Since 2013, I have been a volunteer with AIF's New England Chapter. It's been an amazing experience to connect with other like-minded individuals who have a desire to create impact in India.
What makes AIF really stand out from other organizations is that they encourage their volunteers to try out projects on a local level. Earlier this year, I and other members had the idea of launching a regional crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness and funds for their LAMP Program. AIF gave us their full support and the campaign was a huge success.
If you are looking for an unique opportunity to create impact in India, I highly encourage you to check out AIF!
In my role as a leader of AIF's young professionals chapter in the Bay Area, I had the opportunity to interact with the nonprofit's leadership team. I'm inspired by their passion. They've not only built an efficient organization that caters to changemakers in the US, they've also empowered millions of people in India.
AIF does remarkable work in India. By working with AIF, I learned just how extensive the AIF reach is. They work with many different NGO partners, corporations, and state governments to run their programs. It's incredible how many states they've run programs in! AIF is a competent organization run by compassionate and intelligent employees who are deeply committed to the development cause. They are concerned about the particular problems India faces, but also about the existence of these problems anywhere in the world. I have no doubt that AIF will continue to make a lasting impact in the communities they serve. It was a pleasure to work with them!
I joined AIF YP board to better understand the issues facing the Indian community at large and contribute to its betterment in a meaningful way. Over the past two years, I have been fortunate to work with like-minded professionals, learn more about the issues, and raise awareness and money for the work AIF does in India. The organization brings individuals together in local communities and enables them to become active contributors to India's development. It is great to know that every dollar raised goes towards the signature programs AIF has designed to initiate change. AIF has partnered with 225 NGOs and impacted over 1.7mm lives. I'm proud of the AIF's accomplishments thus far and am glad to contribute as a board member.
I've been volunteering with AIF for 2 years, but I've known about it for far longer. Many of my friends have been Clinton Fellows, and they are people I am proud to know based off the work they did through AIF, and the kind of professionals they've become now. The experience these folks, including myself, have gotten from working with AIF have demarcated us from others as people who truly understand the social and economical complexities of India, and are striving to do our part to make a positive impact in the lives of Indians. This isn't just a group for those who are nostalgic for their motherland. It is an organization for those whose passions involve social justice and global equity.
Great organization I got involved with AIF three years ago through one of my friends who served on board. It was great and I have helped raise thousands of dollars for their programs and it is great to be part of an organization that works independent of the Indian government. I also wish I knew about the William Jefferson Clinton fellowship because looking back I think it would be amazing to spend a year volunteering in India with AIF.
AIF believes in catalyzing change by maximizing impact. Through its signature programs focused on education, livelihood and public health, AIF has partnered with over 120 NGOs and initiate change at the grass root level.
AIF has been a big part of my life for the last several years. As a board member and Co-Chapter Leader of the Young Professionals Chapter of NY, I'm so proud of AIF's accomplishments and its impact.
What makes AIF unique is that 100% of the funds raised go straight to the people who need it the most- not to overhead, salaries, etc. AIF's Board of Trustees are extremely generous and cover all of those expenses, allowing AIF's operations to be extremely efficient.
I would highly recommend anyone to join AIF and learn more about its incredible outreach to millions of lives in India.
There is nothing more amazing than sharing your passion with others. It is so inspiring to sit in a room with 30 brilliant and talented people who come together to share ideas and to share thoughts who are just as invested in your passion as your are.
This is my second year on AIF's young professionals chapter in the Bay Area, and I fully intend on staying highly involved in the future. I first found out about the immense amount of work AIF has done through its various initiatives through a friend who had a strong part in founding the YP chapter. What I like about AIF is that it does not take a singular approach in helping to solve some of the issues facing India. AIF allows Indians to help themselves. Through initiatives like MAST and Rickshaw Sangh, people are being empowered to increase their own potential. I love the transparency and reach through which AIF is able to further its work. The Bay Area YP chapter utilizes its resources, particularly in technology, to build awareness and raise funds.
AIF creates scale and impact through taking a grassroots and transparent approach to fundraising and communicating about its various, innovative programs. I've been amazed at how it has successfully allowed various professional chapters around the nation to self-organize and fundraise thousands of dollars annually to support AIF's various initiatives, educate communities about their impact, and spread awareness.
I have been involved in Bay Area non-profits for almost three years now in various capacities and can say with conviction that AIF (especially the YP group) has done a great job in spreading awareness about their causes and getting young professionals involved in raising funds to alleviate the hardships that face the underprivileged classes in India. No other group has access to such a large group of people ready to listen and participate. I am sure this group will continue to thrive and become even more crucial to community giving in India.
Over the past year I have been amazed by how AIF has reached out to young professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area to make a difference. In particular, they did a great job using social media tools to promote their events and create social awareness regarding the causes they support. As someone passionate about using technology to make an impact in the world, I am glad to have the opportunity this year to contribute to AIF's success as part of the board.
AIF makes a substantial effort to reach out to the youth community. After attending their events for over a year, I recently joined the board of AIF's Bay Area, Young Professional's chapter. Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to work with a number of like-minded individuals toward raising funds and spreading awareness for the causes we are passionate about. I am consistently blown away by the creativity, alertness, and drive of the peers I have been introduced to since joining AIF (not just on my own team, but in chapters across the nation and from years past). I greatly appreciate AIF's ability to harness the energy and idealism of young professionals like myself, and direct this potential toward a worthy cause.
We have been supporting American India Foundation since more than eight years because we believe in its mission, methods and effectiveness. AIF has been effective in raising funds with small administrative costs, using funds wisely and effectively to do most good with the money. We intend to continue to support AIF in its mission.
When I moved back to NYC two summers ago, I began looking for an organization to get involved with, but I struggled to find one that truly inspired me – until I discovered AIF. I began attending AIF NYYP events and it was quickly apparent to me that the people involved in this non-profit are passionately motivated to make a difference. This is a group with a clear mission, a lot of energy, and a sincere interest in social and economic improvement in India. Now, as a board member, I am proud to be part of a non-proft where my impact is tangible.
I first became aware of AIF after researching various organizations focused on promoting social and economic change in India. While I’d read about many organizations online, AIF’s message and vision really resonated with me and played a key role in my decision to volunteer as a member of the marketing committee for the New York Young Professionals (NYYP) chapter.
As a member of the marketing committee, I help manage our chapter’s external communication efforts and marketing strategy. From this role, I've seen firsthand the impact that AIF has not only in India, but also in the local communities it operates in. AIF’s national reach, brand name, and people truly set it apart from other organizations focused on similar causes. Even though I’ve only been closely involved with AIF for a few months, I’ve become one of its strongest supporters and recommend AIF to anyone who is interested in creating opportunity and supporting development in India.
I first learned about AIF at the close of their 2011-2012 season-end Gala. My husband I were so impressed with the caliber of individuals and their commitment to leading change in India. After attending several other events, I decided to apply for the board, eager to help an organization that I felt truly lived up to their mission of catalyzing social and economic change in India. Thus far, I have met some terrific individuals who all believe that the power to help others truly lies in our ability to make good choices and open our eyes to the world around us.
I have been involved with AIF in a variety of capacities over the past three years. First, as an event attendee interested to learn more about a grass roots organization that has a direct impact on the ground in India across a variety of initiatives - education, public health and livelihood. Second, as a volunteer for the New York Young Professionals (NYYP) chapter, building the YP's fundraising capabilities. And now, as one of the chapter leaders of the NYYP -- it is in this capacity that I've learned how much of an impact AIF has in India as well as in my local community here in New York. AIF has chapters across major cities in the U.S. and has built an amazing brand within each of the communities it operates in. I would encourage anyone interested in international development, India, and building an amazing network here in the U.S. and abroad to get involved in whatever capacity they can - either as a donor, volunteer, future AIF Clinton Fellow, or as a trustee - and continue to foster AIF's mission: to catalyze social and economic change in India.
AIF's work is focused on outcomes at the community level. The organizations strives to learn and share best practice across it's diverse portfolio of projects, grantees and geographies. Importantly, AIF leverages investments to amplify impact. AIF strives to achieve scale by building sustainable partnerships with governments at all levels: local, state and national and in addition with financial institutions that can support wide ranging impactful community level investments in education and livelihoods generation. AIF's projects are designed to maximize 'value for money', resulting in high impact per dollar invested.