Pan-Buddhist groups exist at the local, national, and international levels. These include (in chronological order according to the date of formation):

The Maha Bodhi Society, established in 1891, is an example of an international organization. Identified by Heinz Bechert as "the first international Buddhist organization", it "aimed to unite Buddhists of all countries and to make Bodh-Gayd [the site of the Buddha's enlightenment] a center of religious devotion again" (Bechert 1984, cited in Numrich 1999, 130).

The World Fellowship of Buddhists established in 1950 by the scholar G.P. Malalasakera, and The World Buddhist Sangha Council established in 1966, are other examples of international pan-Buddhist groups.

National representation of Buddhists via these groups exists throughout most countries in Europe and North America, wherever there are a significant number of Buddhist practitioners. For example, The Deutsche Buddhistische Union established in the late 1950s in Germany "has shown a special interest in political advocacy, and in the mid-1980 's drafted a statement of commonly held doctrines and ethics called Buddhistisches Bekenntnis (Buddhist Confession)" (Numrich 1999, 129).

The now defunct Buddhist Council of Canada established in 1986, and the American Buddhist Congress established in 1987 are also examples of national pan-Buddhist groups.

Some pan-Buddhist groups include only ordained sangha members. An example of this at the international level is The World Buddhist Sangha Council whose statement of purpose is to:

unite all Buddhist monks in the world today, both Theravada and Mahayana, as one solid organization in spite of superficial minor differences and in order to develop their ethical, intellectual and spiritual standards and adapt themselves to changing social and economic conditions in the modern world. (Bechert 1984, 285, cited in Numrich 131)

At the regional level, the groups in existence are the Buddhist Sangha Council of Southern California established circa 1980, and the Sangha Council of Ontario Buddhist Associations.

In the North American context, there are a number of different local pan-Buddhist groups that have arisen, all of which organize Wesak celebrations. Listed alphabetically, they include: the Buddhist Association of Southwest Michigan; Buddhist Coalition of New England; Buddhist Council of the Midwest; Buddhist Council of New York; Buddhist Council of Northern California; Hawaii Association of International Buddhists; Texas Buddhist Council (Numrich 1999, 123).

Groups in the initial stages of development bear mentioning. These include "a recent, unsuccessful attempt to form a local inter-Buddhist association in Denver, Colorado" (Numrich 1999, 123); the different Buddhist traditions in Montreal, Canada, that came together in 1999-2000 to organize the first pan-Buddhist Wesak celebration; and the Buddhist traditions in the Detroit and Washington D.C. area, first held an "International Visakha" celebration at Wat Thai in 1999 and then again in the year 2000 at the Cambodian Buddhist Temple in the Washington D.C. area (Achan Chuen Phangcham, June, 15, 2001).