We are pleased to announce our new community partner, CAF India. CAF India was established in New Delhi in October 1998. CAF India's mission is to increase the flow of resources from corporations and high net worth individuals to the non-profit sector. They provide giving solutions such as payroll giving, company accounts, donor advised funds - to individuals and multinational companies and their employees.
In 2008-2009, CAF India facilitated grants of INR 4.94 crores compared to INR 2.88 crores the previous fiscal year from companies and individuals through their Company Accounts, Give As You Earn (GAYE) and International grants and Individual one-time gifts. CAF India's goal is to raise INR 21 crores in 2011.
CAF India works with companies like Adobe India, Coca-Cola India, Cadbury India Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, HDFC Ltd, Microsoft Corporation and Hewitt Associates to name a few. Their payroll giving programme, GAYE received a fresh impetus in 2008-09 with financial majors like American Express, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) and Barclays GRCB joining the programme. GAYE is a payroll giving solution offered to employees of companies. Employees can choose CAF India's validated NGOs and causes to donate to from their monthly payroll. In India, payroll giving was introduced about a decade ago and it has since been growing every since. Presently, over 3,500 employees are supporting over 100 non-profits across 14 states in India.
CAF India's website provides some great starting information about the non-profit sector in India. It has information about the different legal and registration requirements for organizations wishing to register as a charity. You will also find how CAF India performs due diligence or "validation" of NGOs to ensure that they follow norms of credibility and accountability. A listing of all the NGOs they work with are also provided.
In the past, CAF India has partnered with Give2Asia and Avon to supported A Society for Integrated Rural Development (ASSIST) to help eradicate child labor and promote education amongst girls in the tsunami-affected fishing villages in the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. The project has so far reached 158 girls through scholarships. The following story is from CAF India's July newsletter:
"One such girl who benefited from this project is Kota Koteswaramma who lives with her family in Patha Uppkali village. Koteswaramma lost her father when she was three years old. After her father’s death, her mother found it difficult to support the family and to educate young Koteswaramma and her sister. Finally, Koteswaramma’s mother decided to take her to work along with her. So she dropped out from school. ASSIST identified Koteswaramma as a school dropout. Staff members motivated her mother and explained to her the importance of educating her children.
ASSIST started a Transitional Education Centre (TEC) in Patha Uppkali for school dropouts in the age group of 5-14 years. The children were provided with books, clothes, school bags and mid-day meals. ASSIST also provided financial assistance to the TEC children. As a result of the facilities offered and the inspiration provided by the ASSIST volunteers, Koteswaramma’s mother was motivated to send Koteswaramma back to school. Koteswaramma who was admitted in Class V is now studying in Class VI and is doing well in her studies. More importantly her mother is very happy and has agreed to let her daughter continue with her schooling without any more breaks."
