News

Established in 1989, the Order of B.C. recognizes individuals from all walks of life and fields of endeavour who have made extraordinary contributions to the province and beyond.

A long time friend of TRAS, author Alan Twigg, CM, Vancouver, has been invested into the Order of British Columbia, for his unparalleled contributions to B.C.’s literary landscape, championing writers, preserving stories and building the foundation of a thriving literary culture.

Alan has written over 20 books, including Tibetans in Exile: The Dalai Lama & The Woodcocks (Ronsdale, 2009), the amazing story of how George and Ingeborg while travelling in northern India in 1961 encountered many of the Tibetan refugees who had fled over the mountain passes. Appalled by the condition of the children huddled together with inadequate bedding, surviving on a diet of thin soup and momos, steamed dumplings of mixed wheat and corn flour, they expressed their desire to help. “You must absolutely come and see uncle,” said a young girl. This was Khando Yapshi, the Dalai Lama’s niece. Among the first Westerners to meet with the Dalai Lama, the Woodcocks vowed to provide humanitarian assistance. This was the genesis for the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society, now named Trans-Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS).

Read more about Alan here

Please contact TRAS for a free copy of the Tibetans in Exile: The Dalai Lama & The Woodcocks

Email: info@tras.ca

The Trans Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS), helping Tibetans in exile since 1962, is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake in Tibet on January 7, and sends heartfelt condolences to those affected.

Associated Press: Powerful earthquake kills at least 126.

2023-2024 Audited Financial Statements

There’s an upcoming change to the Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations. Previously some organizations (like TRAS) recorded designated donations (e.g. towards a specific project) as restricted funds with revenues recognized on receipt of donations; others recorded them as deferred revenue (it’s not added to revenue until the donation is actually distributed to support the project). Under the new standards, all not-for-profit organizations should record them as deferred revenue. For more information, see this post by Grant Thornton. Accordingly, our auditors recommended that we use the deferred revenue method starting from 2023-2024, and we’ve done so. See “Deferred contributions” on page 3, and the note regarding “Revenue Recognition” on page 6. We still keep track of TRAS’ plans to meet future commitments (projects and scholarships), whether designated donations towards those commitments have been made or not, as shown in note 7.

See all Financial Statements here