By
Diana Stancu

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Stay impactful,

India is home to nearly 1.4 billion people, with over 60% of them living on less than $3.10 a day. What’s more, 46 million children in India don’t go to school and 2 out of 3 child deaths in India are caused by malnutrition, with just 9 physicians per 10,000 individuals in their healthcare system. As the country faces these enormous challenges, charities nationwide are fighting for the rights of its people and improving their livelihoods. So we had to ask: What are the best charities impacting India?

The best charities impacting India are the American India Foundation, ChildFund India, and the India Development and Relief Fund. Other charities, like HelpAge India and Child Rights and You, focus their impact on specific vulnerable Indian populations, such as elders or underserved youth. 

Whether you want to improve education and job training for Indian youth, advance quality healthcare for the underprivileged, or help Indian women boost their financial and social independence, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities impacting India are all about, how they work, and what would be your best way to make a contribution. 

Here’s What All the Best Charities Impacting India Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their mission, transparency ratings, and achievements.

They operate all over India, with branches and collaborators across the US and other countries, to provide the most impactful services and social innovations for the Indian people. 

Most of the charities below work to advance foundational and higher education for children in rural areas and urban slums to increase their career prospects and help break the cycle of poverty. In addition, they equip disadvantaged women and people with disabilities with the skills and training to achieve financial independence. 

Furthermore, they provide nutritious food and healthcare services nationwide to aid the most vulnerable populations, such as elders, infants, and pregnant mothers.

Yet, all of the charities below share the same goal of improving the quality of life for all Indians.

These Are the 9 Best Charities Impacting India in 2025

Below are our favorite charities impacting India (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

(At the end of this article we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

American India Foundation: Catalyzing Social and Economic Change in India

The American India Foundation has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We are improving the lives of India’s underprivileged while nurturing the next generation of globally minded changemakers.”

American India Foundation

The American India Foundation brings affordable, quality healthcare for mothers and newborns from vulnerable populations in India to end maternal and infant death by advancing reproductive and sexual health. They also teach Indian children digital skills and STEM education while addressing the loss of access to education for children who engage in distress migration. Moreover, they equip underprivileged youth, rural women, and people with disabilities with vocational skills and financial education to find employment, run businesses, and earn a dignified living. 

Since their inception, the American India Foundation has impacted nearly 19 million people nationwide to improve their health and livelihoods. For example, in 2023, they served 520,000 infants and children under 5 years old, as well as 440,000 pregnant mothers to access quality healthcare and drastically improve infant life expectancy. In the same year, they empowered 9 million children from 35 states to access quality education, including STEM, thus doubling engagement in math and science. In addition, they helped 1.2 million disadvantaged youth, women, and disabled people by providing job training and creating 104,000 jobs. 

You can donate to the American India Foundation on their website. In addition, you can join their socially responsible Mission Trips to India or join one of their US chapters for overseas support.

ChildFund India: Change a Childhood, Change the World

According to their financial report, ChildFund India spent 88% of their total income on charitable programs and 12% on operating expenses. 

“We support children from birth and stay with them till the age of 24 years, ensuring that they become adults who bring positive change to their communities.”

ChildFund India

ChildFund India supports community-based healthcare to address underserved children’s health and nutrition needs from infancy to young adulthood. They also run school-based projects in remote villages and urban communities to ensure quality education for children by developing their critical thinking and socio-emotional skills. Furthermore, they provide technical and vocational training to help young adults get out of poverty, learn trades, and engage in innovative financing models to boost their economic well-being. Also, they protect children from trafficking and child labor while offering disaster relief where needed. 

Since their inception, ChildFund India has continued to serve vulnerable Indian communities. For example, in 2023 they reached 4.7 million people from 123 districts and 14 states, across all their programs. In the same year, they helped 17,000 parents and children receive nutritious foods while educating them on proper nutrition and child development needs. In addition, they supported 700,000 people to improve hygiene practices and protected 380,000 children from sex trafficking and child labor. Furthermore, they assisted 280,000 youth in attending school and educational programs while providing job training to 120,000 young adults. 

You can donate to ChildFund India on their website. You can also get involved by donating useful products or volunteering at one of their fundraising events.

India Development and Relief Fund: Putting Power in the Hands of the Poor

The India Development and Relief Fund has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Our approach puts power, not charity, in the hands of the poor. We believe every person has the right to survive and prosper with dignity and independence.”

India Development and Relief Fund

The India Development and Relief Fund helps conserve Indian biodiversity and advance renewable energy to combat the effects of climate change. They also provide clean water, electricity, and sanitation to marginalized populations. In addition, their treatment centers and mobile medical clinics connect rural areas and slums with affordable, vital healthcare. Furthermore, they provide disaster relief through long-term rehabilitation and sustainable development programs. They also run support groups for women and connect them with micro-credits to enhance their livelihood while building schools and curriculums for vulnerable children. 

Since their inception, the India Development and Relief Fund has invested $48 million to improve Indians’ health, education, and livelihoods by working with 80 grassroots NGOs from 21 Indian states. For instance, in 2023, they built 100 clean water systems that benefitted over 55,000 people and provided safe drinking water to 4,000 villages. The same year, they helped plant 20,000 trees and harvested 1 million gallons of water for 150 at-risk farmers. In addition, they taught foundational literacy and numeracy to 40,000 children from 5,300 schools and connected 20,500 women with empowering services to boost their independence.

You can donate to the India Development and Relief Fund on their website. You can also get involved by organizing a fundraiser or becoming a volunteer. 

Smile Foundation: Enabling Livelihoods Through Real Work and Real Change

The Smile Foundation holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar India. 

“Our main focus is to work on the ground to bring positive changes in the lives of the disadvantaged while sensitizing the privileged masses towards their social responsibility.”

Smile Foundation

The Smile Foundation implements quality education in schools while creating an environment that supports further education, like empowering children’s parents to stay healthy and educating teachers. For example, they improve healthcare by running mobile healthcare units and building clinics and health camps. In addition, they empower Indian women to take charge of their reproductive health, become financially literate, and develop business endeavors to become community leaders of change. They also provide vocational and technical training to increase youth employability with topics like English learning, digital marketing, and retail management, thus improving their livelihoods. 

Today, the Smile Foundation reaches over 1.5 million people from 2,000 villages in 27 Indian states by running 400 projects for individual and community development. Moreover, since their founding, they have provided 2 million people with quality and affordable healthcare to help them thrive while giving extensive education to 300,000 underserved children. In addition, they have empowered 700,000 women and girls by increasing their life skills and financial independence. Also, they trained 65,000 youth to boost their career prospects and placed 45,000 of them in jobs nationwide. 

You can donate to the Smile Foundation on their website. You can also get involved by partnering your business with them or by joining an internship or volunteering opportunity.

Child Rights and You: Addressing Our Children’s Most Critical Needs

Child Rights and You has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“This problem before us is a mammoth one. But one that can be solved within our lifetimes. We’re committed to doing everything we can to ensure the rights of India’s children.”

Child Rights and You

Child Rights and You supports marginalized youth to enroll in schools and runs awareness campaigns to emphasize the importance of education. In addition, they work with the government to influence systemic education policies. They also advance suitable nutrition and quality healthcare to help children grow and develop properly. In addition, they fight to end child labor by connecting parents with job opportunities and organizing rallies. Moreover, they fight child trafficking by rescuing victims and providing rehabilitation services. Also, they serve disadvantaged girls with a girl-centered education and protection against child marriage. 

Since their founding, Child Rights and You has reached 4.7 million children from 19 Indian states and collaborated with 102 grassroots charities nationwide. For example, in 2023, they impacted over 1.3 million Indian youth and supported 97% of them to continue their education and increase their employability. In the same year, they protected over 95% of the children from child marriage and child labor to ensure they can stay in school and remain healthy. In addition, they launched a social campaign to stop menstrual shame in girls by running 85 awareness sessions in 21 schools which served 25,000 Indian girls. 

You can donate to Child Rights and You on their website. You can also contribute by participating in one of their volunteering programs and internships or by becoming a corporate partner.

HelpAge India: Fighting Elder Isolation, Poverty, and Neglect

HelpAge India holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar India. 

“We envision a society where the elderly have the right to an active, healthy, and dignified life.”

HelpAge India

HelpAge India provides mobile healthcare units in urban slums and villages to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of vulnerable seniors. They also fund cataract surgeries and cancer treatments for underserved elders to improve their life quality. In addition, they run Old Age Homes for destitute elders or those uprooted by disasters, and offer self-help groups to help seniors with sustainable methods to generate income. Moreover, their physiotherapy treatments serve seniors suffering from chronic pain while their digital literacy lessons boost social independence. Furthermore, they work with Senior Citizens Associations to advance just elder policies nationwide. 

Since their founding, HelpAge India has created 152 mobile healthcare units that provided 3 million treatments in 1,920 communities from 22 states. They have also invested in 99,000 cancer treatments and 35,000 cataract surgeries for disadvantaged seniors while building 300 Old Age Homes. In addition, they have given 148,000 physiotherapy sessions in 15 states and organized 7,500 self-help groups to help 96,000 Indian elders achieve financial independence. Moreover, their digital literacy training equipped 50,000 elders with the skills to safely benefit from the online world. 

You can donate to HelpAge India on their website. You can also contribute by buying their HelpAge Greeting Cards or by following their Twitter / X and Instagram profiles. 

Railway Children India: No Child Lost to the Streets

According to their financial report, Railway Children India spent 96% of their total income on charitable activities and 4% on other expenses. 

“We believe in a world where no child ever has to live on the streets. It takes a village to raise a child, and a community to protect it.”

Railway Children India

Railway Children India works with parents, local authorities, passengers, and the public transport community through workshops and events to support alone, abandoned children in railway stations and bus stops nationwide. In addition, they offer direct support to children in crisis across railway stations by providing groceries, mental health support, and educational services to ensure they reunite with their families. For this, they also work to strengthen family relationships to prevent separation and keep children in secure environments. Furthermore, they work with Indian Railways and children protection systems to improve child protection policies and fight systems of oppression that make children destitute. 

Since their founding, Railway Children India has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children at risk of becoming homeless. In addition, they have educated 300,000 public transport passengers and 42,000 railway stakeholders on the topic of child rights and protection to help them be active participants in safeguarding abandoned children when encountering them. In this way, they rescued 24,000 underserved children from 11 railway and bus terminals across 3 Indian states. As a result, they have reunited 22,000 children with their families and referred 600 youth to long-term care homes. 

You can donate to Railway Children India on their website. You can also support them by applying for a job or sharing their awareness materials online. 

India Transformed!: Education for Today. Hope for Tomorrow. Faith for Eternity.

India Transformed! has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“By sharing knowledge, our programs educate and train people to discover their potential and have faith for a hopeful future.”

India Transformed!

India Transformed! serves Indian children by providing nutritious meals, clothing, and a community where they can build self-confidence by participating in sports, dance lessons, and other social activities. They also run private schools to help children pursue an education and break their families’ cycle of poverty. In addition, they support vulnerable women with literacy classes, job training, and fellowship to advance their financial and social independence. Moreover, they help entire communities develop solutions and businesses to meet local needs while giving them humanitarian aid when disasters strike.

Since their founding, India Transformed! has impacted over 12 million Indians through life-changing programs. For example, they have cared for more than 8,000 at-risk children across 10 Child Care Centers by improving life skills and healthcare. Also, their private schools have educated 4,000 students to advance their careers. In addition, they trained 1,800 women to become self-sufficient wage earners. What’s more, they established 1,700 Community Transformation Centers to provide programs that build life skills, teach entrepreneurial classes, and deliver disaster relief. 

You can donate to India Transformed! on their website. You can also contribute by hosting diverse fundraising events or making a Virtual Vision Trip to India to meet people whose lives have been impacted.

Save A Family Plan: Committed to Poverty Reduction in India

Save A Family Plan has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. 

“We help build strong, self-sufficient, empowered families and communities to reduce poverty and create a sustainable economy.”

Save A Family Plan

Save A Family Plan partners with each family they serve for 6 years to help them meet basic needs and increase self-reliance and financial independence. They do this by training them to start a small business and build up financial resources. In addition, the charity educates the families on topics such as nutrition, maternal health, proper waste disposal, and human rights, while providing medical assistance and covering education fees for their children. They also create groups of support in poor communities and encourage them to participate in local governments to advance large-scale development and social change. 

Since their founding, Save A Family Plan has supported over 50,000 Indian families to become financially and socially self-reliant. For example, in 2023, they partnered with 40 local nonprofits to support 9,300 families from 6 states in their six-year journey to independence. In the same year, they helped partnering families start 3,500 small businesses and installed 1,500 clean water units to advance villagers’ health. In addition, they helped overcome poverty-related issues by constructing 638 sanitary toilets and building 33 houses for underserved families. 

You can donate to Save A Family Plan on their website. You can also support them by becoming an ambassador for their causes in your local area or making employer-matching donations. 

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities impacting India. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarize yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the website of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. Charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to impacting India—based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

Sources

• Opportunity International: India Facts About Poverty
• CNN: Seeing the new India through the eyes of an invisible woman
• CRY America: About Us
• Statistica: Healthcare infrastructure India 2022, by indicator
• The American India Foundation: home page
• Charity Navigator: The American India Foundation
• GuideStar: The American India Foundation
• The American India Foundation: MANSI – Maternal And Newborn Survival Initiative
• The American India Foundation: digital equalizer
• The American India Foundation: preparing India’s future
• The American India Foundation: Learning and Migration Program (LAMP)
• The American India Foundation: MAST – Market Aligned Skills Training
• The American India Foundation: Impacting Lives by Creating Sustainable Livelihoods
• The American India Foundation: our history
• The American India Foundation: annual report 2022-2023
• The American India Foundation: donate
• The American India Foundation: India mission trip
• The American India Foundation: explore our chapters
• ChildFund India: home page
• ChildFund India: financial report
• ChildFund India: health
• ChildFund India: education
• ChildFund India: livelihoods
• ChildFund India: Innovative Financing Models
• ChildFund India: child protection
• ChildFund India: disaster risk management
• ChildFund India: our impact
• ChildFund India: annual report 2023
• ChildFund India: donate
• ChildFund India: get involved
• India Development and Relief Fund: home page
• Charity Navigator: India Development and Relief Fund
• GuideStar: India Development and Relief Fund
• India Development and Relief Fund: environmental sustainability
• India Development and Relief Fund: health
• India Development and Relief Fund: disaster relief and rehabilitation
• India Development and Relief Fund: women’s empowerment
• India Development and Relief Fund: Economic Rural Development Society (ERDS)
• India Development and Relief Fund: education and skill development
• India Development and Relief Fund: Computer Shiksha
• India Development and Relief Fund: 2023 annual report
• India Development and Relief Fund: donate
• India Development and Relief Fund: organize a fundraiser
• India Development and Relief Fund: volunteer and fundraising
• The Smile Foundation: home page
• GuideStar India: The Smile Foundation
• The Smile Foundation: education programs
• The Smile Foundation: healthcare programs
• The Smile Foundation: livelihood program
• The Smile Foundation: women’s empowerment program
• The Smile Foundation: our story and work
• The Smile Foundation: presence and reach
• The Smile Foundation: our impact
• The Smile Foundation: 2023 impact report
• The Smile Foundation: donate
• The Smile Foundation: corporate social responsibility
• The Smile Foundation: volunteering and internship
• Child Rights and You: home page
• Charity Navigator: Child Rights and You
• GuideStar: Child Rights and You
• Child Rights and You: why children
• Child Rights and You: children’s education
• Child Rights and You: child health and nutrition
• Child Rights and You: child labor prevention
• Child Rights and You: child trafficking
• Child Rights and You: girls’ education
• Child Rights and You: child marriage prevention
• Child Rights and You: our impact
• Child Rights and You: about CRY
• Child Rights and You: 2023 annual report
• Child Rights and You: donate
• Child Rights and You: become our volunteer
• Child Rights and You: corporate partnerships
• HelpAge India: home page
• GuideStar India: HelpAge India
• HelpAge India: mobile healthcare
• HelpAge India: cataract surgeries
• HelpAge India: cancer care
• HelpAge India: old age homes
• HelpAge India: livelihood support
• HelpAge India: physiotherapy support
• HelpAge India: digital literacy and safety
• HelpAge India: working with Senior Citizens Associations
• HelpAge India: impacting elder policies nationwide
• HelpAge India: our annual report 2022-2023
• HelpAge India: donate
• HelpAge India: Buy HelpAge Greeting Cards
• HelpAge India: Twitter / X profile
• HelpAge India: Instagram
• Railway Children India: home page
• Railway Children India: financial report
• Railway Children India: Empowering communities and families to protect children
• Railway Children India: Making transport hubs safer for children
• Railway Children India: Strengthening child safeguarding systems
• Railway Children India: Strengthening child protection systems and policies
• Railway Children India: Strengthening the evidence base
• Railway Children India: what we do
• Railway Children India: our impact
• Railway Children India: annual reports
• Railway Children India: donate
• Railway Children India: work with us
• Railway Children India: spread the word
• India Transformed!: home page
• Charity Navigator: India Transformed!
• GuideStar: India Transformed!
• India Transformed!: child development centers
• India Transformed!: private school education
• India Transformed!: Women’s ARISE! Program
• India Transformed!: community transformation
• India Transformed!: humanitarian relief
• India Transformed!: our impact
• India Transformed!: donate
• India Transformed!: host an event
• India Transformed!: virtual vision trips
• Save A Family Plan: home page
• Charity Navigator: Save A Family Plan
• Save A Family Plan: our programs
• Save A Family Plan: family development in India
• Save A Family Plan: how it works
• Save A Family Plan: community development
• Save A Family Plan: our programs for families
• Save A Family Plan: about us
• Save A Family Plan: fiscal year 2022-2023
• Save A Family Plan: donate
• Save A Family Plan: how you can help