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SFYAD Sponsorship FAQ

Why sponsor?

We would like to encourage our SFYAD youths to participate in workshops, conferences and events that will enrich them in Buddhism knowledge, deepen their faith, foster leadership skills and promote sharing and learning.

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As these events are usually held out-of-state/country, we would want to help cover the transportation costs for the participants.

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Who is eligible?

All official SFYAD members are eligible for the sponsorship.

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What is covered?

Covered: transportation costs (i.e. Flight Ticket Cost)​, up to 100%*

Not Covered: Registration Fee, Food, Entertainment, Accommodation

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What events are covered?

In general, the following events are covered:

  • YAD Conference

  • Dharma Workshops

  • White Elephant Workshops

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Please check with the SFYAD committee for the list of events sponsored for the year.

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What if I apply for sponsorship for multiple events?

There is no limit on how many events one can apply sponsorship for, however, each event require its own write-up of (i) intention of joining or (ii) reflection on event.

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How much is covered?

In order to maintain fairness, every applicant will need to submit a letter of sponsorship request (see below) to an independent review committee; they will evaluate the request based on the following: 

  • past contribution(s) to SFYAD

  • intention of joining event(s),

  • reflection on takeaways of events

  • future commitment(s) to SFYAD

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Every applicant will be rated between 0-100, and the sponsorship amount will be based on the score. Every applicant can only have 1 single score, regardless of sponsorship request one applied for.

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Why are we doing this?

  • Different members contributed in different ways

    • Some members contributed a lot more and are recognized explicitly, whereas some members contributed more behind the scenes and probably also to Temple or BLIA, which aren’t necessarily known by other people. This process ensures that every member gets a fair chance to call out their contribution

    • We would like to encourage members who’ve been contributing more than others with more Sponsorship 

  • Saving funds for future events and subsequent year

    • On top of the events listed above, we use the funds to fund smaller events held at the temple such as hotpot and tangyuan. We will also want to ensure that we maintain a healthy balance for the following year.

  • Balance between financing members with difficulties and encouraging members who have great contribution/passion

    • We want to encourage members who have dedicated a lot of time, energy and passion, while at the same time try to support members with financial difficulties. This process ensures that even members with financial difficulties get a fair evaluation of their contribution/passion.

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What if I’m a new member?

We understand that new members don’t necessary get the chance to contribute as much as older members. Your length of membership will definitely be taken into consideration. 

 

In the request letter, you can demonstrate your contributions to SFYAD within the short period that you’ve joined, and also indicate your reasons for wanting to attend these conferences and workshops in the first place.. There’s also a question about what aspect you are committed to contribute to SFYAD’s future growth. All these will be taken into full consideration for your sponsorship.

 

I’m terrible at writing essays

The purpose is not to judge your grammar and poetic talents. Copy the whole letter template and answer the questions accordingly. In fact, the less “fluff” and creative writing, the easier for the Review Committee to assess your contribution.

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Application Process

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  • A committee of 3-5 people will be formed by any of the following people: 

    • Advising Venerable (Mandatory)

    • BLIA SF chapter or sub-chapter President/VP/officers

    • SFYAD officers who are not asking for sponsorship

    • Temple Devotees 

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  • After submitting the letter(s), the committee will review and categorize members’ requests into the following tiers of Sponsorship.

    • 0% - 100% of base amount pre-determined

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  • Recommended Air Ticket is determined by the fare of SFYAD’s recommended air route. 

    • For example, if SFYAD has agreed to fly on Jul 6th and return on Jul 15th by EVA air, Economy class for $1000, that will be the Recommended Air Ticket price

    • If a member chooses to fly another date, another airline, another class, or modify the route in any way, and he/she is allocated 60% Sponsorship, SFYAD will only sponsor $600.

    • If the air ticket of modified route is < $600, SFYAD will only reimburse the lesser amount. The price difference will not be given to the member.

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  • After the requests are categorized into tiers, the requests are reviewed again by the following:

    • Can SFYAD cover all the sponsorship?

      • If not, reduce the recommended air ticket price.

    • Can a member afford the amount not covered by the allocated sponsorship?

      • If not, do SFYAD still have enough funds to cover the extra amount?

        • If not, reduce the recommended air ticket price.

    • Example:

      • Assuming the Recommended Air Ticket price is $1100.

      • After adding all the allocated sponsorship, we found out we don’t have enough to cover everyone. We will reduce the Recommended Air Ticket Price from $1100 to $1K.

      • A member is evaluated to get 60% sponsorship ($600) but he cannot afford to pay $400. He could only afford $100 on his own, so he needs $300 more on top of his allocated sponsorship.

      • We will first see if the leftover SFYAD funds can cover $300 more for this member.

      • If we don’t have enough funds, we may reduce the Recommended Air Ticket Price from $1K to $900, to free up some funds to cover this amount.

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