Almost There! Week 5/6 of the Sustaining Supporter Drive.
Sustaining Supporters Help Steward the Dharma.
A retreat experience at SCOL in 2022 helped Greg Robillard call KCC his dharma home. Earlier this year, Greg agreed to serve on the Board of Directors, deepening his commitment to KCC.
“My first trip out to SCOL was a 4-day vipashyana retreat in 2022. It was both my first meditation retreat and my first experience with vipashyana, and I felt like I had jumped into the deep end. Throughout the weekend my legs were screaming at me in pain from the long sits, and I spent most of the time in a confused fog.
On our last morning, before the first meditation session, I walked out of my cabin to a light dusting of Spring snow, covering the cloister and all the trees around. It was a profound moment, quiet and peaceful. I felt a deep connection to the land, to my practice, and to KCC. I hadn’t realized I was looking for a dharma home, but I knew then that I’d found it. The confusion hadn’t gone, but here I recognized support from space and community. I knew then that I wanted to continue to support this special place, for all those other newcomers out there, lost in the woods.”
KCC’s 50th anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on what will sustain this dharma community for another 50 years. In 2026, our staff is one of KCC’s most precious jewels to be treasured.
We have 4 full-time and 2 part-time employees who plan our practices and programs, work with volunteers, manage our retreat center, and handle communications, finances, and other day-to-day operational tasks. KCC is incredibly fortunate that our staff members are dedicated dharma practitioners. Their personal commitment to the practice infuses everything they do, keeping KCC grounded and guided by the dharma.
However, a recent salary survey revealed a painful truth: in a high-cost city like Portland, most of our staff are paid below a thriving wage. Raising our staff compensation to thriving levels would add $100,000 to our annual budget. As a community rooted in compassion, we believe in Right Livelihood, and the KCC Board of Directors needs ongoing support from the sangha to improve employee compensation.
Will you become a Sustaining Supporter? Recurring monthly gifts provide the stable foundation we need to pay our staff fairly and ensure KCC thrives for the next 50 years.
Together We Sustain KCC’s Heart and Work
Over the past five years, our staff has made significant efforts to diversify KCC’s revenue through programs, events, and other initiatives. Thanks to their hard work – programming income has increased. Sustaining contributions are projected to cover 25% of 2026 expenses or about $115,000.
For the 2026 Sustaining Supporter Campaign, the goal is to reach $125,000 in annual Sustaining Supporter giving. Monthly contributions provide the predictable, reliable cash flow we need to provide cost-of-living raises for our dedicated staff and plan for the future.
The board approved the 2026 budget and extra expenditures this year with confidence precisely because we know we have the support of this community.
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- Can you give $200/month? If so, you are essentially covering your individual “share” of keeping KCC fully staffed and resourced.
- Can you give $50 or $100/month? Every single recurring gift adds stability to our foundation.
- Can you give $20/month? Consistent, smaller gifts collectively make a massive impact.
Whatever you can offer, please know that it makes a real difference in the lives of our staff, the upkeep of our facilities, and the future of our Dharma center. Your presence, practice, and shared commitment are the true heart of KCC.
KCC is committed to freely offering the Dharma to all.
To make this possible, we practice a model of mutual support: we invite those with greater financial capacity to give a higher percentage of their income, balancing the contributions of those who can give less.
Here are a few examples of how you might structure your pledge:
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Sustaining support is tax deductible as KCC is a U.S. tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. If you would like to customize your giving plan, or have questions about donating, please contact Cynthia at .
If you want to share the transformative benefit of what KCC offers, we invite you to:
Become a Sustaining Supporter
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Increase your current monthly contribution.
As we celebrate KCC’s 50th anniversary, we honor the generosity of those who sustained this center before us. Extending our generosity today helps KCC continue to freely offer the Dharma, care for the community and facilities that support our practice, and pass this gift on to future practitioners.
Other Ways to Support KCC
Beyond recurring pledges, you can deeply impact KCC through:
- Volunteering: Offering your time, skills, and energy. To learn more about volunteering at our dharma center and retreat land, click here.
- Legacy & Planned Giving: Remembering KCC in your estate planning. For more information, click here.
- IRA Distributions: Directing Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) to KCC. For more information, click here.
KCC’s Benevolence Fund: Interconnected Care
Generosity flows in many directions. If offering financial support is not possible for you in your current season of life, please remember that KCC is also here to support you.
You can request basic life support through a one-time grant from KCC’s Benevolence Fund. Our Sangha contributes to this fund because we know that we are all interconnected and are unaffected when a member of our community is struggling. To learn more, contact .
For non-financial assistance, such as help with meals and rides to and from medical appointments, please contact KCC’s Needs & Care Group.
