Supporting a Living Mission

For nearly five decades, Mount Madonna has held space for personal transformation through community of practice, stewardship of sacred land, preservation of wisdom, and lifelong learning. These expressions of Mount Madonna’s mission create myriad opportunities for people from all walks of life to deepen their practice, connect in meaningful ways, and cultivate greater peace within themselves and in the world.

This mission has been sustained through a remarkable community of participation. Over the years, residents, volunteers, teachers, students, alumni, retreat participants, donors, and friends have formed lasting relationships with Mount Madonna and contributed in many ways. Through service, practice, teaching, stewardship, charitable giving, and sharing Mount Madonna with others, this extended community helps ensure that Mount Madonna, the teachings, and opportunities for practice continue to serve future generations.

The reasons people choose to give are as varied as the paths that lead them to Mount Madonna. For some, giving is an expression of gratitude for an experience that has shaped their lives. For others, it reflects a deep belief in Mount Madonna’s mission, a commitment to preserving the lineage teachings of Baba Hari Dass, or a desire to help ensure that future generations have access to the same opportunities for practice, community, and lifelong learning. Whatever the inspiration, generosity helps sustain the conditions that allow Mount Madonna to continue holding space for personal transformation.

Over the past year, Mount Madonna has taken important steps to better serve those who wish to support this work through charitable giving. These efforts included the creation of Annual Giving Circles for donors who commit to giving $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000+ annually over three years, a Legacy Giving Circle for those who choose to make a planned gift, new Ways to Give and Legacy Giving resources, and clearly defined philanthropic focus areas that help donors align their giving with what matters most to them. Together, these initiatives help donors make informed, intentional gifts while supporting the long-term sustainability of Mount Madonna’s mission.

Giving In Alignment with What Matters Most

Because every donor’s connection to Mount Madonna is unique, giving opportunities and philanthropic focus areas are organized around the same four pillars that anchor Mount Madonna’s mission. Whether someone is inspired by preserving sacred traditions, protecting the land and environment, making Yoga more accessible, or strengthening community life, every gift contributes to the shared work of fostering peace in the world.

Community of Practice
Community is at the heart of Mount Madonna. It is expressed through shared practice, service, hospitality, and relationships that grow over time. Gifts supporting Mount Madonna’s Community of Practice help nurture the people and programs that make this living community possible, fostering connection across generations while strengthening a resilient culture rooted in belonging, mutual responsibility, and compassion.

Mount Madonna’s residential rotational volunteer program — which welcomes cohorts of volunteers throughout the year for immersive service, study, and community living — is one expression of this commitment. Donor support helps provide housing, meals, the Community Orientation and Reflection Experience (CORE) curriculum, training, and program coordination, making it possible for participants to fully engage in this unique experience while contributing meaningfully to life on the mountain.

Each three-month volunteer cohort represents an organizational investment of approximately $50,000, to cover costs for housing, meals, educational programming, and the shared experience of community life.

Stewardship of Sacred Land
The forests, meadows, trails, gardens, and gathering spaces of Mount Madonna are living partners in practice, learning, and service. Gifts supporting Stewardship of Sacred Land help protect the health and long-term sustainability of these 380 acres by caring for the land in ways that strengthen local ecosystems, honor sacred spaces, and maintain the facilities and infrastructure that support life on the mountain, helping preserve the landscape for future generations.

This stewardship includes Mount Madonna’s continued approach to forest stewardship through prescribed burns and pile burning. Guided by the principles of Indigenous “good fire,” these practices reduce fuel for destructive wildfires while supporting the natural regeneration of native plants and wildlife.

“What’s very cool is that up here we have this beautiful wildflower called the mariposa lily. After we did the controlled burn down in the forest, the mariposa lilies bloomed all over. I’ve been here for 40 years — they never were there. The seeds were dormant in the ground and needed that fire, that heat, to grow!” — Soma Goresky, Manager, Land & Stewardship

Preservation of Wisdom
The teachings of Baba Hari Dass continue to guide Mount Madonna’s mission and daily life. Through temple programs, sacred observances, publications, educational resources, and places of reflection, this living lineage is shared with practitioners of all ages. Gifts supporting Preservation of Wisdom help ensure these teachings continue to be studied, practiced, and shared.

One meaningful example of this generosity stands just outside the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. Completed in 2025 and created in honor of his life and teachings, the Memorial for Baba Hari Dass offers a place where residents, retreat participants, and visitors can reflect on the values he lived so completely — love, selfless service, and inner peace. Through the generosity of many individuals, a shared vision became a lasting tribute that will continue inspiring reflection and devotion.

Lifelong Learning
Learning at Mount Madonna extends far beyond the classroom. Through retreats, Yoga Teacher Trainings, educational programs, and scholarships, people are invited to study, practice, and integrate the wisdom teachings into daily life. Gifts supporting Lifelong Learning help ensure these opportunities remain accessible, relevant, and deeply connected to service and personal transformation.

“Mount Madonna’s New Year’s Retreat has helped change my life, and it’s a process that I’d like to continue and develop for myself and my children, who also attended the New Year’s Retreat with me. From waking up to the mandir bells and partaking in arati, to the nourishing meals, practicing Yoga with seasoned yogis, and taking the time to pause and reflect on how to be and do better is very important in today’s world.” — 48th Annual Liberation Yoga Retreat Scholarship Recipient 

The Impact of Generosity

Every gift, regardless of its size, contributes to something much larger than any single project or program. Together, donor support helps sustain a place where people can practice, learn, serve, and grow.

One of the clearest expressions of this generosity is Mount Madonna’s scholarship program.

During fiscal year 2026, from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, $124,308.80 was awarded in scholarships across Mount Madonna retreats and Yoga Teacher Trainings, helping expand access to immersive experiences for sincere practitioners.

Scholarship support looked different across each program. Every scholarship request for the Living Yoga Retreat was fulfilled, while Yoga Teacher Trainings continued to receive significant investment, with scholarship awards representing more than 55% of tuition revenue for the Foundational Yoga Studies YTT 200 In-Person Intensive and more than 46% for the Advanced Yoga Studies YTT 300 program. Scholarships also supported participation in the 2025-26 New Year’s Yoga Retreat, Foundational Yoga Studies YTT 200 Online Program, and 48th Annual Liberation Yoga Retreat.

Scholarships help ensure that financial circumstances do not become a barrier to practice and study, strengthening not only individual practice, but also the broader community of learners who carry the teachings into their homes, professions, and communities around the world.

Donor support also helps make the Hanuman Fellowship’s five annual Sacred Series observances — Shivaratri, Hanuman Jayanti, Guru Purnima, Aradhana, and Navaratri & Vijay Dasami — available to participants free of charge. Each event requires approximately $25,000 to support planning, staffing, meals, facilities, and the many behind-the-scenes efforts that allow these cherished gatherings to welcome all who wish to participate.

Looking Ahead

As Mount Madonna continues to grow, so too does the commitment to thoughtful planning and long-term sustainability.

This year, new Ways to Give resources and Legacy Giving materials were created to help supporters explore a variety of giving opportunities, including recurring gifts, donor advised funds, qualified charitable distributions, gifts of appreciated securities, and legacy gifts through estate planning. These resources are designed not simply to expand giving options, but to help individuals support Mount Madonna in ways that reflect their own values, circumstances, and hopes for the future. They also reflect Mount Madonna’s commitment to using every gift with integrity, honoring both the intentions of those who give and the mission those gifts support.

Under the leadership of Mount Madonna’s first Philanthropy Director, Andy Tompsett, this work will continue to grow as Mount Madonna develops a thoughtful, mission-centered culture of philanthropy that supports both today’s community and the long-term sustainability of the mission.

With Gratitude

For nearly five decades, Mount Madonna has been shaped by countless acts of generosity — both seen and unseen. Whether through service, teaching, practice, leadership, or charitable giving, each contribution has helped strengthen the mission and create opportunities for others to study the teachings, deepen their practice, and experience the power of community.

To everyone who has been part of this shared work, thank you.

Your generosity reflects a belief in the enduring value of Mount Madonna’s mission and all that it makes possible. Because of your support, the teachings continue to be lived, sacred spaces are cared for, lifelong learning remains accessible, and this community can continue welcoming all who seek to deepen their practice, cultivate peace, foster connection, and return to source.