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Things to keep in mind while donating towards charitable causes

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  I have been working as an accountant under CA for the last 10 years. All these years I have handled income tax and sales tax filings for several people and businesses. From my experience, I would like to share some of the things that you should be aware of before making charitable donations. 1. You should choose the organisation wisely. Ensure that they have the license to function and the government approval to get donations for children . 2. It will be good to check about their previous projects and how successful they were in utilising funds towards the specified cause.  3. Make sure that the modes of payment available are safe and secure.  Things to be noted to get a tax deduction 1. If you are a taxpayer you are automatically qualified to claim a tax deduction under Section 80G. You need to either be a resident Indian or a non-resident Indian (NRI) with an Indian passport. In both cases, you should have a taxable income in India to qualify for an exemption. 2. Make...

Role of NGOs in reducing hunger in our country

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  In our everyday lives, we see many homeless people and children who are struggling to get even a single meal a day. While growing up, whenever I saw people at traffic signals or on the roadside as they asked for food, I started feeling a sense of responsibility to do something about this issue. As I grew older and started looking for potential solutions, I realized that there are many NGOs in India that are working to put an end to hunger and malnourishment in the country. Once I graduated high school, I started volunteering over the weekends at one of the  top food NGOs in India  whose primary aim is to eradicate malnutrition and hunger amongst children. At present, we are working to provide food to young students under the mid-day meal scheme. While preparing the food, the kitchen staff at the NGO ensures that students get enough nutrition by adding eggs, milk, and vegetables to the wholesome meals. We also distribute special food on the day of occasions or festi...

Debunking 3 myths about NGO donations

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  In recent years, the number of donations made towards social causes has increased significantly. NGOs, charitable trusts, and other non-profit organizations have been using these additional contributions to extend their cause and reach more people in need. These small steps taken by individuals across the country can truly help accelerate the process of social and economic development. Besides this, if you donate money to NGOs for a cause you care about, you feel a sense of belonging within your society, as well as great satisfaction that you have contributed to making a positive difference for the members of your community.  Even with the many positives associated with making a charitable donation, a large chunk of the population is inhibited to donate money to NGOs or other organizations because of certain misconceptions. As a frequent donor to different types of NGOs in the country, I would like to debunk some of these myths and give you more clarity about maki...

How do food NGOs help to implement the mid-day meal scheme?

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  I recently visited a village with my family, where I came across a school, which is very different from a city school. I always wanted my daughter to get a sense of how different children across the country study and that village school solved my purpose. I believe it is important for young children to be aware and acknowledge how people from different strata of society go about their lives. After taking permission from the officials present there, we began looking around the school. The principal went along with us and showed us the classrooms where children were reading textbooks or listening to their teachers. He also showed us the sports field where a few children were playing amongst each other. Soon after, during lunch time, children from the different classes gathered around as they waited for their meals. Once they were served, I saw that the meals included a serving of vegetables, rice, pulses and curd. I did know that these schools came under the purview of the mid-day...

What are the steps I should take before volunteering at an NGO?

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  Volunteering at children NGOs or charities is a great way to get involved in your community activities. These organizations are established to focus on alleviating different issues that are prevalent in the country. As a volunteer, you will be working towards the same cause and put in your efforts to help out these organizations in any way they require. This volunteering experience will help you improve your skills, collect knowledge while allowing you to make positive changes within your community. On the other hand, your efforts can allow the community members to function at their best, improve the well-being of those around you and support families that aren’t able to support themselves.  Though volunteering is beneficial for both NGOs and volunteers, the process of joining may be a little difficult to understand. There are certain steps that you can take to make the best out of your volunteering journey: Choose a cause that you care about:  Choosing to work with an...

Where do my contributions towards the education of underprivileged children go?

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Since I was a young girl, I found a lot of joy in going to school, attending classes, and having lunch with my friends. As I grew up, I realized that not every child in India can enjoy the same things that I did, and poverty acts as a barrier to education for a large group of underprivileged children. A few years ago I left my corporate job, and have dedicated my efforts to gift the power of education to as many young minds as possible. Since then, I have traveled to different parts of India and volunteered in some of the top NGOs in India working towards educating children.  From my experience, I can tell you where exactly  donation for poor child education are allocated by NGOs: Providing children with food: Ensuring that children are well-nourished is extremely important so that they can concentrate in class and focus on their studies. I have seen a lot of children feel very lethargic and perform poorly in academics if they do not receive high-quality food to con...

Guide to build the best website for an NGO

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You have been working hard to support your cause by putting in a great number of hours and doing good work for your community. Coordinating volunteers, setting up fundraisers, and implementing projects are all important tasks, but now you need to spread the word about what you do. Setting up a website and social media account has become very important to capture the attention of donors, raise funds and build trust and creditworthiness within the community. Since so much happens online, the best NGOs in India have set up high-quality websites to capture attention from prospective donors. Below are a few simple tips that can be followed to create the best website for your Children NGO in no time! Make it user-friendly: Ensure that the design and layout of the website are such that readers are likely to stay and absorb the information about the NGO. It should be easy to understand and use, and give prospective donors all the necessary information. The design should also be suitable for d...