Taken and translated from an article by Alexis, on Elodie's Blog in Europe: Pour Que Vive Le Sahaj Marg
For the History of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, see also: Le Projet Sahaj Marg (in French and English)
See also at the on-line Canada Revenue Agency site: CRA Charities Listings:
Enter: "Shri Ram Chandra Mission, North York, Ontario, Canada"
You may notice that the majority of the seven "Board of Directors" are not Canadian, or even residents of Canada. Kim Hansen (V.P. Ont) and Christine Prisland (Director, B.C.) are Canadian (females), and live in Canada.
Monday, November 09, 2009
The 2008 accounts of the SRCM Canada are finally available.
The assets of the association are over $175 000 USD (110, 000 €) for some 450 followers, nearly € 250 per person. It has doubled in nine years, and is partly (80%) made up by investments that bring 1.6%.
The income of the association has also doubled in nine years. It amounts to more than $70, 000 USD (more than € 40 000), or 100 € per person, 80% of which is donations (and probably fees). 15% from sales of publications of the Mission for a inventory estimated at nearly € 20, 000, representing a return on capital inventory of more than 56%.
Expenditure amounted to almost $65, 000 USD (€ 40, 000), 80% of which is occupancy costs (rent?). The profit for the year is nearly $7, 000 USD (more than 4, 000 €), or less than ten (10) euros per person.
How, under the current economic circumstances, have the assets of the SRCM Canada doubled in nine years?
4d-don's comments: The SRCM Canada site lists 17 Communities in Canada (some are suburbs of major cities, some are small villages) where SRCM has a small presence. The Vancouver center has 60 followers.
The $70,000 in Revenues of the SRCM (Canada), of which 80% is shown as "donations" can be easily explained when one realizes that some of the "proselytizing material" is allegedly given "free of charge", in exchange for a "donation" of the "asking price" (for Whispers From the Brighter World - Volume 1, the requested donation was $250.00 USD, for Volume 2, it was $150.00 USD), thus avoiding the sales tax in the country of sale. At SRCM (California-1997) seminars, the food concessions receipts allegedly have "donation" stamped on the tab. It seems that even the sale of food to well-to-do spiritualist "globe trotters" is "tax-exempt" under the SRCM (California-1997) interpretation of "charity".
It seems that Spiritualism or Spiritism is not synonymous with ethics or morality.
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