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DONGYU GATSAL LING INITIATIVES INCORPORATED
WOODBURY, NY · EIN 800198191 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE X50 · Religion-Related · Small ($100K-$1M) · dgli.org
revenue
$831K
expenses
$623K
net assets
$3.1M
employees
0
volunteers
8
program ratio
98%
mission · from form 990

DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE EDUCATION STANDARDS AND LIVING CONDITIONS OF TIBETAN BUDDHIST FEMAL MONASTIC COMMUNITIES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Dongyu Gatsal Ling Initiatives supports Tibetan Buddhist female monastic communities by improving their education and living conditions. The organization funds and operates DGL Nunnery in India and supports other nunneries in Tibet and the Himalayas, including Gebchak, Laphag, and Tayul Gonpas. It was founded to advance the spiritual development of nuns who have historically lacked access to rigorous training.

named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

DGL Nunnery
Provides rigorous Tibetan Buddhist education and practice for over 100 nuns in India, including philosophy, language, rituals, and annual meditation retreats
Gebchak Gonpa Support
Supports a community of over 350 nuns in Eastern Tibet preserving Dzogchen meditation and yogic practices, including the development of Dongtsang Ritro hermitage
Laphag Nunnery Development
Provides housing and infrastructure for 130 nuns in Tibet, enabling them to practice through harsh winters
Tayul Gonpa Assistance
Supports aging nuns at Tayul Gonpa in India with nutritional, medical, and safety needs during extended retreats
Togdenma Lineage Training
Long-term spiritual training program for nuns aiming to become realized practitioners through years of study and retreat
Yushu Orphans Fund
Provides scholarships for 22 children orphaned in the 2010 Yushu earthquake to pursue higher secondary and university education
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Support for Tibetan Buddhist Communities 8 activities
    • Implementing Tsunma Project for Tibetan Buddhist nunneries
      Implements the Tsunma Project to support other Tibetan Buddhist nunneries, extending educational, spiritual, and operational support to female monastic communities beyond Dongyu Gatsal Ling.
    • Improving education and living conditions for Tibetan Buddhist female monastics
      Works to improve educational standards and living conditions for Tibetan Buddhist female monastic communities globally, with a focus on empowering women in spiritual leadership roles.
    • Operating retreat and spiritual practice programs at Dongtsang Ritro Hermitage
      Operates a three-year retreat center at Dongtsang Ritro Hermitage for 12 young nuns engaged in advanced study and practice of Gebchak’s spiritual traditions.
    • Providing shared offerings to nuns in Gahar Valley
      Supports nuns at Lapchang and Peuker Gonpas in the Gahar valley through shared offerings coordinated from Tayul Gonpa.
    • Supporting Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in India
      Provides residential, educational, and spiritual facilities for over 100 nuns at Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India, including housing, structured education, and opportunities for spiritual practice. The nunnery was established in 1999 as a model for female spiritual advancement in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
    • Supporting Laphag Nunnery infrastructure in Tibet
      Constructed 108 small flat-roofed houses, a central kitchen, and a new temple at Laphag Nunnery in Tibet to improve living and spiritual conditions for nuns.
    • Supporting food and sustenance at Gebchak Nunnery
      Provides food and sustenance for nuns at Gebchak Nunnery through a shared funding model based on the “one-pot” tradition.
    • Supporting nutritional, medical, and safety needs of nuns at Tayul Gonpa
      Provides for the nutritional, medical, and safety needs of aging nuns at Tayul Gonpa who spend six months annually in deep retreat.
  • Women's Rights and Empowerment Grants 1 activity
    • Funding and supporting female monastic communities outside traditional regions
      Funds and raises awareness for female monastics ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in non-traditional regions, supporting their spiritual and educational development through targeted grantmaking.
  • Endowment and Gift Fund Management 1 activity
    • Managing the DGL Nunnery Endowment Fund
      Manages the DGL Nunnery Endowment Fund, established in 2008, to ensure long-term financial sustainability and growth of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery through dedicated investment management and fundraising.
  • Buddhist Religious Ceremonies & Teachings 1 activity
    • Supporting annual drubchen ceremonies at Gebchak Nunnery
      Supports the performance of 19 annual drubchen (group prayer ceremonies), each lasting 7–10 days, as part of Gebchak’s tantric practice tradition.
  • Individual Child Education Sponsorship 1 activity
    • Supporting educational sponsorships for orphans from Yushu
      Provides educational sponsorships for 22 orphans from Yushu affected by the 2010 earthquake, supporting their higher secondary and university studies.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$831K
Contributions & grants$691K83%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$110K13%
Other revenue$30K
expenses
Total expenses$623K
Program expenses98%
Admin / overhead2%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$549K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$3.07M
Cash$679K
Investments$2.39M
Liabilities$0
Net assets$3.07M
Liquid reserves59.0 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -1.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • CHRYSANNE STATHACOS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche Shedrup Nyima Government — Requested the establishment of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, indicating a formal spiritual or institutional affiliation.
  • Alliance of Non-Himalayan Nuns Partner — Collaborates with the Alliance of Non-Himalayan Nuns to support Tibetan Buddhist nuns from outside traditional Tibetan Buddhist regions.
  • Alliance of Non-Himalayan Nuns Partner — Partner organization co-founded and supported by DGL Initiatives to support non-Himalayan Tibetan Buddhist nuns.
  • Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery Partner — Organization founded by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and supported by Dongyu Gatsal Ling Initiatives
  • Gebchak Gonpa Partner — Supports Gebchak Gonpa in eastern Tibet, a remote nunnery preserving an unbroken lineage of female yogic practitioners.
  • Gebchak Gonpa Partner — Supports the community of nuns at Gebchak Nunnery through funding, retreat infrastructure, and educational programs for orphans in their wider community.
  • Investment Advisers Team Partner — Team responsible for overseeing the management of the DGL Nunnery Endowment Fund.
  • Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo Partner — Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is the spiritual advisor of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Initiatives and founder of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in India.
  • Khampagar Monastery Partner — Sister nunnery relationship with Laphag Nunnery; location of Khamtrul Rinpoche's seat and spiritual authority guiding the project.
  • Khampagar Monastery of Tashi Jong Partner — Nunnery is located near Khampagar Monastery of Tashi Jong, indicating a geographic and likely spiritual or institutional connection.
  • Khamtrul Rinpoche Government — Spiritual leader who requested support for Laphag Nunnery, providing religious authority and direction for the initiative.
  • Lapchang Gonpa Partner — Hermitage receiving indirect support through shared offerings from Tayul Gonpa.
  • Laphag Nunnery Partner — Supports Laphag Nunnery in Tibet, designated as a sister nunnery to Khampagar Monastery, at the request of the 9th Khamtrul Rinpoche Shedrup Nyima.
  • Peuker Gonpa Partner — Hermitage receiving indirect support through shared offerings from Tayul Gonpa.
  • Tayul Gonpa Partner — Primary beneficiary of support; nunnery receiving assistance for nutritional, medical, and safety needs.
  • Tayul Gonpa Partner — Supports Tayul Gonpa, a nunnery in Tibet where Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo resided for six years prior to her cave retreat.
  • The Alliance of Non-Himalayan Nuns Partner — Sister organization with shared leadership; Tsunma Lillia serves as Treasurer for its Board
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Bodhicitta-Centered Organizational Leadership
    methodology: bodhicitta-centered_leadership
    By grounding all organizational actions in bodhicitta—the altruistic mind of enlightenment—the organization ensures that service to nuns is motivated by compassion, which in turn strengthens authenticity, donor alignment, and spiritual integrity.
  • Equity in Spiritual Opportunity
    methodology: equity-in-spiritual-support
    By extending educational and financial support to both Himalayan and non-Himalayan nuns, the organization advances gender equity within Tibetan Buddhism, ensuring that geography or ethnic proximity does not limit spiritual development.
  • Lineage Revival Through Structured Spiritual Training
    methodology: adaptive_lineage_preservation
    By reviving the Togdenma lineage through rigorous, long-term training and extended retreats, the organization stabilizes spiritual realization among nuns, ensuring the continuity of a rare female yogic tradition within Tibetan Buddhism.
  • Self-Sustaining Spiritual Community Model
    methodology: self_sufficient_spiritual_community
    By establishing a self-sufficient nunnery, the organization enables long-term spiritual advancement for female monastics, demonstrating that sustainable infrastructure directly supports the preservation and growth of women's spiritual roles in Tibetan Buddhism.