First established as an officially recognized religious non-profit corporation in 1994 in California, Diamond Way Buddhist Centers USA was founded with the goal to help conserve and further the Buddhist teachings and mediation techniques of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism through the establishment of lay Buddhist meditation centers in the United States.

While each center independently organizes and maintains its local activity through regular public meditations and lectures, the main purpose of the national organization is to help facilitate local, regional and national activities where needed and provide resources and expertise for organization of nationwide projects and activities. In doing so, the organization also serves as an Umbrella for local centers and activities, and enables a broader cooperation between its North American centers.

Among the national activities of DWBC USA falls the organization and planning of teaching tours of Western and Tibetan teachers, the organization of national courses and retreats, as well as the publishing and distribution of practice texts, books, and a bi-annual magazine geared towards a lay Buddhist North American and international English speaking readership - "Buddhism Today".

Diamond Way Buddhist Centers USA is an organization whose activities are based entirely on the volunteer work of dedicated individuals who offer their experience and time in order to make the timeless teachings of the Buddha more accessible to a growing number of American lay practitioners.

DWBC USA is part of a worldwide network of over 400 lay Buddhist centers founded by Lama Ole Nydahl and under the spiritual guidance of H.H. the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Thaye Dorje, H.H. Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, and Lama Ole Nydahl himself who directly oversees their activity and visits these centers on a regular basis.