Bruner Strategies, a national consulting firm led by Buddhist practitioner Thomas Koshin Bruner, has announced a new series of interactive online workshops for 2025 aimed at strengthening organizational leadership, fundraising, and sustainability among lay and ordained members of Buddhist communities across North America. Bruner is a senior lay disciple at Dharma Rain Zen Center in Portland, Oregon, and a former board member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association.
The four planned programs, which will run between June and September this year, focus on skill development in fundraising, governance, strategic planning, and planned giving—areas that Buddhist organizations have increasingly prioritized in recent years as part of long-term resilience and growth.
The series begins on 2 June with “Fundraising for Buddhists: From Hesitance to Confidence!” This fundraising workshop is tailored for those new to development work. Over three sessions, participants will explore their relationship with money, learn to view fundraising as an extension of the Buddhist practice of dana (generosity), and develop a sample campaign. Additionally, the training will offer the opportunity for participants to practice inviting people to give in a respectful way.
This will be followed by “Effective Boards: Good Governance for Buddhists,” running from 1–15 July. Designed for board members and organizational leaders, the sessions will clarify board roles and responsibilities, introduce financial and operational templates, and explore how to cultivate productive board-staff relationships. Bruner has experience serving on or working with more than 125 boards of directors.
“Strategic Planning for Buddhists: Charting Our Future” will take place from 4–18 August, offering Buddhist communities tools to define vision, engage stakeholders, and prioritize initiatives through a practical planning framework. Each participant will receive a strategic plan template, examples of mission statements, and guidance on listening to internal and external stakeholders. Participants will also learn about evaluating data, information, and trends in order to better inform choices for their centers’ futures.
The final workshop, “Planned Giving for Buddhists: Ensuring Our Future,” runs from 4–18 September. Targeting those new to planned giving, this series will explore legacy giving programs, key communication strategies, and the legal and ethical considerations involved.
All workshops will be conducted online via Zoom, from 6–8 p.m. US Central Time, and are priced at US$295 per course. Each includes six hours of expert instruction, along with templates, coaching, and practical exercises designed to foster real-world implementation. Registration is open to lay and monastic participants.
Bruner, principal of Bruner Strategies, brings extensive experience in organizational development and a deep commitment to Buddhist practice. He has facilitated, overseen, or supported the development of multiple planned giving programs. In a testimonial provided by the Houston Zen Center, abbot and guiding teacher Konjin Gaelyn Godwin stated: “Thomas was instrumental in helping us reinvigorate and expand our planned giving program.” (Bruner Strategies)
These workshops come at a time when Buddhist institutions across the West are exploring sustainable structures that honor both tradition and modern operational needs. According to the Pew Research Center, Buddhism remains a minority religion in the United States, with just under 3.9 million people identifying as Buddhist in 2010. However, Buddhist organizations are increasingly visible in public discourse, engaging in interfaith partnerships, climate advocacy, and community care initiatives. The Pew Research Center has projected that by 2050, North America’s “Buddhist population is projected to grow by more than two million, from 3.9 million in 2010 (or 1.1 % of North America’s population) to nearly 6.1 million in 2050 (1.4 per cent of North America’s population).” (Pew Research Center)
Bruner Strategies’ 2025 training series seeks to offer Buddhist leaders and practitioners an opportunity to cultivate necessary organizational skills within a values-based, Dharma-informed framework.
See more
Workshops (Bruner Strategies)
Planned Giving for Buddhists (Bruner Strategies)
The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 (Pew Research Center)
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