Hi all, I was reading the biography of Mukesh (Micky) Jagtiani, and what stood out to me is his emphasis on orphanages in need. He was saying that if he hadn't stayed in Dubai and started a successful chain of stores, he would have moved back to India and volunteered with orphanages. Moreover, he says he goes back for a few weeks every year and volunteers with the orphanages, and all of the philanthropy money goes to the orphanages. If planning a trip to India, a lot of people would want to give back. Is there a database of orphanages, women's shelters, or charities with needs? One of the reasons I ask is that in America, there is a major controversy with our large "charities" functioning more like corporations. The CEOs of the big major charities have MBAs and demand top dollar, so often the money you donated is going to their salary. I don't agree with this (if you want a fast track career to make a lot of money fast, pick another job. It's that simple). But anyway, I'm a little cynical now of just donating money to large corporations. I want to be sure it's helping the kids in need get food and supplies for school. And I wouldn't want to just "volunteer" for one day just to get cute facebook pictures like I see people doing. I believe that if you go someplace, you should try to make impact. Where can I find the best charities for this region?
Hello, @Sandy! Welcome to the forum! Just like other countries, India has its fair share of transparency issues with charities and other non-government organisations. It's really hard to find authentic charities that do give your donations to the needy. If you can, maybe you should conduct feeding programs in the more unfortunate regions in the country. This way, you are sure that your money goes into the needy. Apart from that, you can also sponsor a child and pay for his or her schooling. However, there are still some non-profit organisations in India that are worth checking out. Here are some that I'd recommend: 1. Akshaya Patra Foundation - Perhaps this foundation is most well-known for their Mid-Day Meal Scheme in government schools and government aided schools in India. The foundation has been around since 2001 and has helped children by giving them wholesome meals every single day. They started with just about 5 schools with 1,500 children. Now, they feed over 1.4 children in about 10,948 schools in India. This is also one of the few organisations that are in partnership with the government of India. Their motto is, “No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.” They are also one of the few organisations who provide transparency with their line of work. Their head office is in Bangalore: No. 72, 3rd Floor, 3rd Main Road, 1st & 2nd Stage, Yeshwantpur Industrial Suburb, Rajajinagar Ward No. 10, Bengaluru, 560022, India. Their contact number is: +91 80 3014 3400. They also have a branch office in the US: No. 92 Montvale Avenue, Suite 2500 Stoneham, MA 02180, USA. Contact number is: +1 781 462 8454. You can also visit their website for further information about their foundation. 2. Help Age India - Help Age is an international foundation aiming to help people in their elderly years. Help Age India has 33 offices throughout the country. This organisation was established in the year 1978. They provide Mobile Medical Units for the elderly, these are mobile health vans catering to the needs of our older people. They also help in providing cataract surgeries for people who might need them. Old Age Homes were also built by the foundation for the abandoned elderly people in India that has nowhere else to go. They also provide training for livelihood programs for the elderly. Their head office is in Delhi: C-14, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110016. Contact number is: 011 41688955-56. They also have a branch in Mumbai: 34 A/44, Guruchhaya Building, Jaiprakash Road, Andheri West, Mumbai - 400053, Manish Nagar. Contact number is: +(91)-22-26370754. You can visit their website for a complete list of their branches all over India. 3. Goonj - This is probably one of the best charities to donate to. They don't even need cash donations, just donate anything you can. Old clothes, books and other household goods are some examples. They would then recycle these items into something reusable that a community needs. It was founded in 1999 by Anshu Gupta. It started as a "Not Just a Piece of Cloth" (NJPC) campaign in which Chennai received tons of clothing items. The organisation recycled these clothes into sanitary pads which they called "My Pads." These pads were donated for a nominal cost of Rs. 2 to the poorer individuals in India who cannot afford sanitary napkins. They have different offices, here's one in Delhi: J-93, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 110076. Contact number is: 011 41401216. Then, in Bangalore: No. 51/1, Chikka Begur Gate, Hosur Main Road, Kudlu Gate, Bangalore, 560068. Contact number is: 9663798026. You can visit their website for more information. 4. Give India - This organisation has hundreds of other NGOs in their site. The way they work is, they allocate your donation to these reliable NGOs. After you donate, you are given a report of how your donation was used and where it went. They promise that about 90% of your donation goes to the needy. Their main office is in: B-703, Pramukh Plaza, Chakala, Andheri Kurla Rd, Opp. P&G Plaza, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400093. Contact number is: +91 22 4275 9400. You can visit their website to fully see how their process works. 5. Nanhi Kali - This organisation was established in the year 1996 by the KC Mahindra Education Trust. Their aim is to provide quality education for 10 years for children of underprivileged families. You can donate either Rs. 3,000 for a girl studying in Classes 1 to 5 or Rs. 4,200 for a girl studying in Classes 6 to 10 yearly. Their Mumbai office is: Cecil Court, Near Regal Cinema, Mahakavi Bhushan Marg, Mumbai 400001. Contact number: +91 22 22895500. They also have another branch in the US: 10 S Almaden Blvd, Suite 600, San Jose, CA 95113, USA. You can visit their site for more information. I hope this helps!
