Since 2011, the Hinman Charity has made grants both through international NGOs and directly to monasteries and nunneries to help support education and community development and alleviate poverty.  Our portfolio includes programs to support vocational training and economic development, microfinance, and education within monasteries and nunneries.  The Charity is committed to providing small grants to community based leaders to respond to their needs and provide them with resources to further develop their programs.  We work throughout the country and primarily partner with the Buddhist sangha.

Supporting Monastic Education in Burma (Myanmar)

Because of the important role that the monasteries play in Burma (Myanmar) – from responding to urgent community needs to providing education to the country’s most impoverished residents – the Charity is focused on engaging with the Buddhist community in Burma (Myanmar) by working in collaboration with monasteries and nunneries. The Charity has made grants to support small-scale community based development to help improve the quality of life and access to resources, education, and skills training. The Charity is working with local partners to identify gaps in their resources and assisting them by providing critical resources that help them serve their communities more holistically.

Community Based Micro-finance

In 2012, the Hinman Charity made a grant to support a micro-finance project to be led and managed by the sangha, or Buddhist monastic community, in southern Myanmar.  The participants in the micro-finance program are members of the sangha and are parents or teachers of students at the monastery run school.  A committee of men and women has been established to govern the community-led initiative.  The small loans will help to support small scale infrastructure and local businesses in addition to supporting the monastery.