How centre size shapes experience
1 About how large is your group or centre? This is the number of people who participate regularly in your group or centre in some way.
The largest number of centres and groups in Shambhala are small ones, consisting of fewer than 20 members, and numbers decline through size categories to the largest centres (more than 100 members), of which there are only a few. Over three quarters of Shambhala centres and groups are small or medium sized.
2 Resource Adequacy by Center Size
Resource constraints are reported widely across all sizes of centres and groups, with only a small number of areas in which shortages are not reported. Shortages in human capacity are by far the most frequently reported: these are shortages of volunteers, leaders, and current and future teachers and MI’s. Specifically:
- Large numbers of small centres struggle with a wide range of resource needs. The most critical are the lack of future MIs and teachers, current teacher availability and people to fill leadership roles. The shortage of volunteers is also a challenge.
- Medium sized centres appear to have the fewest resource constraints, apart from a critical shortage of future teachers, and half of the respondents report a shortage of leaders and future MIs.
- Half of the respondents from large centres report a shortage of leaders, and of MI’s and teachers for the future.
- Among the largest centres, there is a big shortage of volunteers, and concern about people to fill leadership roles, as well as concern about the level of financial reserves - an area where fewer respondents from other centres sizes report issues. The largest centres mainly have enough future teachers, and current and future MIs, but have commonality with the smallest in reporting shortages of online equipment and expertise, whereas medium sized and large centres are generally well equipped.
3 Priorities for Participation by Center Size
Across the board, centres and groups report shortfalls in new members and donors, and dues and donations, although by far the highest numbers (83%) reporting concerns about both of these issues are from the largest centres.
As regards the challenges in attracting new participants, the largest numbers reporting this were from small and very large centres.
Among respondents from small and medium centres, not many report issues around relationships between students of different teachers, or issues around providing a space where different generations and practice levels can mix. However, for the largest centres, over two thirds reported concerns about this second factor.
4 Incorporation of Shambhala Online courses by Center Size
Whether centres incorporate Shambhala Online courses in their program offerings, segmented by centre size.
Online integration varies strongly by centre size.
- Medium and very large centres are the most likely to incorporate online courses.
- Small centres are the least likely, with nearly half reporting that they do not incorporate them.
This suggests that organizational capacity may influence adoption of shared online resources.
5 How Groups Identify with the Larger Shambhala Organisation, all by Center Size
Organizational identification appears strongest in medium-sized centres, where a larger proportion report deep connection with the broader Shambhala organization. Smaller centres show a higher proportion of looser or more local identification.