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.

Akshaya Patra Releases its Annual Report for 2015-16!

Akshaya Patra’s Annual Report for the year 2015-16 is out! Titled The Passioneers – Bound By Purpose. Driven By Passion, the report celebrates the dedication and toils of the people working behind-the-scenes. These are the people who make the organisation and ensure its smooth workings with their diligent efforts. The report details the financials and highlights of the year 2015-16, along with outlining the Foundation’s vision and mission, achievements, future plans and awards and recognitions it has received. Read it now!

https://blog.akshayapatra.org/the-passioneers-celebrating-the-passion-that-drives-akshaya-patra/

How Effective are Food for Education Programmes

If you’re reading this, you should call yourself fortunate. If going back home reminds you of delicious home-cooked food, you should call yourself fortunate. You’re fortunate because you’ve had the opportunity to learn and you’ve always got a tiffin box to carry in your bag or some money in the pocket for buying lunch.

Not many know that India is a home to 33% of world’s undernourished children. How can we not think of helping them? When you’ve more than you need, you should build a bigger table, not a higher fence. Seeing the present context, we need more supporters and food for education programs to get down to showing deep concern, spreading awareness, donating funds and providing healthy meals as an incentive to boost enrolment.

Akshaya Patra recently published its NGO annual report 2015-16 which gives insights into how the organisation reaches out to millions of children. Here’s how Akshaya Patra set forth in the path of reaching out to millions of children and are changing their lives.

A growth that’s no less than massive

Akshaya Patra has grown slowly and steadily. From 1,500 children a day to over 1.6 million children, the growth has been rising. It demonstrates that the role of NGO has always been aboard and determinant toward the goal of providing unlimited food for education. They’ve gone the extra mile, not only in well-managed technology, logistics, quality, and finance but also in strategies for sustainable working. The Foundation has gained trust of the philanthropic donors and beneficiaries as well.

Food for Education motivates children to pursue their dreams

Children from the marginalised sections of society often wait to pursue their dreams. Food for Education programmes help them in doing this. The blue buses at Akshaya Patra not only carry freshly cooked nutritious meals to 1.6 million children across India but also the smile and hope to get good food. Ambitious beneficiaries like Dashrath Chauhan, Anjali Batti, Saraswathi, and Chetan are some of our much prized stories of hope.

Involvement of public

It is essential for a public-private relationship based organisation to have provisions for public’s involvement. Without the generous help from well-wishers, it is not possible for an NGO to function at all. These organisations act as a medium for the society to show compassion towards the needy. Akshaya Patra provides several opportunities such as fundraising, campaigning, volunteering, partnering and donating online to get involved in this endeavor of eradicating undernourishment and ensuring access to education for all. For accomplishing its mission of feeding 5 million children by 2020, Akshaya Patra gives a shout-out to everyone who is willing to help those in dire need.

Akshaya Patra, an NGO based in Bengaluru, runs Mid-Day Meal Programme in 11 states of India.

To read in Hindi, visit: about NGO in Hindi.