India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) is a Maryland, US-based 501(c) (3) tax exempt, non-profit organization (EIN: 52-1555563) that supports impoverished people in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. IDRF's programs span all over India from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal and more recently Sri Lanka. Since its inception in 1988, IDRF has disbursed $34 million in grants to various developmental programs pertaining to areas like: education, health, women's empowerment, eco-friendly development, good governance, and disaster relief/rehabilitation.
History
IDRF was founded in 1988 by Dr. Vinod Prakash, a former World Bank development economist, who has worked as a volunteer for IDRF since he founded it
IDRF maintains a close collaboration with the Indian American community and helps them realize their dreams of giving back to their “motherland” or" land of their ancestors".
Activities
Some IDRF accomplishments since 1988:
Raised $36.25 million and disbursed $33.69 million
Overheads only 4%, so 96 cents of $1 goes directly to NGOs
2,130 Women's Self-Help Groups supported in 333 villages of Haryana, Maharashtra and West Bengal 2,500 private toilets constructed for rural poor in Gujarat, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu 10,000 students helped in schools and affection homes in nine states across India 27,000 students in 400 schools trained to be responsible citizens across 12 cities in India 48 Gram Panchayats in 10 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand trained to access government programs and combat corruption Supported disaster relief and rehab programs for India Floods, Nepal earthquake, Tsunami, Gujarat earthquake, Odisha Super cyclone, Kargil War and Latur earthquake, etc.
Programs
Education:
Skill-development program for unemployed rural youth
Scholarships to meritorious but disadvantaged girls for higher education
One laptop per poor rural child and E-pustakalaya (online digital library) Free education and hostel for underprivileged tribal girls Day care for children with special needs
Health: IDRF provides health services to poor people living in remote areas. These services are provided either free or at nominal charges.
Clean India Mission – Swachha Bharat Abhiyan – Rural Sanitation Units in Gujarat, Telangana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra 30 mobile clinic vans in various Indian states Home for destitute elderly women and children Hospitals, pathology Lab-OPD clinic and dispensaries for rural poor Free health screenings for diabetes and yoga camps Free health camps for the poor, expectant mothers and infants
Women empowerment:
Free education and scholarships
Self-Help Groups for economic self-reliance
Micro-credit to over 5,000 women-led small business enterprises
Organic farming and sustainable livelihood
Construction of STEM labs in girls’ schools and colleges
Vocational training programs
Eco-friendly development: IDRF funds programs that facilitate rural enterprises by incorporating clean-energy technology and practices and also in conservation of biodiversity and natural resources.
Safe Drinking Water Harvesting and Security in arid areas
Organic and efficient farming techniques
Eco-friendly micro-enterprises by women – organic café, bakery, soap and candle making, food preservation, etc. Solar power generation, assembly and distribution of solar-powered lanterns
Disaster relief and rehabilitation:
Relief-kits have been distributed to hundreds of victims
Task of resettling the victims by repairing and reconstructing houses
Providing sustainable development programs in the area to rebuild livelihoods
Good governance
Increasing women and schedule caste members’ participation in rural local governance Reporting bribery cases via mobile apps Community policing Training of students to be informed and responsible citizens of tomorrow Engagement with NITI Aayog (Government of India).
Controversy
In 2002 a coalition of professionals, students, workers, artists and intellectuals in the US organized "The Campaign to Stop Funding Hate". A report authored by members of this organization focused on IDRF, which it said "has systematically funded Hindutva operations in India ... is not a secular and non-sectarian organization as it claims to be, but is, on the contrary, a major conduit of funds for Hindutva organizations in India. According to the report, IDRF was channeling funds to organizations involved in spreading hate against religious minorities and promoting communal violence.