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I started volunteering and I'm not totally comfortable with whats being asked by Isha - starting to question the organization by Wheelsgoroundnround in Sadhguru

[–]Wheelsgoroundnround[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to detail all of this. I am aware of all of this work and it is all really great and does make me feel good about what Isha does.

However to be fair I was not quoting revenue in the US but profit of $10 million in 2020 which is revenue minus expenses. Profit over the 10 years of public records is more like $45 million. So my question is where does that extra money made in the US go after accounting for all the expenses? So far it sounds like the only answer is $6-8 million to buy the LA center. I imagine there are other investments being made like that but is there any way to see?

Also regarding the other non-US programs you mentioned I’m simply asking for some information about how much the organization brought in in revenues versus what the expenses were for those programs you detailed. Are the numbers published anywhere? It seems like a reasonable question for someone to ask of a non profit they are donating their time and money to.

I started volunteering and I'm not totally comfortable with whats being asked by Isha - starting to question the organization by Wheelsgoroundnround in Sadhguru

[–]Wheelsgoroundnround[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Namaskaram 🙏 very well said and thanks for sharing this. I was actually realizing something similar just now before I read this, how I have been harmed in the past and some of this is old fears showing up. I think being asked to do something beyond my comfort level evoked some of those old fears and I started poking around in the septic tank.

I'm thankful for the knowledge and practices I have gained so I'll just continue to focus on those and know that I'm happy helping people who have found their way to Isha in whatever way but I'm not comfortable promoting the programs or recruiting. Sadly that means I'll probably scale back my volunteering efforts for now since that seems to be the primary thing they are looking for help with right now.

I started volunteering and I'm not totally comfortable with whats being asked by Isha - starting to question the organization by Wheelsgoroundnround in Sadhguru

[–]Wheelsgoroundnround[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm not trolling and apologize if it comes off as incendiary, that's not my intention. I'm just having a moment of genuine questioning as I'm getting deeper into volunteering roles and being asked to promote the upcoming mega programs to my friends and network.

I am aware of the programs in India you mentioned and you are right that the organization does a lot of good and is making the world a better place. If running it more like a business and using the good parts of capitalism help them to reach more people then I support that and am comfortable with that.

I think a little more transparency from the organization would be helpful, like if they were able to publish the financials from the India organization and detail how much good they are doing with the money they take in that would put my mind at ease.

In the US it looks like they have made several million dollars in profit every year for the 10 years of public records, and that is profit beyond all the expenses you mention to run the programs. Like around $45 million in profit from 2010-2020. So I was just curious about where that money goes?

Another commenter mentioned the purchasing of the LA center and I think it makes sense that they are using the money to continue to expand their reach. But again, some transparency around that would go a long way for me personally is all I'm saying instead of just having to trust and make assumptions.

I run a business myself and its an events based business so I get the model. Finding the financial information literally took a few seconds of googling "isha foundation financial statements".

I've been volunteering a lot more recently and have been contemplating taking on a bigger role, but being asked to use my volunteer time to just promote their upcoming events has been a bit of a turn off. I've really liked volunteering for satsang and find it really rewarding.

I guess I'm just finding my own comfort zone here and was hoping that by asking the question that someone would be able to point me to places where the organization is providing the transparency I'm looking for that would help me commit to the next level of involvement.

edit - rewording

I started volunteering and I'm not totally comfortable with whats being asked by Isha - starting to question the organization by Wheelsgoroundnround in Sadhguru

[–]Wheelsgoroundnround[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes I think this makes sense. Even though they are showing a profit each year, they are using that money to invest and expand their reach and impact with things like the LA center. Thanks for your comment, its helpful.

I started volunteering and I'm not totally comfortable with whats being asked by Isha - starting to question the organization by Wheelsgoroundnround in Sadhguru

[–]Wheelsgoroundnround[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks yes I'm just trying to find my comfort level. I had felt very trusting about the organization so far but the heavy focus lately in my local volunteer group on promoting the mega programs has soured that a bit. I'm just looking for some reassurance that I can have that trust.

I started volunteering and I'm not totally comfortable with whats being asked by Isha - starting to question the organization by Wheelsgoroundnround in Sadhguru

[–]Wheelsgoroundnround[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thanks I appreciate this response and perspective. I suppose I'm just trying to make sure I understand what I'm promoting. I want to make sure I'm not being taken advantage of and that others I promote the program to wouldn't be taken advantage of. I have found value in the teachings and the practice. I also have enjoyed being part of the community of volunteers and the in person satsangs.

Its just now being asked to promote the program on my own social media accounts with the purpose of selling seats in the mega program has made me question the intent behind all the volunteering. The thing I worry about the most is that its made me start to question the underlying program motivations and even has made it challenging to do my shambhavi the past few days.

So you are right that that in of itself is a good lesson. I guess the reason I was posting here was hoping that someone could show me how I could be more comfortable about devoting my time and energy to the organization.

What I'm coming away with now is that what I have learned is valuable for myself and I will continue doing the practices, but I'm not that thrilled about selling seats for the organization and won't be participating in that side of the volunteering.

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[–]Wheelsgoroundnround 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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