There are many worthwhile Bhutan charities and foundations that we support. As a service to our many travelers and friends wanting to help, we will be adding web links to some of the most deserving charitable organizations in Bhutan.

Far Fung Places Honors® Preserving the Living Arts of Bhutan

Far Fung Places Honors (finding and funding Bhutan's future art masters): The purpose of our self-funded foundation is to award annual art school scholarships for deserving students with exceptional talent and financial grants for working artists. Many art students in Bhutan are orphans or children from very poor families. The Royal Government of Bhutan pays the base cost for each student, but the two government Zorig Chusums (traditional art schools)––one in Trashiyangtse (east) and one in Thimphu (west)—are also boarding schools, so the cost for each student is much more than just classroom instruction––room, board, art supplies, tools, and uniforms are at additional costs. There is also a private Zorig Chusum (Choki Art school in Kabasa, Thimphu. Bhutan is a living museum; professional artists, craftsmen, and weavers are very important to the continuation of the Bhutanese culture. They are restoring dzongs and hand-weaving textiles, building and painting new homes, painting thangkas, sculpting, carving wood, weaving, and doing metalwork. Bhutan is one of the few countries left in the world that values and uses art and crafts in all aspects of its people's everyday lives. Far Fung Places Honors is working in association wit APIC.

APIC® Agency for the Promotion of Indigenious Crafts

Keeping the traditional Arts and Crafts of Bhutan alive.

The Loden Foundation®, Bhutan's first registered charity.

Loden is dedicated to fostering an enlightened and happy society in Bhutan through the promotion of education, learning and entrepreneurship among the Bhutanese children and young adults. Managed by a group of people with shared vision, interests and concerns, The Loden Foundation runs programmes to provide educational and entrepreneurial opportunities and facilities at preschool, school and post-school stages.

We aim to contribute to the development of an educated ethos in Bhutanese communities and to promote awareness of Bhutanese culture and tradition in other parts
of the world.

Bhutan Nuns Foundation

Girls and women in Bhutan from all walks of life become nuns to seek a peaceful, selfless and spiritual life. They are inspired by the belief that as nuns (amin) they can contribute to the well being and happiness of all sentient beings through the direct action and through their prayers. Many girls and women also join nunneries because they are seeking refuge from extreme poverty, overwhelming social challenges, deprivation and loss of family.

Others join in search of alternative and spiritual education. While a few nuns come from the middle class, the majority are from poor homes and receive no support from their families.

Monasteries for men and boys in Bhutan receive state and private support. However, nunneries receive no government funding. Private and community support are extremely limited. This leaves girls and women in many nunneries with scant resources for basic health, education, and survival needs. Lack of funding greatly limits the ability of the nuns to fulfill their desire to serve society and contribute to its collective happiness.

The reason for inadequate nunnery funding in a country that prides itself on the absence of gender bias is not completely clear. One possible explanation is that monks perform the more visible functions in Bhutan, while nuns generally serve behind-the-scenes. Inadequate nunnery funding also results from a lack of resources to address the many competing needs in this developing nation.