Asha for Education

Asha for Education is a volunteer-run action group dedicated to 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 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.

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. Basic education became the agenda for the action group that emerged from this gathering. 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 of Asha

*United States: donations are fully tax deductible under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS code.
*India: donations are 50% deductible under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.
*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.

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.

External links

* [http://www.ashanet.org/chicago/ Asha Chicago Website]
* [http://www.ashanet.org Asha Website]
* [http://www.asha-munich.de/ Asha Munich Website]
* [http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/ Asha Seattle Website]
* [http://www.ashanet.org/centralnj Asha Central NJ Website]
* [http://www.ashanet.org/philadelphia Asha Philadelphia Website]
* [http://www.ashanet.org/dallas Asha Dallas Website]
* [http://www.ashanet.org/london Asha London Website]
* [http://www.propoor.org/ NGOs in South Asia]
* [http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/topten.list.htm Charity Navigator]