Why Annual Reports are important for NGO?

Credibility, trustworthiness, and transparency are some of the terms commonly heard while discussing about any organisation, be it a for-profit organisation or a not-for profit organisation. And, as an organisation grows and expands its business or service, these three factors become even more significant. Brands and businesses from across all sectors strives to maintain their credibility and trustworthiness by being transparent to its stakeholders in one way or the other, and publishing Annual Report is one of the many ways.

Annual Reports are comprehensive publications covering highlights, developments and audited financial statements of an organisation. Remaining specific to not-for-profit organisations, Annual Reports are a mandatory document that the organisation has to publish and make available to all its stakeholders. NGO Annual Reports instil a sense of confidence among all its stakeholders regarding the organisation’s operations, growth, and fund utilisation. Heeding to this, many NGOs like The Akshaya Patra Foundation diligently publishes this report annually.

Akshaya Patra is a mid-day meal NGO and is also considered as a top NGO in India. It has been implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme since 2000 and currently provides nutritious meals to more than 1.7 million government school children on each school day. The Foundation is headquartered in Bengaluru and has operational units across 36 locations of 12 states in India. The Foundation was selected to partner as a mid-day meal NGO after it fulfilled all the criteria stated in the NP-NSPE 2004 guidelines. One of the criteria in the guideline is “the chosen NGO will furnish to the body assigning the work to it an Annual Report along with an audited statement of accounts in terms of all grants received from the State Government, both in cash and kind, duly certified by an approved Chartered Accountant”, and the NGO is adhering to it since the beginning.

For NGOs, transparency is a key factor in building trust and reliability. Hence, Akshaya Patra ensures that it maintains transparency regarding all its activities as a mid-day meal NGO. The Foundation publishes its Annual Reports at the end of each financial year. It reports all the developments, achievements, and audited financial statements of the completed financial year, along with plans for the upcoming year. This report has received appreciation and recognition in national and global platforms amidst NGO Annual Report category as well as general categories for accuracy in reporting and creative representation of the report.

A non-profit organisation can be considered to be performing NGO role in India in totality only when it makes available details about its operations and services to its stakeholders and complies to standard financial procedures to release its financial statements. In this regard, Akshaya Patra has been keeping up with the prerequisites of a reliable NGO. This top NGO in India complies with the Indian Accounting Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The Foundation also complies with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) after adopting this format of reporting in 2008-09. Akshaya Patra has been recognised and appreciated with the:

• ICAI Gold Shield Award for “Excellence in Financial Reporting” for five consecutive years since 2008-09 inducting Akshaya Patra into Hall of Fame. In addition, to the consecutive wins, the Foundation has also has bagged the award for the latter years
• South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Best Presented Accounts Award for four consecutive years: 2008-09 (Certificate of Merit), 2009-10 (2nd runner-up), 2010-11(Gold Award), 2011-12 (Silver Award) and 2012-13 (Gold Award)
• Australasian Reporting Award 2017
• 24th Annual Communicator Award for Excellence 2018

These accolades for the NGO Annual Reports have increased the credibility of the organisation and has instilled a sense confidence and trustworthiness among all its stakeholders. In conclusion, Annual Reports form a very significant document for an NGO. These reports are a proof that while working towards their respective causes NGOs are accountable and responsible for optimum utilisation of the contributions - monetary and non-monetary, made by their stakeholders.

Human Rights Day is Integral to Akshaya Patra

It is important that children enjoy their life to the fullest. It's their birth right, no less than their human right. To enjoy their life to the fullest, it is essential that they are educated.

Education helps them develop the skills and also helps them prepare mentally to gain the most from life. But, this can’t be done with an empty stomach. Because education and food goes hand-in-hand. They need a full stomach meal to develop physical strength as well as to grow mentally. This will help them deal with the challenges in life with ease.

While nutritious food is a necessity, it is a luxury for many. One could donate for education in India by supporting NGO’s like The Akshaya Patra Foundation. This can ensure that your donation is used for the right cause. This way, you along with the NGO, can ensure that the rights of the children are being met.

Rights Protected

On December 10 every year, people around the world celebrate Human Rights Day. The date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It is the first global statement of international human rights principles on December 10, 1948.

The day holds importance for those who play a major role in ensuring that all sections of people are able to enjoy a minimal quantum of rights day in and day out. Be it the governments or the NGOs, all play their respective roles to ensure human rights are not violated and are, instead, defended.

It was about 70 years ago that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made. Since then, many nations have been in the forefront of the efforts to ensure that human rights are not violated, either of their own people or even of people of other nations.

Right to Food

The right to food is recognised in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25) as part of the right to an adequate standard of living, and is enshrined in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 11).

An NGO like Akshaya Patra, which is considered one of the top NGOs and many others ensure that basic rights of people such as their Right to Food are not violated. From its 34 kitchens in India, the Foundation has been serving nutritious school lunch to over 1.6 million children across the country. This has helped in success of many children who are now able to dream high in life.

It is crucial that non-partisan groups are able to ensure that the rights of children, in particular, are defended. On this World Human Rights Day it's necessary to remember and to remind everyone of the need to and the importance of human rights. It is crucial for the NGOs to play a role in India towards meeting the commitments made on the UN Human Rights Day.

You can also join the cause by making a contribution towards eradicating classroom hunger. Make a donation today.

What Role NGOs Play in India and How Akshaya Patra is Contributing?

There are people like Sachin Tendulkar and Priyanka Chopra that have made the world notice our talent, on the other hand there are some who are trying to bring a positive change in Indian society by working and impacting at the grass root level. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is one such non-government organisation that’s playing the role of nutrition missionary in India since 2000 to eradicate undernourishment among kids and ensure that no child opts out of school because of hunger.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is truly demonstrating the role of an NGO committed to helping the cause of food and education in India. The noble acts of making donations in someone’s memory or doing charity fundraising for the needy are helping millions of children come to school every day. Know how-

1. Better living conditions for all

So many children in India have to do menial jobs at the age when they are supposed to attend school to earn meals for the day. The people in need are helpless and the capable ones cannot always manage to directly reach out and help. Here’s when an NGO’s role in India comes into play. The NGOs act as a connecting medium between needy and facilitators. Akshaya Patra, with the help of donations received by donors in memory of near and dear ones, has been able to serve over 1.6 million children in 13,808 schools across 12 states in India. In a way, this NGO is contributing and letting us contribute in providing better living conditions for all the underprivileged people of India.

2. Educated India equals better India

Most of the challenges that India is facing as a country can be dealt well by educating the uneducated masses in every remote corner of the country. Opening schools in all the villages is not the only solution because there are problems like classroom hunger too, that can prevent children from coming to school. In order to combat this problem, the role of NGOs like Akshaya Patra becomes crucial. By providing wholesome mid-day meals as an incentive, this organisation has been able to encourage students to attend classes and motivate them to achieve success in life. We may have no clue but doing some charity fundraising or donating in memory of beloved’s can be a gift of hope to someone in need.

3. Better reasons to be known for

Issues like poverty, illiteracy, slow progress, etc., sometimes overshadow all the goodness that India can be known for. Several NGOs in India are playing their role to fight such problems. They are striving hard to let India be known only for its growth and prosperity. Undernourishment among children is one of the major issues in India, against which, Akshaya Patra has missioned itself. This NGO aims to eradicate hunger which has proved to be an obstacle to learning. When the present is improved, the future can be better. And if a small help from our side can make any good impact, why not do it?

So let’s come together as a nation and involve ourselves in better causes. There’s no greater joy than giving someone a ray of hope. You may simply do some charity fundraising for the cause. Help a child today!

Charity donation – A Noble Endeavour Paired with Tax Benefits

The financial year-end is around the corner – an event that causes much anxiety to a majority of us. Why not round it off with a noble deed that will benefit you in more ways than one! We’re talking about charity donation. Giving back to society is one of the best ways of expressing your gratefulness for all that you have received and share some of your good fortune with those who are in need of assistance to better their lives. This is the perfect time to make that essential difference to the lives of your young friends who are beneficiaries of The Akshaya Patra Foundation. Its Mid-Day Meal Programme ensures that over 1.6 million children across India stay away from classroom hunger, with a nutritious, wholesome, unlimited school lunch every day. You can avail tax exemption with your valuable contribution to the cause of ‘unlimited food for education’.   

The NGO role in India is one of vital support to the government in helping fight the pressing challenges facing the country. Akshaya Patra too fulfills its role in social betterment, in partnership with State and Central governments in India. A donation made to the organisation brings it a step closer to achieving its important mission of feeding 5 million children by 2020. It also helps you avail tax exemption in India, as Akshaya Patra is registered under section 35AC of the Income Tax Act 1961. Therefore, every donation upwards of Rs 500 is eligible for 100% tax exemption under Section 80GGA.

In a bid to scale up its efforts to feed a larger number of children across the country, Akshaya Patra needs the collective support of all of you urgently. The Foundation has undertaken ambitious efforts to expand its reach across India. In December 2016, we laid the foundation of our first high-tech mega kitchen in Telangana at Khandi. Once operational, this kitchen will feed over 1,00,000 children in the region from the next academic year. In the same month, the Foundation also initiated the process of setting up 11 new kitchens in Uttar Pradesh. These kitchens will be established in the districts of Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Agra, Allahabad, Kanpur, Etawah, Kannauj, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Rampur and Ballia. This will take the number of Akshaya Patra’s beneficiary children in the state to 13 lakh, from the current 2,11,680. This will lead to an increase of a whopping 10,88,320 children that will be nourished by the Foundation’s meals!

In order to expand and grow sustainably, Akshaya Patra relies on the large-hearted backing of generous individuals who are as zealous about eliminating classroom hunger as the government and the Foundation are. Not only does ‘food for education’ ensure that India’s children – its future – are nourished well and have their stomachs full, it also positively affects attendance and enrollment. The Mid-Day Meal Programme is an incentive with that comes with triangular benefits for children, on their health, education and nourishment! The impact of supporting this cause on your life will be doubly large – not only would you have the pleasure of having contributed to secure the future of the nation’s children, you would also beget a wonderful advantage in return – that of 100% tax exemption in India!

NGOs Role in Bridging Social Justice - A Universal Right

In his message for World Day of Social Justice, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of UN, said: "With exclusion and inequality on the rise, we must step up efforts to ensure that all people, without discrimination, are able to access opportunities to improve their lives and those of others." After the UN adopted the declaration in 2007, the world has been coming together annually to recognise and celebrate World Day of Social Justice on February 20. The day supports gender equality, rights of indigenous peoples and migrants, and peaceful co-existence. 

We, at Akshaya Patra – an NGO in India, believe social justice is a universal right and every person should be given equal opportunity and a fair chance. Here are three aspects we would like to observe on this important day.

Social Equity

Social injustices negatively impact humanitarian efforts of spreading peace, upholding of rights, equality, and others. In the times of Information Age, where every economy is an active participant of nation building, it becomes an important decision for each one of us to ensure fairness prevails. What does that mean? Remove casteism treatment and support every individual – be it in the field of education or employment, consider their ability and skills and not their background. If not, empower them as they deserve a fair chance.

Gender Equality

Until a few decades ago, women belonged to an isolated community. The concept of gender equality sprang as people began to discuss the oppression faced by women and why women were the victims of basic rights. Today, in most countries, men and women have achieved their dream and continue to empower the disadvantaged class. Akshaya Patra supports gender equality and believes in constructing a society where both the gender groups are given the same rights and opportunities.

Sustainable Prosperity

It means sustainable development of earthy beings – not just humans but environment as well. With basic needs, knowledge and abilities, we are responsible for ensuring our surrounding is protected. And all of this starts with teaching children about sustainability. To safe guard the environment from obstruction, we must take action now and spread awareness.

Mid-Day Meal Programme by Akshaya Patra brings children together – for better health, for education and for equal opportunities. Keeping out discrimination, the programme also promotes socialization as children sit together for lunch. Playing the role of an NGO, thus, helps the economy in nation-building; an inclusive goal India is heading for.

Akshaya Patra accepts charity donations and these donations are tax exempted in India. You can support Food for Education by sponsoring a child’s meals!

Role of NGOs in India in Solving Hunger

Hunger - an epidemic situation among the low-income groups in this world. Hunger – a life threatening situation for everyone especially children.

There are so many food items out there in abundance which will never teach us the real meaning of hunger. Every four hours, we snack on something or probably have full meal to avoid hunger. But there are millions of children out there who struggle for a single meal in a day. We know of many children who are often undernourished as they struggle to get one-time meal during the day. These are also the same children who have no access or inclination towards education.

There are many organisations in India that are playing the role of NGOs and have been trying to address hunger issues. These NGOs act as a channel for people like us to reach out to those in need. One of the leading names is Akshaya Patra that successfully combined food and education wisely so as to reach more and more children with the two basic necessities of life.  The NGO headquartered in Bangalore provides mid- day meals to the children in schools to help them grow and learn with a nutritious diet.

The real meaning of hunger 

Most people associate hunger with quenching the physical need of food. Often when we are hungry, we invariably say – do you have something to eat? We are often vague about food. The only time we truly care about the ingredients of food is while feeding children. The real meaning of hunger for a child differs, and it should. For a child, hunger would mean deprivation of a meal that is instrumental in his physical and mental growth.

Similarly, children have a hunger for their dreams and things that they want. Children have an inherent hunger for knowledge and education. They are curious and wish to quench their thirst for knowledge. The role of NGOs in India thus becomes bigger when it comes to dealing with children’s meal and education issues. Akshaya Patra continues to reach out to millions of children to transform their lives. Also, their work is completely transparent and they make all their information available to public. The organisation strives to quench both physical and mental hunger of children with its mission ‘Food for Education’. When the children get the motivation of a one-time but nutritious meal, they are motivated to come to school. Similarly, parents send all their children to school since they have an assurance that the kids would be fed apart from getting education. This is a progressive model of combining the two missions together which is invariably intertwined. 

Sitting in our offices or comfortable homes, least we can do to help the NGOs such as this by giving what we can. Donating for education in India, especially because it involves supporting the backbone of our country’s future is our contribution to a better society.  All of us do wish to be a part of some noble activity, but our time or job constraints don’t allow us to do so. So here’s our chance to be the game changer in the fight against hunger. All we need to do is make a generous donation to Akshaya Patra and provide children ‘Unlimited Food for Education’. 

Donate today and win tax exemption!