A devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday April 25, 2015.

Fortunately, the internet has continued to be a conduit for information for many, and our friends have been able to communicate with us. Thankfully, everyone we know is safe and unharmed, but thousands have been injured, died, and lost their homes and livelihoods.

Every evening we have been speaking on the phone and communicating with our friends and artists in Nepal, getting updates on the situation and hearing of their needs. They have informed us that big organizations are jammed with the promise of donations but slow with distributions. And that's not the critical need: cash donations don't help because they cannot buy anything there due to shortages. Imagine you are an artist, a person, a mother or brother, in the middle of a disaster zone. What do you need critically, now? You need food, medicine, tents, water, masks; basically, you need life sustaining food and materials.

As a token of solidarity with our friends and artists, our brothers and sisters in Nepal, we will be making donations.  We ask you to share our goal of helping to save lives and support livelihoods.

Every dollar you donate will go directly to buying what they need NOW - canned goods, medicine, tents, etc. - and transporting these items to Kathmandu.  Where our partners and our supply chain exist, we will use them to flow back help and support. Items will be collected by our good friends and artists, Sanam and Suresh, who will directly distribute items to the villages and those most in need.  We will also be making contributions via the Schechen Monastery since they are also able to reach the remote areas and have been doing so since the earthquake.

If you would like to send goods directly, please send them to: Dharma Sculpture 1834 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056.  We will manage the onward transportation to Nepal from here.

We will provide you with receipts of your donations and also update you on how the money is spent.

At this dark and painful time, words fail to convey how deeply we feel for everyone affected. We send condolences and support to all the victims and their families. As devastating as this is, however, we feel hope and confidence that the beautiful people of Nepal and the country will soon recover with great strength and spirit.

Brenda Marrero

Founder, Dharma Sculpture

Below is a list of other donation-worthy organizations doing vital aid work following the earthquake:

AmeriCares
The disaster relief organization AmeriCares has announced that it is deploying an emergency response team in Nepal, reporting that it leverages every dollar of donations into $20 in aid. Click here to donate.

Bodhivastu
Bodhivastu is “a non-profit org led by Lama Rangbar, a student of HH Chatral Rinpoche and Dudjom Rinpoche. We already have a ground crew mobilzed and providing relief, focusing on the remote ares of Sankhu and Yomo, since Lama lived in Nepal for 20 years and still has staff there and we work through the Himalayan Light Foundation locally in Nepal. Lama has established his own center in Sankhu as an emergency relief shelter for the upper villagers. We are providing tents, sending food and medical supplies. To donate, please go to our website, call 845.226.6663 or email [email protected]. Thank you for any help you can provide!”

Direct Relief
California-based humanitarian organization Direct Relief has pledged financial and medical resources to relief efforts in Nepal, and is inviting donations. Since 2008, Direct Relief has delivered $1,000,000 worth of medicines and supplies to organizations in Nepal. The organization states that 100% of donations will be used for relief efforts in Nepal, not for general support or other program activities. Click here to donate.

FPMT
The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) has created a Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, “to provide for the immediate and long-term needs of Kopan Monastery and Nunnery and other local FPMT centers resulting from the devastation caused by the Nepal earthquake. […]. In addition, the fund will be used to offer immediate relief and support to other areas in the Himalayan region such as the village of Thame (Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birthplace) where there has been an incredible amount of destruction. If sufficient funds are raised, grants may also be provided to other carefully vetted organizations providing earthquake relief efforts.”

GlobalGiving.org
GlobalGiving.org says donations “will support earthquake recovery and relief efforts in Nepal. Initially, the fund will help first responders meet survivors’ immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Once initial relief work is complete, this fund will transition to support longer-term recovery efforts run by local, vetted local organizations.”

Via Grand Circle Foundation: “Grand Circle Foundation has pledged to match up to $50,000 of your donations when you give by Monday, May 4. We’ve chosen to contribute to the American Red Cross—a leading humanitarian organization with the worldwide clout and experience to truly make a difference.”

The Karmapa Service Society is inviting donations at their office in Elmhurst, NY (40-08 76th Street, Elmhurst, NY, 11373, phone: 718-747-4507 / 646-671-0041). All donations will be directed to the organization’s branch in Nepal, which is directly involved in rescue operations.

Karuna Shechen
Karuna Shechen is a humanitarian organization that was founded by Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard in 2000. It has announced that all donations the organization receives for the next 30 days will be directed towards earthquake relief efforts. Click here to donate.

Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche
Nepali teacher Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche has also announced the creation of a relief fund, focused on first aid relief, food, water, shelter, and reconstruction. Volunteers at Rinpoche's Nepali monasteries have been providing first aid to earthquake victims. "Any help at all will greatly benefit the cause." Click here to donate.

The Marpa Foundation
The Marpa Foundation, established in 1994 under the spiritual direction of Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, writes: “everyone in the Tek Chok Ling community is safe, but its buildings sustained damage. We are still assessing the extent of the damage but we know that the nunnery and its guesthouse will need to be repaired, the Yolmo retreat facility needs to be rebuilt, and there will be many other earthquake-related expenses. To help Tek Chok Ling and its community repair, rebuild, and rejuvenate, please consider donating to this special fund.

Oxfam International
Oxfam International: “We are preparing to supply clean water and hygiene equipment to thousands of people in Nepal following a devastating earthquake. Your help now will help us to save lives.”

Save the Children
Save The Children, founded in 1919, supports children around the world through education, health care, development, and emergency aid relief. The organization has worked in Nepal since 1976. It has announced the Nepal Earthquake Children's Relief Fund, to provide relief for children and families, with 10% of donations going towards preparation for the next natural emergency. Click here to donate.

Seva
Seva works to prevent and restore blindness in the developing world. Having worked in Nepal
since 1978, the organizations has announced the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund, with 100% of donations going towards support for earthquake victims  Click here to donate.

Schechen

Schechen Earthquake Relief http://shechen.org/donate
“Please consider making a contribution to our earthquake relief fund in order to administer care to the community.”

Kyabgon Phakchok Rinpoche

Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche has also announced the creation of a relief fund, writing, “The immediate concern is of course first aid relief, however, after an earthquake there are not only the immediate needs of those injured, there are also concerns of food, water, shelter and months of re-construction. […] Any help at all will greatly benefit the cause. Donations can be made here via PayPal.”

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche on Monday wrote to followers, asking them to consider making a donation to Shedrub Development Fund, toward “rescue efforts, rebuilding homes, and assisting those in need. This is our recommended fund for all donations to help repair the monastery and nunnery and provide wider assistance in Nepal. We will take full responsibility for ensuring that the funds donated reach those in greatest need.”

The Tibet Fund
The Tibet Fund “has established an Emergency Earthquake Relief Fund and is working with credible and reliable partners in Nepal, such as the Snow Lion Foundation and The Himalayan Society for Youth and Women Empowerment (HSYWE) to ensure that resources reach those most affected by the quake. These organizations are bringing urgently needed supplies and assistance to survivors and coordinating long-term efforts to rebuild communities. Even a small contribution will make a huge difference in the lives of those who have been tragically affected by the natural disaster.”

Unicef: “Children in Nepal need your help. Please donate what you can today.” In Canada, any donations to Unicef will be matched by the Canadian government and corporate sponsors, tripling the impact of every contribution.

Upaya Zen Center has created a Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund and “will allocate it to a NGO in the area that we have relationships with and whose good work we can verify.  We will choose organizations led by individuals with whom we have ongoing and productive relationships. We will make periodic reports back to all who make a donation.”