Who are they

This page profiles the characteristics of survey respondents.

1 Comparing age structure of the current and last year’s survey respondents

Grouped bar chart comparing when 2025 and 2026 survey respondents first joined Shambhala. Four cohort periods on the x-axis — 70s–80s, 90s–2007, 2008–2017, and 2018–2025 — with percentage of respondents on the y-axis. Two shades of green represent the 2025 and 2026 survey years, with labeled percentages above each bar. In both years, more than half of respondents joined before 2007, reflecting the long-tenured composition of the community. The 2026 survey shows a higher share of recent entrants (2018–2025) but a smaller share from the 2008–2017 cohort compared with 2025.
Figure 1

In both survey years, more than half of respondents first connected with Shambhala before 2007 — a pattern that matches the broader membership composition seen in the Shambhala Database. The 2026 survey shows a higher share of respondents from the most recent cohort (2018–2025), while the share from the 2008–2017 period has declined.

2 Comparing age structure for the current and previous years

Grouped bar chart comparing age distributions of 2025 and 2026 survey respondents. Seven age groups span the x-axis (under 35 through 75 and over), with percentage of respondents on the y-axis. Two shades of green distinguish the survey years. In both years more than half of respondents are over age 65. The 2026 survey shows an increased share of respondents over 75 and a slight uptick under 35, but a decline in the 55–74 range — possibly reflecting reduced participation among those who joined between 2008 and 2017.
Figure 2

More than half of 2026 survey respondents are over age 65, consistent with prior years. The 2026 survey shows a higher share of respondents over 75 and a slight uptick under 35, but fewer in the 55–74 range — a shift that may reflect the declining participation of those who entered Shambhala between 2008 and 2017, who are now in their middle years.

3 Age structure of respondents who joined recently

Bar chart showing age groups of 2026 survey respondents who first joined Shambhala between 2018 and 2025. Age groups run along the x-axis and percentage of this recent cohort appears on the y-axis. Although these are the newest members, at least a third are still over age 65, and very few are younger than 35 — reinforcing that Shambhala is not attracting large numbers of younger people even among recent entrants. Two-thirds of this cohort are under 65.
Figure 3

Those who have entered Shambhala since 2018 are younger than the overall respondent group, but at least a third are still over age 65. Two-thirds are under 65, yet very few are younger than 35 — even among the newest entrants, Shambhala has attracted relatively few people in their twenties and early thirties.

4 Do you currently relate to a Shambhala group or centre?

Bar chart with three response categories on the x-axis — Yes, No, and Not sure — and percentage of 2026 survey respondents on the y-axis. Approximately 80% answered Yes, matching the share of members affiliated with active centres in the Shambhala Database. Of the remaining 20%, about a quarter (roughly 5% of all respondents) said they were Not sure rather than No, suggesting some ambiguity about what centre affiliation means.
Figure 4

Eighty percent of survey respondents currently relate to a Shambhala group or centre, matching the proportion of members affiliated with active centres in the Shambhala Database. Among the remaining 20%, about one in four said they were unsure rather than saying no outright — suggesting some ambiguity about what centre affiliation means to them.

4.1 Interpretation

The high affiliation rate means that centre health and membership health are tightly coupled. When a centre closes, the members affiliated with it do not automatically transfer to another centre — many simply become inactive or lapse. This makes centre preservation one of the most direct levers available for membership retention. Conversely, it also means that investments in centre vitality (supporting teachers, providing resources, building leadership capacity) have a direct and measurable return in member retention.

5 Relationship to a centre or group by year started in Shambhala

Grouped bar chart showing centre affiliation (Yes, No, or Not sure) broken down by the four entry cohorts — 70s–80s, 90s–2007, 2008–2017, and 2018–2025 — on the x-axis, with the percentage within each cohort on the y-axis. More recent entrants report higher rates of centre affiliation than longer-tenured members, likely because earlier joiners have relocated away from active centres. The 2008–2017 cohort shows the largest share of Not sure responses among all four cohorts.
Figure 5

More recent entrants are more likely to relate to a group or centre than those who joined in earlier decades. Earlier joiners who no longer affiliate may have relocated away from active centres or their local centre may have dissolved. The highest share of “not sure” responses comes from the 2008–2017 cohort.