GuideStar India and the U.S. Department of State are working together to create a new online portal that will assist private donors seeking to support Indian NGOs. Robert O. Blake, Jr. Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said in his remarks to the American India Foundation Dinner on 15 December 2011 said:
"India is home to about 1.5 million NGOs, but much of their work is not fully known here in the United States. In addition, it is not easy to identify the NGOs credible enough to receive a donor’s money.
We want to help change this and are partnering with an Indian non-profit – GuideStar India – to create an online searchable database of all those Indian NGOs that have been vetted by an independent third party to ensure they are accountable, transparent and keep only a small percentage of a donation to cover their expenses so the maximum can go to the intended beneficiaries.
This site will also list all the intermediary institutions, including, with your permission, AIF, who can facilitate tax-deductible donations. By matching a list of certified Indian NGOs with potential American donors, we hope to create an efficient philanthropy marketplace that will grow the overall sector, making it a win-win proposition for all...". You can read his
full remarks here.
GuideStar India and the U.S. Department of State also held a “Philanthropy in India Roundtable” on December 21 in Mumbai. Over 40 leaders from the Indian philanthropy sector discussed the creation of a new online portal that will assist private donors seeking to support Indian NGOs. The new portal will aggregate NGO certifications provided by independent third parties and present the information in a format easily searchable and accessible by potential donors. Neither GuideStar nor the U.S. Government will rate or certify NGOs. The portal will empower donors and allow them to make better informed decisions. Indian NGOs, intermediaries, facilitators, foundations and other organizations and individuals involved in philanthropy in India will benefit through enhanced visibility.
Read more about this on our blog!