By 1991 it had become clear that the fledgling school was filling a vital need, so efforts began to gather the funds to support the school.
Christopher Titmuss made an appeal for funds at the end of an annual Bodh Gaya Insight Meditation retreat that was held at the nearby Thai Temple and was attended primarily by western travelers.
In subsequent years, the children produced a performance of traditional and contemporary dance and music to coincide with the conclusion of these annual retreats. These events provided a joyous occasion for the children and western supporters to interact, aiding the fundraising efforts and demonstrating appreciation for their education.
Christopher Titmuss also started raising funds at home in the United Kingdom, as did Felix Helg in Switzerland. A short time later, small group of friends in Australia formed a group called the Bodhgaya Development Association with the primary aim of raising funds for the school and other social programs in Bodh Gaya. In 2008, Shaila Catherine in the USA joined the fundraising effort, and arranged for fiscal sponsorship through One World Children’s Fund.
In addition to these ongoing fundraising efforts, a number of significant gifts came from Compassion Beyond Borders in USA during the early 2000s. Bryan Moran organized a triathlon in Canada to raise the funds for building expansion in 2015. And other donors offered the support to purchase land and run the school.
The majority of financial support has been provided by westerners who visited the school on their travels to India, and their personal networks of family and friends. But in 2024, the families of enrolled students helped fill a funding shortfall by contributing through modest fees. Currently, about a quarter of the annual budget is raised by each of these four general groups: 1) fee collections from families of enrolled students and contributions from within India, 2) donations from supporters in the USA, 3) donations from the Bodhgaya Development Association in Australia, and 4) donations from Christopher Titmuss’s network largely from Europe and United Kingdom.
We are grateful for the many named and unnamed supporters who sustain the school with their generous one-time or annual gifts, and especially those who have provided ongoing support over decades.
