Asha for Education

Asha for Education

Founder(s)	V.J.P.Srivatsavoy, D. Gupta, and S. Pandey
Founded	1991
Location	P.O. Box 322, New York, NY 10040-0322
Area served	India
Focus	Education
Method	Donation/Aid
Motto	To catalyze socio-economic change in India through education of underprivileged children.
Website	http://www.ashanet.org

Asha for Education is a volunteer-run action group dedicated to radical change in India by focusing on basic education, in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change. It is a not-for-profit voluntary secular organization.

The objectives of the organisation are:

To provide education to underprivileged children in India.
To encourage the formation of various local groups across the world to reach out to larger sections of the population.
To support and cooperate with people and groups already engaged in similar activities.
To raise the required human and other resources to achieve the group objectives.
To provide opportunities to individuals living outside India who wish to participate in Asha activities in India.
To address, whenever possible, other issues affecting human life such as health care, the environment, socio-economics, and women's issues.

1 History
2 Legal status
3 Activities & Chapters
4 Work An Hour campaign
5 Reviews
6 External links

History

In the summer of 1991, a few students including V.J.P.Srivatsavoy, D. Gupta, and S. Pandey got together to think of ways in which they could play a role in the development of India, the country of their origin. These young people shared the belief that education is a critical requisite and an effective catalyst for social and economic change in India. The group was named Asha to represent the hope that had brought these individuals together and the hope that they aimed to bring into the lives of children in India. In that summer of 1991, Asha was born at the University of California in Berkeley.

Legal status

United States: donations are fully tax deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.
India: Asha is an independent organization in India registered under the name Asha Trust.
Switzerland: Asha is registered as Steuerbefreiung Vereine under Kantonales Steueramt Zurich.
United Kingdom: Donations from UK tax payers are tax deductible and fetch an additional 28% under Gift Aid.
Germany: donations are 50% deductible ( you get 50% back with your tax declaration)
Canada: Asha is registered as a charity with the Canada Revenue Agency; donations are fully tax deductible.

Activities & Chapters

Asha has number of chapters spread around the world.

 Total number of Asha for Education chapters worldwide - 67 
 US     - 48
 Europe - 6  (Eindhoven, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Sheffield, Zurich) 
 India  - 12 (Ballia, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kanpur,Lalpur,
              Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Rajatalab, Varanasi)
 Canada - 1

There are over 316 active projects which are helping the under privileged
Total $$s disbursed in 2010 - $3 millions (approx)
Total $$s disbursed from 2001 to May 2011 - $20 millions (approx)

Work An Hour campaign

Work An Hour is Asha for Education's annual fundraiser campaign. Work An Hour, or WAH, as it is popularly known, is a summer-long, global, online fundraising campaign based on the concept: "Donors are requested to symbolically Work An Hour towards the cause of children's education by donating an hour's worth or more of their salary." The event begins on July 15 and concludes on September 15 spanning through India's Independence Day on August 15 and Teachers' Day on September 5.

Reviews

Asha for Education topped Charity Navigator's lists of 10 Slam Dunk Charities and 10 Charities Worth Watching. The rating was based not only on the organization's fiscal health, but also for its respecting the rights of donors.