Our Crowdfunding Groups
Our crowdfunding campaign has ended but you can still support the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) by clicking here.
For over a decade, the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA has gathered leading experts and scientists committed to equipping the public with the mindfulness tools to improve both mental and physical health. MARC has offered classes, workshops, and programs for the UCLA campus and general public, including free 30-minute drop-in mindfulness meditations on the UCLA campus, and a Mindful Awareness Meditation at the Hammer Museum which attracts nearly 200 attendees each Thursday.
MARC now aims to expand this model to the entire Greater Los Angeles region by offering free mindfulness sessions across the city, and collaborating with the neighborhood councils and community organizations devoted to making mindfulness education accessible to everyone within all segments of society.
But we need your help!
Join MARC as 1 of 100 donors who believe that mindfulness has the ability to make our society better. Your donation, whether big or small, will be used to bring mindfulness education and training deeper into the community through:
• Free mindfulness drop-ins throughout Los Angeles, including in under-resourced communities
• Scholarships for online Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPS) courses for instructors and teachers who can carry on MARC’s teachings into their classrooms, and other settings
• Expanded mindfulness offerings to the UCLA and Westwood neighborhoods
• Continued development of the UCLA Mindful mobile app, which provides free guided meditation sessions to users around the world
MARC has trained numerous teachers who are prepared to lead drop-in mindfulness meditation, as well as MARC's six-week introductory MAPS I course, in many diverse settings.
This crowdfunding campaign is the first step to raise funds to make this vision a reality.
All of us have experienced stress, depression or physical pain at least once in our lives. At the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA, leading experts and scientists are committed to equipping the public with the mindfulness tools to improve both mental and physical health.
Around the world, there is a growing population that is incorporating mindfulness into everyday life, regardless of age or profession. The mission of MARC at UCLA is to spread mindful awareness to everyone through education and research for increased well-being and a compassionate society.
Over the past ten years, MARC has offered free 30-minute drop-in mindfulness meditations on the UCLA campus. These sessions are suitable for beginners as well as experienced meditators, in that they offer both accessible instruction as well as an opportunity for people to strengthen existing habits of mindfulness. For example, the Thursday 12.30 pm Mindful Awareness Meditation at the Hammer Museum now routinely attracts 200 people each week, and is syndicated for free through the award-winning "Mindful UCLA" app.
Even though MARC has had a presence on UCLA’s campus for the last decade, mindfulness practice is relatively new to western culture and there are few “normal” academic educational programs. MARC has led the field in public education linked to scientific research and believes that basic elements of mindfulness can be practiced by anyone who is interested and motivated to try, no matter what else may define them.
To learn more about MARC, visit their website: uclahealth.org/MARC.
Thanks for your contribution! Every single dollar pushes MARC further into the community.
Did you know that hugging someone can help to elevate their mood? We can't hug you in real life, but we'll send you a virtual one so you know how grateful we are to have your support.
Mindfulness is a great thing, but so is knowing that you support our mission! Look out for a special thank you video from the MARC team.
Practicing mindfulness can help you feel like you're performing at 100%, or at least close to it. To show that we are 100% appreciative of your donation, we'll give you a shout out on MARC's Facebook page!
We are so grateful for your donation and would love to thank you personally! One of the MARC faculty members will be calling you to express their gratitude for your amazing generosity.
You're incredible. To express our sincere gratitude, we're sending you a signed copy of Sue Smalley and Diana Winston's book, Fully Present, as a present. We hope it helps you further your mindfulness practice! (tax deductible gift of $490.51)
Wow! You're an incredible supporter of MARC and are truly deserving of something special, which is why a MARC faculty member is going to record and send you a personalized 10 minute mindfulness session on a subject of your choice. (tax deductible donation of $900)
It's clear that you share our mission of making mindfulness radically accessible to everyone, so we're bringing it to YOU. If you live in the tri-county area (Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura) MARC will send a faculty member to YOU to host a mindfulness workshop for you and up to 10 others! You'll also receive a a signed copy of Sue Smalley and Diana Winston's book, Fully Present. (tax deductible gift of $4,490.51)