Bamboo Banks

Tzu Chi Bamboo Banks nowadays are no longer made out of bamboo due to practicality, but its significance is fundamental to the spirit of Tzu Chi. The Bamboo Banks come in many different sizes and shapes over the years, but all have a slot allowing the contribution of coins or monetary bills to the Bamboo Bank and labeling to designate the Bamboo Bank owner's basic informtion. Bamboo Banks of any size and shape, once filled or once ready for contribution, can be brought to any Tzu Chi Foundation Office for donation; when donating to the Tzu Chi Foundation, one can specify where the donations are to be used for (ex: Hurrican Haiyan Relief, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Da Ai TV, etc.)

Tzu Chi Origins
Master Cheng Yen, began the Tzu Chi Foundation with thirty housewives, telling each to put aside the USD equivalent of 5 cents per day of their grocery money to donate to those less fortunate. With the Bamboo Banks, Master Cheng Yen wants to remind people to always think of helping people; she prefers people to accumulate good thoughts with a small daily donation rather than writing up a big check every year, and thus only thinking about helping people during that one time.

Relevance to Tzu Ching
All Officers on the Officer Cabinet are given a Bamboo Bank and are encouraged to add a little money to the Bamboo Bank each day while thinking good thoughts. Some Tzu Ching organizations bring their Bamboo Banks to their Cabinet meetings and pool their collections to give back to Tzu Chi Foundation as a contribution from the Officer Cabinet.