Best Indian Charities to Donate
Usually people feel like giving alms or being charitable sometime or another in their lives. Apart from the feel good factor of being humane, there are some practical reasons as well that draw one towards charity, specifically making donations to an NGO.
Practical Reasons to Donate
Exemption from paying the taxes: Once a charitable organization, e.g., an NGO is registered, it receives an exemption from paying the taxes. Not only that, those who make donations to an NGO also receive a rebate up to 50% on income tax. Thus many think of donating to an NGO for the sake of saving the tax as well, besides giving an expression to their humanitarian concerns.
However, doing a good deed does not make the act complete in itself. The donor must look into how his money is going to be used before making the donation.
Vikash Deep Foundation (VDF) lets you know why be cautious while donating to an NGO?
While donating to an NGO is a highly noble idea in itself, one must not place blind trust even in a charity. A misplaced trust is similar to courting trouble!
- What if the NGO is simply duping you of your money? It’s your hard earned money that you are going to donate. Even if it has come to you as a legacy, without never having to work for it, you must understand that it is one of your moral responsibilities and a great social obligation to look into what does the NGO actually stand for (that you are going to donate your dear wealth to!)? No sensible person is likely to know the peace of a moment if the NGO (he has donated to) misuses the fund to harm the society in any way or specifically those whom he has donated for!
At VDF, we fully appreciate your humanitarian concern for the needy, poor and the underprivileged and we would not like even a penny of your hard earned money get wasted. Besides, VDF makes sure that your wealth reaches the needy, you have donated it for.
- The NGO may not be genuine: Though donating to an NGO may provide you with an immense spiritual solace, there is always a probability that the organization may not be genuine. An organization may simply pose as an NGO to dupe you of your money. So it only makes good sense to enquire into its credentials before making the donation.
VDF is a genuine and registered NGO (with 80G) and is known for working for the needy and the poor in a sincere manner. Besides, a number of eminent professionals from various walks of life have been associated with us and volunteering their services so that the poor and the needy are benefitted in the best possible manner.
Besides, there are a number of people from various walks of life who have donated generously to VDF as an expression of their genuine humanitarian concern and have been associated with us for long garnering support for VDF so that the NGO functions in the best possible manner for the society at large.
What to look for before making the donation?
So, here are a few of the facts you should not only look into, but be thoroughly sure of before you finally make up your mind to donate for an NGO:
- Is the NGO encompassed by the RTI? The RTI purview encompasses all those NGOs that are provided grants by government. The donor may ask the NGO that receives a government grant, about the receiving and utilization of the funds. The website of a genuine NGO usually carries the major details of the funds that are received and also the way they are utilized.
- Check for the blacklisted NGOs: In order to donate wisely, the donor ought to avoid the blacklisted NGOs. You may get to know about the blacklisted NGOs in one of the following ways:
- Lists issued by CAPART: CAPART i.e., The Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology regularly issues the list of the blacklisted NGOs.
- You may contact the NGO you want to donate to by CAF: Though a certification concerning an NGO’s credibility by CAF i.e., Charities Aid Foundation India is not mandatory, most of the NGOs treat the certification by CAF as highly desirable as it serves to provide a greater authenticity to their credibility.
- Check for the credentials of the NGO: In order to be sure if the NGO is genuine or not, verify the credentials of the NGO. You may opt for the following ways to do so:
- Verify if the NGO is registered.
- Also, ask the NGO to bring forth the Certificate for Tax Exemption.
Besides checking the credentials, it is a good idea to visit the NGO to get a fair share of idea concerning its goals and functioning etc.
At VDF, we always welcome such visits from those who donate for the causes we have been working for.
- What if you still cannot finalize which NGO to donate to? In case you feel you do not have time enough to make a prolonged effort to decide upon the name of the NGO, you may opt for an NGO that is already known for its authenticity, i.e., an NGO that has already been known for working genuinely for the sake of the people is more likely to use your money for the people and the cause it is denoted for. And VDF, of course, is one such NGO.
- Ask the NGO for its annual report: If you do not feel like relying upon any of the lists of the genuine NGOs authenticated by any of the NGOs, you may opt for the following methods:
- Go through the NGO’s annual report: You may ask for the annual report of the NGO that you feel like donating to. Besides if the NGO is genuine, it would let you have its annual report. Thus you may get to know the various sources of funds for the NGO as well as where and for what purpose they are spent. You will also get to know about various programs, schemes and projects run by the NGO and if the rulebook allows, you can donate for a project that you find interesting.
For example, if you are concerned for the slum dwellers, you can donate for a project that is meant for the improvement in the lives of the slum dwellers. Similarly you can choose to donate for various projects run by the NGO that aim to work for the upliftment of the rag pickers, drug addicts, illiterates, the homeless and so on.
What is more, you can ask the NGO for further details concerning the project of your choice that you want to donate for. It will even help you further to motivate other donors and even gather supports of the volunteers to make the project a success.
Moreover, it will give you a fair chance to keep in touch with the NGO for a considerable time and you will derive a tremendous sense of satisfaction to see that your donation is utilized well and nothing has gone a waste.
At VDF, we take care of all the factors mentioned above.
- Also ask for the annual report’s updates of the NGO: A genuine NGO that has been working for the upliftment of the underprivileged sincerely, would definitely update not only its website, but would also include its various projects with all the interrelated details in the annual reports as well. At VDF, we take care of the same.
Besides including its accomplishments, it is also likely to come out with the projects intended for future with all the valid and convincingly authentic details so that the interested donors may come up in time.
- Do not make a donation in cash: As a bank transaction is always recorded; it is advisable to pay either by cheque or online. Besides, no genuine NGO would like to accept a donation in cash. And VDF forms no exception.
- Do not make the donation through any agent: It is best to make the donation directly to the NGO itself either by cheque or online. It is not advisable to involve any agents in between, very often referred to as DSAs i.e., Direct Selling Agents. An agent is likely to charge a high donation that may range somewhere between 40 – 50%. So a large part of the donation would be pocketed by the agents rather than being used for the sake of those you have donated for! At VDF, we accept a donation direct from the user.
- Do not be disheartened in case you lack a large chunk of money to donate: At times, someone wants to donate, but cannot do so simply because of lack of funds. In that case, it is equally appreciable to donate your services free of cost. At VDF, we welcome the same.
All professionals including teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, advocates, nurses, etc., may donate their services for the welfare of the poor and the needy. It would make the lives of those easier and more comfortable who cannot avail of all these services for themselves by means of making huge payments.
Besides, even if you do not happen to be a professional, you can still volunteer your services. Many of the college students have already been doing so. Besides, a housewife may cook and distribute the meals among the poor!
Apart from the bread and butter, a lot more can be donated. Even school going kids may be encouraged and motivated by their parents and family elders to donate books and clothes they do not need any more, among the poor.
Apart from making the donation, if not in cash than in kind, would also make the coming generations more humanitarian, also helping the crime graph come down!
