This report is so much more than the story of Omega's work between the years of 2019 and 2021.
It is our opportunity to demonstrate our immense gratitude for those who have helped us stay viable throughout the pandemic.
Dear Friends,
The Dalai Lama tells us, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” All of our lives changed in 2020, and this continues to be a critical moment for our world. How do we even begin to process all that has happened?
The world saw so much loss during the past years. I extend my deep sympathies to everyone in our Omega family who experienced losses, large and small, during this time.
If we have learned one thing over the course of Omega's four decades, it is this: Healing happens over time. It happens with work and deep care for one another. This is exactly why Omega is here.
There are times when we don’t want to look back, when the past feels too overwhelming. There are parts of the last few years we would love to forget. Let us remember that from moments of great pain we can find opportunities for the deepest growth.
We are carrying forward lessons learned, knowing there is no going back to “before.” There’s still so much healing to do. Holding love and compassion at the center, we can get there together.
On behalf of everyone at Omega, thank you for staying the course with us.
With great care,
Robert "Skip" Backus
Holding Steady
Responding to the Moment
Facilitating Connection
Taking Care of Each Other
Lifelong Learning, a Timeless Curriculum,
and Building a Global Community
Our curriculum enables profound learning moments — both in-person and online. Our Centers and Initiatives bring a unique perspective to solving some of the most pressing issues facing society today.
Gratitude
The word 'gratitude' doesn't even begin to fit the enormous space in our hearts for all of you — more than 17,000 of you — who helped ensure our work could continue, and who shared your time, your care, your words, and your support during these past years.
During this swiftly changing and vulnerable time in history, we saw how enduring, relevant, and needed our curriculum is — especially during hard times.
Our Initiatives:
As a community of learners, we are committed to putting our organizational aspirations into practice.
We maintain that building and sustaining diversity requires an ongoing commitment to inclusion that must find full expression in our organizational culture, values, norms and behaviors.
Learn more about Omega's commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Omega is a Nonprofit Organization.
We rely on funding from donors to support our mission, and to continue the work we bring forth to support individuals, community leaders, and peer nonprofit organizations.
Omega By The Numbers
Here is a snapshot of our impact over the years.
Abundant Support From Our Omega Members, Donors, and Friends
Though it feels like a lifetime ago, 2019 was actually a landmark year for Omega, and we are grateful for how much the successes of that year enabled our survival during 2020 and 2021, and even today.
Between 2019 and 2021, Omega received more than 17,730 distinct donations in support of our work. Every single one made an impact.
Our Reach
Each year Omega reaches nearly 2 million visitors from across the globe.
Donors and Members Like You Make Our Work Possible
We are committed to helping people build their capacity to effect change in an interconnected world. We are incredibly grateful to the many forms of support we have received in the past three years, from our generous donors, sponsors, our faculty and staff, and the emergency grants that helped keep us afloat. We also extend our deep gratitude to our family of Omega Members, who span the globe.
If you aren't already an Omega Member, we invite you to join us now. Along with providing Omega with vital support, there's so much in it for you, too.
Learn more.
We're pleased to share that Omega has earned a 2022 Gold Seal of Transparency with Candid. You can support our work with trust and confidence by viewing our #NonprofitProfile.
Omega also has a 100% Finance & Accountability rating with Charity Navigator.