NAI DHARTI – CHANGING LIVES OF UNPRIVILEGED GIRLS
Nai Dharti, an NGO registered u/s 21 of Societies Registration Act 1860, is working for free formal education and holistic development of unprivileged girls like rag pickers, orphans, and slum dwellers, for the past 20 years. We are running a free, formal, partly residential school for such girls in our own building in the rural outskirts of Patna, where 120 girls are staying as boarders, while about 65 students, with the same economic background from nearby areas, are studying as day scholars. Five of our batches have already completed Matriculation and three batches have completed Intermediate Examination with flying colours. All of our first batch of students, who came to us as little rag-picking girls in 2009, have completed graduation with Honors in First Class from prestigious girls’ colleges in Patna. Our students also excel in various co-curricular activities and have won first prizes in several external competitions.
The Executive Committee, consisting of 11 members from diverse fields like bankers, teachers, professionals, and social workers, is the main decision-making body of the organization, assisted by an Advisory Committee consisting of seven ex-bankers and social workers as members. The Founder Secretary of NAI DHARTI, Smt Nandita Banerjee, is an ex-chief manager of the State Bank of India, who quit her job in 2001 to become a full-time social worker.
NAI DHARTI has been registered for exemption u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act since 2007 and our FCRA registration has been renewed up to 2029. Our books of accounts are annually audited by M/s D.Sircar & Associates, one of the most reputed chartered accountants of Patna.
Education, Co-curricular training, and all other facilities, like shelter, food, clothing, medical expenses, books, etc. provided to the students, who belong to the lowest economic stratum of our society, are free of cost. As per our present budget, the total expense for running the residential school with skill development centre and all co- curricular and developmental activities, comes to Rs 8.00 lacs per month. Since inception, all our activities are being supported mainly through Corporate CSR grants and a little individual support. Donations made to our NGO are exempt u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act.
We are running this project since 2009, and as per our experience so far, raising regular grants to support the cost of 120 borders is an uphill and daunting task, as grants depend on the willingness of the donors/availability of CSR funds as well as existing Government Policies. At present, our expenses are being supported by a few Corporate Donors, but we can never be sure about the continuity of funding in the future.
It is evident that the future of 200 girls, with more to come, can never be secure with such financial uncertainty. While the funds annually raised by us are sufficient at present to meet our expenditure, we have never been able to create any reserve fund to date to serve as a cushion in case of a resource crunch.
We feel that the only way to assure the continuance of education and development of our students is to create a Corpus Fund, by investing our surplus fund created out of individual donation, so that the regular expenses may be met with the interest income of this fund, while the fund itself remains unused. We have seen a steady decline in the interest rate on deposits during the last several years, and, although it is showing an uprising trend at present, this may not continue. Thus, assuming an assured safe return of 6% p.a. on the invested sum, an amount of Rs 1.00 crore will generate an interest income of 50000/- p.m, which can be spent towards food / clothing / other budgeted expenses. The invested amount will remain untouched, invested securely in a Bank account, while the interest will be credited to our General expense account, with the usual audit so that total dependence on Corporate Sponsors’ support may be gradually reduced. We have already started this exercise since last Financial year, and a small regular income has started trickling in, and our aim is to increase it manifold in the years to come, so that the work may never stop and these girls’ future continues to be secured.However, this can be done only through donations of individuals or non profit making organizations like Trusts and Foundations, as CSR funding for Corpus Fund creation has been prohibited by the Government from 2021.
Through this appeal, we request you to extend annualfinancial support to us, to the maximum extent possible, so that your contribution can be added to our surplus fund, to be invested as CORPUS fund at the end of each financial year. Although a monumental task, we are confident that we will be gradually able to build up a corpus fund with your blessings and good wishes, just as Nai Dharti has grown up to this stage from a scratch. We further request you to visit our center in Patna, if possible.
The amount may be remitted through cheque/direct transfer to the under-noted accounts under advice to us and should be accompanied by the PAN of the donor, and complete postal address. Please help, as the happy smile on a child’s face is the best reward you can have.
(Nandita Banerjee)
Secretary
For donation in Indian Rupee:
A/c Name – Nai Dharti Corpus Fund A/c
A/c Number – 34949818685
Bank – S.B.I Anandpuri
ISF Code – SBIN000900
A/c Number – 34949818685
Bank – S.B.I Anandpuri
ISF Code – SBIN000900
For donation in Foreign Currency:
A/c Name –A/c Name – FCRA – NAI DHARTI
A/c Number – 40044058940
Bank – S.B.I NEW DELHI MAIN BRANCH
ISF Code – SBIN0000691
SWIFT Code – SBININBB104
A/c Number – 40044058940
Bank – S.B.I NEW DELHI MAIN BRANCH
ISF Code – SBIN0000691
SWIFT Code – SBININBB104
Kindly note that any donation for Corpus Fund in Foreign currency, should be accompanied by the undernoted declaration, duly signed, and sent through a signed scanned copy mailed to naidharti@gmail.com.
SPECIMEN LETTER FOR CORPUS DONATION
(On the Donor’s Letterhead)
From:-
Address of the Donor Organization
To:-
Address of the Donee Organization
Dear Sir,
Subject – Specific Directions for Corpus Donation
This is in context with the contribution/donation made by us vide cheque no ——/ NEFT / RTGS on ————– for Rs ————– (Rupees —————only). It is hereby informed that this grant/donation is towards the Corpus Fund of your Organization. Therefore, it may be accumulated indefinitely and only the income generated from it be used to meet the running cost for ——- students under your project.
The Corpus Fund so created may be managed as per the rule framed by your organization, subject to the relevant applicable laws and statutes of the country..
Authorised Signatory
Donor Organization