• Home
• About Us
  • Our People
    • Founding Patron
    • Advisers
    • Community Advisers
    • Directors & Officers
    • Photo Gallery
  • What is BODHI?
  • Policies, reports, meetings
    • Privacy & Transparency
    • BODHI Australia Annual General Meetings
  • Links
• What We Do
  • Your donations at work
  • Where BODHI Works
  • Current Projects
    • Bangladesh: Mobile Medical Clinics
    • Bangladesh: Orphanage & School
    • Bangladesh: Scholarships, working girl child & others
    • India, AP: Educating indigenous children
    • India: Women's Group, Mizoram
    • S India: Over-40 Women’s Health
    • S India: Tribal Child Health & Early Education
    • India, UP: Youth Buddhist Society Grassroots Education
    • Mongolia: Health clinic & training
    • Nepal: Maternal & Child Health
    • Thailand: Youth Sexual Health
    • Thailand: Reproductive & Academic Education for Border Girls
    • W Tibet: Revolving Sheep Bank
  • Denis Wright Memorial Scholarships
  • Early BODHIana, 1st 10 Years or So
  • Animals
    • The Pig Page
    • The Bear Page
  • Umbrella
  • BODHI Human Rights
• Medical Director’s Desk
  • From the Medical Director's Desk
  • Hot Topics
  • Medical Director's Archives
  • Sites of Interest
• How You Can Help
  • DONATE
  • You give, your gift lasts
  • Donate in Memory
  • Volunteer
  • Corporate Support
  • Fundraise
• Newsroom
  • What's New
  • Krish's News from South Asia
  • Newsletters
  • Current Needs
• Contact Us
  • Mailbag

About Us

C U

DONATE

What is BODHI?

Our vision

BODHI offers a framework to altruistic people worldwide who are uncomfortable working in traditional religious or secular organisations. No religious affiliation is necessary. We ask only for a kind heart.

Our objectives

BODHI works with local grassroots partners on innovative health, education and environmental projects in developing countries that fall through the cracks of traditional aid. We seek out the oppressed and the marginalised.

What makes BODHI different from other international aid organisations?

Our philosophy is to give a hook, not a fish. We believe that sponsorship encourages a beggar mentality.

We emphasise the ecological and social sustainability of all projects

People affected participate in identifying problems and solving them

We are small and personal

We accept no government funding so retain our freedom

Most of BODHI's administrative work is voluntary

Our approach is multi-faith: our directors and advisers are Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, atheist and we hope, in time, more

Autonomous organisations exist in the U.S. and Australia, with donors worldwide.

Health Education Engaged Action Environment Human Rights Micro-credit
3 Tripura boys, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
Photo courtesy Phillip Gorry

A bit of history

Benevolent Organisation for Development, Health & Insight (BODHI) was founded in 1989. It is based on the principles of skilful and compassionate action. Bodhi is a Sanskrit term meaning enlightenment, the wish to help all.

The idea for BODHI occurred to A/Prof Colin Butler during his volunteer medical work in Nepal and Nigeria in 1985. He felt that Western Buddhists spend too much time talking about compassion and not enough time acting upon it.

BODHI crystallised in Los Angeles in 1989, during teachings by His Holiness XIV the Dalai Lama. Colin was visiting Susan Woldenberg, whom he met in India in 1985. His Holiness accepted Colin and Susan's request to become BODHI's Founding Patron in December, 1989.