Why AIF
AIF Difference
Why associate with the American India Foundation? Why donate? Why volunteer? Why lead an AIF chapter?
In a word – VALUE
AIF is one of a small, but growing group of foundations that practice strategic philanthropy. Strategic philanthropy goes beyond charitable giving to focus on investing in the creation of social, economic and/or environmental value.
Value is created when initiatives or practices promoted by our NGO partners bolster economic prosperity, protect the environment, or improve the quality of life.
Like a venture capital firm AIF SELECTS partners through a rigorous due diligence process and uses clear performance metrics and milestones to evaluate investments and overall organizational performance.
We create additional value by focusing on capacity building and documentation of social outcomes, particularly at the policy level.
We apply the same value creation rigor to our fundraising and overhead costs as we do to our partner selection. We are cautious stewards of our funds and take seriously our work to accelerate value creation in India.
The COSTS of strategic philanthropy are more expensive, but the long-lasting value created is worth it. Costs such as an educated and professional staff, the use of modern technology, sound financial systems, and appropriate support and supervision of staff enable us to better add value to our beneficiaries.
Accountability and Transparency
We hold ourselves to high standards regarding our stewardship over the funds you donate.
We maintain the more rigorous international grant control standards required by the US of private foundations, even though, as a public foundation, we are not required to do so. This includes maintaining financial control over the grant funds we give.
Every grant and program spending decision is done by committee. Much like a VC firm, we have investment criteria we look for: strong leadership, sound financial controls, innovative products, scalability, and consumer demand/community involvement.
Once approved, committed funds are held in reserve. All our payments are conditional based on meeting milestones. In this way we also ensure the success of our investments.
We are just as rigorous with ourselves. We make investments in ourselves - personnel, equipment, technology, knowledge - so we can be more efficient, which helps us keep expenses low so more of your dollars are invested in products that make a difference.
We encourage you to take a look at our numbers over our first five years. Ask questions of management. Find out for yourselves that our sound fiscal and management controls are enabling more of your money to make a difference in India.
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Since its inception following the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, AIF has been involved in relief and rehabilitation efforts after major national disasters in India. Most recently, AIF has participated in rehabilitating communities in Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands following the December 2004 Tsunami and in Kashmir following the October 2005 earthquake.
AIF takes a multi-phased approach to disaster relief: relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation. AIF's focus is the long-term rehabilitation of communities, and it dedicates most of its resources to this phase. In Gujarat, AIF funded organizations in the affected communities for up to three years following the earthquake. More than a year following the tsunami, AIF continues to work with NGO partners to identify long-term solutions to improve the lives of people affected by the disaster.
AIF's grants fill gaps in the efforts of government and large international organizations to ensure that it is not duplicating their efforts. By displaying patience in making grants and being connected with communities consistently, AIF makes a long-term impact in the lives of affected people.
In Tamil Nadu, AIF has focused on rehabilitating livelihoods of those affected by the tsunami. AIF is working with the most marginalized of people affected by the tsunami - women, Dalits, landless laborers and youth.
After making small relief grants, AIF funded community-based mapping and planning studies to better understand the needs of affected communities. With an understanding of these needs and the resources that were already available, AIF then supported livelihoods initiatives in both fishing and non-fishing communities.
A number of the projects being implemented are designed to improve communities' ability to overcome persistent poverty. Some of the projects being implemented by AIF grant partners are:
- Organizing self help groups to provide training for alternative livelihoods, access to microcredit and better education.
- Implementing natural resource management programs to reclaim land for farmers whose land became excessively saline and to revive stocks of plants and animals.
- Incorporating information technologies into fishing activities to improve productivity and communication.
- Upgrading boat production facilities and provision of boats to those left out of the government-sanctioned boat replacement programs.
AIF has also been instrumental in fostering collaboration and coordination among NGO groups on the ground. AIF, along with NASSCOM Foundation and TiE, funded the NGO Resource and Coordination Center in Nagapattinam to use internet technology to connect the district administration with NGOs and village information centers. In addition, AIF has brought many of its partner NGOs together in meetings to share best practices and learn from each other's experiences.