by Mike Slott
Just one year after The Tuwhiri Project was set up in 2018, the Secular Buddhist Network website went live. Since then, that website has developed into an interactive space where secular dharma practitioners and those who are curious about a secular approach to Buddhism can share perspectives, initiatives, and practices.
In addition to the website, a monthly newsletter and an online course on the key concepts of secular Buddhism, SBN sponsors a variety of online forums, including a monthly discussion group, weekly meditation sessions, two reading groups, and several online sanghas that have specific interests:
- Aging as a spiritual practice
- Secular dharma and political activism
- Secular Buddhism meets western psychology
- A secular Buddhist Zen pub
Like Tuwhiri, SBN’s goal is to foster dialogue and the critical examination of issues related to secular dharma, while strengthening the bonds of community among secular Buddhists.
Fiscal sponsorship
At their July 2025 meeting, Secular Buddhist Network’s Board of Directors agreed that SBN will become a fiscal sponsor for Tuwhiri USA LLC. As a 501(c)(3) organization in the United States, SBN can receive donations from US taxpayers that are tax deductible. Through SBN’s fiscal sponsorship of Tuwhiri, a US taxpayer can donate money on a tax deductible basis to Tuwhiri via SBN, and that money will then be transferred to Tuwhiri.
As a result, SBN’s fiscal sponsorship will provide Tuwhiri with additional resources to expand our efforts to publish books on the key concepts of secular Buddhism, as well as the relationship of secular dharma to various non-Buddhist perspective and movements, including ethics, psychology, social issues, and the recovery movement.
Overall, having a 501(c)(3) designation is crucial for organizations seeking to benefit from tax advantages while serving a public or social purpose.
Donate now
Click here if you are a US taxpayer and you would like to support Tuwhiri with a tax deductible donation.
– Mike Slott is Chair of the SBN Board of Directors and a member of Tuwhiri’s Editorial Board