Dharma Drum Retreat Center
Legal name: Dharma Drum Retreat Center Inc
Overview
Mission
Dharma Drum Retreat Center (founded in 1997) offers classes, workshops, and retreats to make the teachings of Chinese Chan Buddhism available in the Western Hemisphere, while fostering a community that learns and lives the Buddha’s teachings. Motivated to deepen his practice, Venerable Yan Xi left his professional career in Macao and traveled to Taiwan to pursue the monastic path. He joined the monastic community of Dharma Drum Mountain in August 2016 and later completed a six-year training program in Chan Meditation Practice at Dharma Drum Sangha University. He previously served as a Buddhist minister at the International Chan Retreat Center of Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan. He currently serves as a resident monastic at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in New York, where he leads retreats and teaches Dharma programs. Yanwu Fashi.
What it reported doing in 2024
The mission of Dharma Drum Retreat Center is to promote the practice of Chinese Chan Buddhism and to operate and maintain a place of worship.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The nonprofit carried out 100% of its reported program work directly.
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 201849707
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Website reviewed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Headquarters
- Pine Bush, NY, United States
- Rating
- 85
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Buddhism
- Affiliation
- Buddhism
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The website provides limited financial reporting and the website gives limited detail about how work or grants are monitored.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 92
- Transparency & Controls: 71
- Accountability: 91
- Sustainability: 69
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 89%; rating input score 89
- Program expense ratio: 95.7%; rating input score 96
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
- Public monitoring controls: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Public policy transparency: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Public financial transparency: 0 of 5 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Impact reporting controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
- Public relationship transparency: No; rating input score 0
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Public governance controls: 4 of 4 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Zakat policy transparency: Limited
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 7.1%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
- Operating reserve ratio: 5.05; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 17.5% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 89% of revenue deployed · 95.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $728K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
- Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.