FAQs

Vidyaranya is an Indian trust and almost all our supporters are Indian or of Indian origin. Vidyaranya funds are deployed in India to benefit underprivileged children, children with special needs, women in distress and senior citizens.

Vidyaranya raises the valuable resources we need for our work through: • Individuals • Corporate and institutional donations • Government Funding

The full-time employees are given regular salaries. We believe that this is important to attract the professional talent we need to manage our activities (and your resources) effectively. It is important to note, however, that Vidyaranya salaries are modest in comparison with commercial organisations.

You can access our Annual Reports online as well as request a printed copy from the Vidyaranya office nearest to you.

Donations from individuals are the mainstay of Vidyaranya’s fundraising efforts. We make all attempts to enlist in this movement for each of the concerned individuals who come from every walk of life and every corner of the globe. To enable us do this, we send direct appeals, updates via email. We also use other avenues like tele-calling, to reach out to individuals. Each representative / DSA (direct sales agent) from the agencies will carry with them an identification card clearly stating that s/he is a Vidyaranya representative along with the Vidyaranya logo and office address. Should you like more information on Vidyaranya or would like to confirm the identity of the representative or any specific detail in his/ her presence, please contact any of the Vidyaranya offices. The representatives are not authorized to collect/ ask for / accept any cash donations for Vidyaranya. Only a cheque or demand Draft in favour of Vidyaranya will be accepted by them. If you have any queries that have not been addressed here or require clarification on any of the information provided, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at the Vidyaranya Office nearest to you or email us at info@vidyaranya.org

The problem is huge! Will my small contribution make a difference?

At Vidyaranya, we believe that sustainable change is possible only when we address the root causes – such as non-functioning schools, child labour, unemployed parents, non-availability of healthcare centres, lack of awareness among women etc – that keep them away from their rights and vulnerable. We work with children/ women/ senior citizens and communities to make them aware of their rights, and empower them to address their issues and demand what is rightfully theirs. Therefore ensuring not just a small change, but an entire movement towards sustainable change in the lives of the beneficiary and their families

Our selection process is based on the values of trust, transparency, partnership and accountability. Vidyaranya works closely with partners to understand their needs, ensure resources are optimally used through regular budgeting and reporting systems.

Vidyaranya’s organisational costs comprise: Raising donations Selecting, monitoring, evaluating and providing capacity building inputs to projects. Creating public awareness on our beneficiary’s situation and their rights. Support activities like administration, human resources, communication, information technology and financial management. Designing paper products such as greeting cards, stationery etc. Office equipment, furniture, travel, courier services, information technology support, media and advertising are some of the areas in which we receive free or discounted services from corporate partners as well as donations in cash and kind, wherever possible. Exemptions from duties also help reduce our costs. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our on-going need for support in the form of infrastructure, equipment, corpus funds, skills and services. It is support of this nature that enables us to focus on our activities in the field rather than on our own viability. Each rupee saved is another deployed to benefit under privileged sections of the society. Every contribution in these areas actually frees resources and enhances our capacities.

You can do online donations by visiting our page Donate You can choose either Monthly or One time contributions.

Yes. When you donate online Donate you help us twice over, as it is the most cost-efficient channel of collecting funds for Vidyaranya.

Not at all. It’s simple and safe method. Here’s what you have to do to make a donation online the Vidyaranya site: 1. Go to Vidyaranya.org 2. Go to How can you help menu 3. Visit Donate

You can contribute by using your credit/ debit card online. Donations from any country can be processed and following cards are supported - • Visa • MasterCard • American Express • BAJAJ • DICL • Maestro • Rupay

Absolutely. We adopt stringent security measures to ensure that critically sensitive information, such as your personal information and your credit/debit card details, are protected.

We are committed to protecting your personal information with us.

We accept donations only in Indian Rupees on the Vidyaranya site in India. However, you can send us Cheques/ Demand Drafts in any currency. Donors residing in countries other than India can also donate via bank transfers. Please write to us at info@vidyaranya.org for details on this. Please note that Vidyaranya does not accept donations in cash.

Donations to Vidyaranya are exempt from 50% under section 80G of the Income Tax Act. Tax exemption is valid only in India.

Certainly. The tax exemption certificate will be generated instantaneously at the time of online payment. In case physical copy required, the same will reach you within 15 working days. In case of Offline Payment, the softcopy and physical copy of the tax exemption certificate will be generated within 15 working days.

For more assistance or information on donating to Vidyaranya, please do write to us at info@vidyaranya.org

Yes, you can donate to Vidyaranya even if you are living outside of India. Please click here to donate online.

We require this information for NRI (Non-Resident Indians) donors who are Indian citizens having an Indian passport. This is because their contribution goes into a separate account as per the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, (FCRA), 1976.

We accept donations only in Indian Rupees on the Vidyaranya site in India. However, you can send us Cheques/ Demand Drafts in any currency. Donors residing in countries other than India, can also donate via bank transfers. Please write to us at info@vidyaraya.org for details on this or more information on donation currency. Please note that Vidyaranya does not accept donations in cash.

Donations to Vidyaranya are exempt from 50% under section 80G of the Income Tax Act. Tax exemption is valid only in India.

Certainly. The tax exemption certificate will be generated instantaneously at the time of online payment. In case physical copy required, the same will reach you within 15 working days. In case of Offline Payment, the softcopy and physical copy of the tax exemption certificate will be generated within 15 working days.

For more assistance or information on donating to Vidyaranya please do write to us at info@vidyaranya.org.