoji has a strong ecological basis, stemming from the need to exist in harmony with the mountain, and in line with the Zen tradition of living lightly on the land. We want to build on this, making Yokoji sustainable for future generations. With limits on time, money and skills, we will be asking for your help over the coming years. Major construction at Yokoji is now over after 29 years and we are entering a new phase. Focus can now be switched to ongoing maintenance, beautification, and new ways of preserving our precious resources.

      Our current energy needs are not being met by renewable sources alone. We rely heavily on a diesel generator throughout the year. We hope to purchase more solar panels ($5,000 - 7,000) as well as upgrade our charge controllers (which control the energy going in to the batteries from the panels - $1,200) and our inverter (changes the power from 24V DC to 120V AC and takes power from the generator to charge the batteries - $3,500).

      We will need around $2,000 for electrician's fees and cables, breaker boxes and other miscellaneous items. Please help us, however and where ever you can. Thank you.

      Click here to download a PDF of the Spring 2011 fund raising letter.

    • Goal

      $12,000

    • Donations-to-Date

      12,000

    • **Update**

      The install has now taken place and we have two new solar arrays with charge controllers and a few inverter/charger. We can now run on 100% renewable energy on clear days. Thank you to everyone who contributed.


      Winter Help Needed - 2010

    • Aim

      Unexpected expenses have hit us hard this year. The following need urgent attention over the next few months:
      - $5,000 to fulfil a requirement to upgrade the kitchen stove hood with a filter bank and fire suppression system.
      - $1,000 for the Dodge snowplow which needs urgent clutch/transmission repair.
      - $500 to replace a broken chainsaw to cut firewood to heat the Center.
      - $3,000 to replace our backup generator unless we undertake the major work to get it working again.
      - Funds to continue supporting scholarships for those who want to train and work at Yokoji during the winter but cannot afford the full training fees.
      These expenses are on top of the regular running costs for the center as well as standing debts of $300,000. Your donations make a huge difference and will keep Yokoji running for all of us. Please give what you can. Thank you. If you did not receive a letter regarding this campaign, please click here to download the PDF.

    • Goal

      $10,000

    • Donations-to-Date

      $9,174

    • **Update**

      Thank you for your support over the winter. We managed to get the Dodge snowplow back on the road with a new clutch, starter motor and various other minor repairs. We also undertook major repairs to the GMC snowplow repairing the drive train in a number of places due to wear and tear, which cost well over $1,000. The kitchen hood was installed and we passed the annual inspection with the new equipment in place. With many auto repairs, we weren't able to give money or time to fixing the backup generator this winter. We have not yet purchased a new chainsaw, making do with what we have, although a purchase may be made in time for the fire season over the summer.


      Help us raise $25,000 to fix the road to Yokoji - Spring 2010

    • Aim

      The 1-mile dirt road leading to Yokoji needs some serious attention. Ideally, we would lay down more material every year to compensate for the surface of the road getting washed out during the winter storms. We have not been able to afford this for over five years. It is critical that we do this now, before next winter, otherwise access could be severely restricted for 2WD vehicles.

      We sent fundraising letters to many of you with more details of this project, but if you did not receive one, please click here to download a PDF version.

    • Goal

      $25,000.00

    • Donations-to-Date

      $7,665.00

    • **Update**

      We purchased some material for the road - rock and gravel, as well as investing in a new rake attachment for the tractor which enables us do do more of the work on the road ourselves. The road is an ongoing project and it is in good shape as of now, but it will require further work in the coming years.