Gyuto Foundation, Inc

What Gyuto Foundation, Inc does

Gyuto Foundation, Inc. is a California-registered charitable non-profit and U.S. branch of the Gyuto Monastery tradition, founded in 1997 by Venerable Thupten Donyo and headquartered at a three-acre campus in East Richmond Heights, California (acquired 2013). The organization preserves and transmits a 550-year Tibetan Buddhist tantric lineage originating from the parent monastery founded in 1474 in eastern Tibet and relocated to India after the 1959 Chinese invasion. Its core offerings include Buddhist teachings, secular meditation sessions, monthly pujas, special practices, house blessings, interfaith dialogues, and facility rental for community events. Programming is delivered free of charge to the public by an entirely volunteer teaching staff, with four resident monks at the California facility supported by a broader 500+ monk community at the Dharamsala parent monastery.

The foundation operates a charity arm (Gyuto Charity) delivered through Delek Children's Foundation, currently supporting over 100 underprivileged Himalayan children in India and Nepal with educational scholarships and, as of April 2025, direct healthcare delivery via an ophthalmology eye camp in Nubri Valley. Revenue is sourced from tax-deductible donations, facility rentals ($450/day Community Hall, $500/day Prayer Hall, $350/day Kitchen add-on), and Mani Wheel sponsorships at $510 per unit, with seven paid staff and no commercial pricing for spiritual services. Distribution is anchored at the East Richmond Heights campus (open 9am-7pm daily), supplemented by affiliated locations in Dharamsala, Minneapolis, Taipei, and New Delhi.

The organization's competitive position rests on intangible heritage assets, a deeply specialized monastic talent base (including access to scholars such as Geshe Thupten Jinpa), and an established community ecosystem built over 28 years of free programming. Long-tenured partnerships include Meyer Sound (equipment sponsor since 1985, facilitated by Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead) and the foundation's international monastic network. The foundation is not a technology, software, or commercial entity; its product surface is religious, cultural, and charitable, with no disclosed AI, software, or digital product capabilities beyond basic website, newsletter, and social media channels.

Name

Gyuto Foundation, Inc

Legal name

Gyuto Foundation

Website

https://gyutofoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gyuto Foundation, Inc. is a California non-profit operating a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in East Richmond Heights that delivers free teachings, meditation, and ritual services to the Bay Area community, while running charity programs for underprivileged Himalayan children in India and Nepal through donations and volunteer staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buddhist Monastic Universities & Dharma Colleges (EDAHAKAK), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Buddhist religious services
• Tibetan meditation teachings
• Religious ceremonial rituals
• Charitable monastery programs
• Spiritual retreat programs

Headquarters

HQ city

East Richmond Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: All donations are tax-deductible. The foundation relies upon membership and donations for financial support. Teachers and administrators are all volunteers and are not paid for their time.
2. Facility Rental: Community Hall rental at $450 per day, Kitchen add-on at $350 per day, Main Prayer Hall requires Community Hall rental at $500 per day. Dinnerware rental at $0.50 per item.
3. Mani Wheel Sponsorship: Sponsorship of prayer wheels at $510 each, with up to four lines for celebration and commemoration printed on the plaque

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gyuto Foundation, Inc. is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in East Richmond Heights, California, that provides free Buddhist teachings, secular meditation sessions, ritual ceremonies (pujas), and house blessings to the public. In addition to religious and educational services, the foundation runs charitable programs supporting the education and welfare of Himalayan children, and rents its facilities to community groups.

Product overview

Gyuto Foundation is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and charitable non-profit organization offering religious, spiritual, and community services. The organization does not operate as a technology company or software provider. Its core offerings include Buddhist teachings and ritual ceremonies (pujas, prayers, house blessings), meditation sessions, cultural preservation programs, educational services for Tibetan and Himalayan children, and facility rental for community events. All programs are free and open to the public, funded through donations. The organization operates from a three-acre campus in East Richmond Heights, California, with affiliated monasteries in India, Minneapolis, and Taiwan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gyuto Charity: Charity programs dedicated to expanding access to education and health care for children living in the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal

Products and services

• Buddhist Teachings
• Secular Meditation Sessions
• Pujas and Ritual Ceremonies
• House Blessings
• Facility Rental
• Annual Retreat
• Gyuto Charity Programs

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Meyer SoundmajorOthers · 1 January 1985Meyer Sound in Berkeley, California has been sponsoring the Gyuto Monks Choir since 1985. John and Helen Meyer provide all necessary sound equipment including professional sound engineer for US tours. In 2005, over $40,000 worth of sound equipment was donated to Gyuto Monastery in India. Meyer Sound also sponsored sound systems and plasma screens for Dalai Lama's teachings in San Francisco (2007) and San Jose (2010).
• Delek Children's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGyuto Foundation expanded programs to include social and charity programs to help underprivileged Himalayan children in India and Nepal through partnership with Delek Children's Foundation. Venerable Thupten Donyo works directly with Delek to provide scholarships for education (nursing, accounting, hotel management, IT) and healthcare access. Delek currently helps over 100 children attend school and college.
• Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead)minorOthersMickey Hart of the Grateful Dead made the connection between Gyuto Foundation and Meyer Sound, enabling ongoing equipment sponsorship and support for the Gyuto monks choir.
• John and Helen MeyermajorOthersFounders of Meyer Sound who personally provide sound equipment and professional engineering support for Gyuto monks choir performances and Dalai Lama teachings.
• Dr. Sandup RuitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistinguished ophthalmologist collaborating with Venerable Thupten Donyo on upcoming eye camp program in Nubri Valley, Nepal (April 15-17, 2025). Program aims to perform cataract surgery on up to 70 individuals per day and provide free cataract surgeries and reading glasses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tashi Lhunpo Monastery: Historically important Gelug monastery reestablished in Bylakuppe, India. Comparable as an exiled Tibetan monastery preserving tantric and ritual traditions with affiliated Western outreach.
• Namgyal Monastery: Personal monastery of the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India, with a US branch in Ithaca, NY. Directly comparable as a Tibetan Buddhist Gelug-school monastery sharing lineage, ritual tradition, and Dalai Lama affiliation with Gyuto Foundation.
• Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism: Seattle-based Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Sakya tradition offering public teachings, pujas, and community programs. Comparable as a Western-rooted Tibetan monastery running free programming supported by donations.
• Gaden Shartse Monastery: Tibetan Buddhist Gelug monastery reestablished in South India and with US representation. Directly comparable lineage peer practicing tantric ritual arts and offering public teachings in exile.
• Drepung Loseling Monastery: Tibetan Buddhist Gelug monastery reestablished in Atlanta, GA since 1991. Comparable as a US-based seat of an exiled Tibetan tantric lineage with touring choirs, public teachings, and meditation programming.

Broad incumbents

• Rigpa: International network of Buddhist study and meditation centers in the Tibetan Nyingma tradition with US branches. Comparable as a global teaching network offering free introductory courses supported by donations and centers.
• Deer Park Monastery: Plum Village tradition monastery in Escondido, California, founded by Thich Nhat Hanh. Comparable as a California Buddhist monastery offering free public days, meditation, and volunteer-based programming.
• Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA): Large US Buddhist lay organization promoting Nichiren Buddhism through community centers nationwide. Comparable as a donation-funded, volunteer-driven Buddhist nonprofit offering free community programming across many US locations.
• Spirit Rock Meditation Center: Large Bay Area Insight Meditation center in Marin County offering residential retreats, daylong programs, and online teachings. Comparable as a California-based spiritual/meditation nonprofit reliant on donations and volunteer teachers, though Vipassana rather than Tibetan tradition.
• San Francisco Zen Center: One of the largest Zen Buddhist organizations in the US, operating City Center, Green Gulch Farm, and Tassajara. Comparable as a Bay Area-rooted meditation/retreat nonprofit with free public programming and donation-driven economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thuptendonyo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gyuto-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gyuto Foundation, Inc