Press & Media

Winnie Dholakia, Director - HelpYourNGO shares the story of her crossover from the corporate to the non-profit sector in the annual issue of Compliance Connect, a publication by Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy.

"During my 5 years (and counting) journey with HelpYourNGO I’ve realized how I could actually 'make a difference'. Donors are making donation decisions based on our financial analysis and recommendations. Over the years, NGOs have also realized the importance of being transparent and need for sharing information with key stakeholders, just like the corporate sector. I believe better opportunities will lead to better outcomes for those less privileged." 

Non-profits mostly have to strive hard to raise funds for their causes. It distracts them from the good work they are doing. But what if those with a proven track record could be assured of funds from individuals investing in mutual funds and, at the same time, eager to do their bit by society? Given the sums that mutual funds attract, the potential is huge for putting money into non-profits and through them promoting better development and inclusion.

The Quantum Mutual Fund has started what is called a Systematic Giving Plan (SGP) for its investors. It collaborates with HelpYourNGO to provide the names of non-profits in different sectors into which investors can opt to put their money.

Donations made to hundreds of projects carried out by NGOs across the country will no longer be eligible for a 100% income tax (I-T) deduction in the hands of the donor from April 1, 2017. 

HelpYourNGO, an online donation platform, has on its portal 45 NGOs that run 90 projects eligible under Sec 35AC, these include some well known names like Akshaya Patra, Childline, People for Animals. 

HelpYourNGO did a dipstick sample survey of 12 NGOs, for which data was readily available. It showed that the percentage of donations towards 35AC-eligible projects as compared to total donations received by NGOs has declined from 14.7% in FY15 to 7.9% in FY16.

Called Sammaan, the exchange will bring together NGOs and firms willing to spend on philanthropy. Sammaan will launch with about a thousand projects listed by NGOs across the country, which deal with diverse causes. While NGOs can list their projects on Sammaan for free, their work first needs to be green-lighted by six central ministries.

In the first few years, Sammaan will enlist agencies such as HelpYourNGO, Dasra, Credibility Alliance and GiveIndia to audit the projects. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has also agreed to sign off on CSR spending made through Sammaan. 

The rules for corporate social responsibility (CSR), under the Companies Act, 2013, which came into force on 1 April 2014, clearly state that companies have three channels to implement their CSR projects: foundations, in-house CSR teams or partnering with non-profits. HelpYourNGO is a platform purportedly listing ‘credible’ NGOs — an initiative started in 2002, which provides detailed financial records of non-profits to help donors pick and chose their organizations.

Pradeep Mahtani, CEO, HelpYourNGO, said, “You need to bring transparency to NGOs and just putting out the numbers is not enough. That is why we have attempted to create categories and sub-categories, which can easily be used and cross-referenced by people using our site."