According to Bain and Co.’s India Philanthropy Report, 2015, there were over 249 million donors in 2013 in India. India has even left behind other developing countries like China.
In fact, those statistics put India at the 69th position on the World Giving Index, which was 134th in 2010, according to the report. This makes it even more important for us to know about the NGOs which are safe to make a donation of our hard earned money.
Certain criteria actually influence the authenticity, mentioning the vital ones here:
- Whether the NGO is certified or not. Even though they are autonomous ( non-governmental), they can get Governmental as well as reputed non-Governmental certifications. You can usually find it anywhere mentioned on their site. Do not trust the word “Certified” blindly, always Google whatever the name of the certification authority is to check if they are reliable or not.
- You should be able to trace the path which your money follows. Choose a foundation where you will be updated about the destination of your donation. There are also NGOs mentioned below which let you sponsor the particular person like educating a child for a year.
- Whether you get the tax benefit under 80G of Income tax act 1961. This will also assure that the NGO is recognized by Government.
- Whether it is run by credible people or at least have trustworthy partners.
Studying all these aspects we have devised a list of 5 NGOs which you can trust and also shared their contact details. We want you to be triple sure of every penny you are donating.
Charity: Water India
What if Indian are not only sleeping hungry but also thirsty? Over 7% of the rural population lack access to water, COMPLETELY. And over 72% have no sanitation. These statistics are extremely scary but you can change it. A small donation made in the comfort of your house can make sure that someone would get to drink water without traveling miles to get it.
Even Nicki Minaj donates money every year to provide water to a village in India. We as a country neither lack water nor money. Just the distribution is extremely uneven, if we take offense when a foreign CEO calls us poor why don’t we take offense when a foreign singer donates to quench the thirst of men of your country?
You can reach them here, Charity: Water
SOS Children’s Village India
It is NGOs like SOS Children’s Village India which has encouraged people to donate more. The major aim of them is to take care of abandoned children and also educate them. Here, you can sponsor a child and the entire report of the child with receipts will be provided to you as proof. You can sponsor a child for a low as Rs. 900/ month. I am not going to lay down the cliche comparison of how little luxury can you buy with that money because that feeling can only be felt.
You cannot compare anything to knowing that you are taking care of a complete stranger and he must be thanking you with every breath. You get 50% tax exemption on all the donations you make to them. They not only support a child but help strengthen the family to prevent child abandonment. They also encourage mothers and pursue their calling and find a source of earning.
GiveIndia
This is a special partner based NGO which gives you maximum freedom with your donations and to choose your preferred charities. GiveIndia has also hosted ‘Joy Of Giving Week’ which is now called ‘Daan Utsav’. They allow you to support a cause of your choice amongst 250 available NGOs and 1000 charities option.
They have a special payroll plan for maximum flexibility and comfort of the donors where every month a specified amount is taken from your paycheck.
This organization for social change set up by an IIM-A alumnus has been the recipient of many awards for their work in creating accountability in the area of donations.
You can find them here, GiveIndia.
Goonj
This is a familiar name to all since it has been covered more than a couple times by national and international media also it was listed by Forbes as India’s most powerful rural entrepreneur organization.
With the super successful “Vastra Samman” program, Goonj was one of the pioneers to promote the donation of recyclable and reusable items like clothes, books, grains, exports surpluses and much more from urban to rural centers. The organization is highly trustable also because of its CEO, Anshu Gupta who is a prominent name in the business Industry.
The best thing about Goonj is that you don’t necessarily have to donate money. You can help them find the sources they need and connect them to localities to meet their needs.
Goonj is spread across 21 states with a network of 250 partner groups and over 5000 people have committed to a regular contribution. Goonj has been successfully channelizing more than more than 70,000 kgs of material every month, has a team of more than 300 volunteers. If you are going to donate, you might as well invest where it will have the maximum outcome.
Reach them here, Goonj
HelpAge India
Found in 1978, HelpAge India has been providing support to India’s abandoned, poor and isolated elderly folk. Along with providing Elderly with financial and emotional support and helping them overcome their diseases, HelpAge India plays a critical role in influencing policy change for the elderly in Government, this NGO also represents its cause in the National Planning Commission of India.
From opening physiotherapy centers to sponsoring cataract operations, from providing helplines for the elderly to help them understand and fight for their rights, HelpAge India has come a long way and has a longer path to cover. Extend your support to strengthen the initiatives they are taking for the noble cause. They also have an Android application for helping you reach them.
Visit the website for more details: HelpAge India
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