How Do I Create a Detailed Plan to Make Our Charity Foundation Shine and Help the Needy?

We are running a foundation, and my boss wants me to work on it. However, I have no idea what suggestions I can offer regarding the operation of a foundation. He is asking how we can make our foundation shine and how we can help the needy. I have suggested some ways, but he wants everything in a proper format, where each idea must be well-planned, including how it will be implemented, what needs to be followed for that idea, how many employees are required for the implementation of any plan, etc. Could you please guide me on how to create a proper plan?

Creating an Action Plan for Your Foundation

I believe you should sit down with your boss and make an action plan. Let's assume that your organization is working for "women empowerment." Just assuming, okay?

• Identify which areas you would like to work in. Obviously, you would want to know the geographical areas where women are underprivileged and deprived. Rajasthan and Bihar, for instance?

• I'm not clear if yours is a foundation or NGO. You need to decide whether you will intervene directly or through project partners. Look at your total funds, see how much money is there at your disposal in programs and operations.

• Depending on how much budget is allocated and if you are working directly or with the help of local NGO partners, you need to do a baseline survey, i.e., identify the villages where help is required. This would involve extensive research—refer to surveys done by the Government, find out people's entitlements and rights, help them in connecting to banks, MGNREGA, give training on gender sensitization, nutrition, etc.

There is a lot to be done. Just open your eyes, look around! I'm sure you will find a lot of information.

Regards,
Vineeta

Hi Vineeta, thanks for guiding me, but the problem is that my boss is not giving any ideas. I just went to him yesterday to discuss what to do; he just replied, "This is your job to think about how to invest the funds of our foundation and how to get returns on funds invested." He wants to invest around 20-25 lakhs. I am not sure what the plan should be; he just gave the idea that scholarships or some educational training programs could be beneficial, that's it. But he wants me to implement it properly; which students would be given scholarships, what other things I need to consider, etc. He is not providing that kind of guidance.

Please guide me.

The details provided by you are very much inadequate.

Foundation Structure and Governance

1. Is it a registered trust devoted to serving the general public or community, or is it a minority organization/HUF?

2. Before posing your problems, you should study your Charter of the Foundation from which you would derive some idea. This is very necessary because your activities cannot deviate from the Aims & Scope of your Foundation.

3. I presume your Foundation should have a Governing Council, Board of Trustees, or Committee. What happened to them? I think you cannot plan certain activities on your own without their directions, guidance, and approval. Therefore, why don't you try to convene a meeting with them and discuss what to do and what not to do?

4. I cannot presume the Foundation is aimed at charities as you people are discussing 'investing your funds' or so. You have to attach an Aims & Scope clause first for us to apply our minds to that.

Legal and Financial Considerations

5. Is the Foundation registered with the IT Department? Has it got an exemption under sec. 80G/GG?

6. Go through what your Foundation was doing in the past and what you derived from those activities.

Educational Initiatives and Budgeting

7. If your bosses wish to aid higher education, there are many avenues. Is it that your activities are restricted only to your places and higher/professional education?

8. Is the budget of Rs. 20-25 L indicated per annum or at this point in time? Do you have corpus funds to replenish your fund flow regularly?

9. It appears that these funds/aid should be ensured they are returned to the Foundation, which means the funds are lent to the identified as refundable loans, and so on.

Visualize systematically, keeping in mind the clauses provided in the Trust Deed.

Dear Sir,
As I mentioned, I am a fresher, hence the terms you used in your reply are beyond my knowledge. My problem is to plan something to help people through our foundation. It's just a project where management wants to invest 15-20 lakhs one time, provided that the project must also have some gains in returns. For instance, if we start an educational course for the needy for free, they might work for our organization. What could be such plans where society could benefit, and the foundation can keep getting returns for further helping the needy?

Regards,
Panki Sharma

Or you can share your views at [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

The ultimate aim of your foundation is appreciable. However, I am not sure about the nature of operations of your foundation. For now, I suggest setting up vocational courses with sufficient labs, tools, and proper tutors in a computerized environment to educate deserving students freely. You can establish your own criteria for identifying the beneficiaries. I am also unsure about how many trained students your organization can accommodate and for how long. Perhaps you could simultaneously establish a few business ventures where you can accommodate them and, coincidentally, earn revenue that can be reinvested into your foundation.

There is always a shortage of trained personnel in the service sector, such as plumbing, electrical work, AC/refrigeration, automobile maintenance, courier services, garbage clearing/recycling, and processed drinking water supply, among others. If needed, there are plenty of project reports available online that can guide you. Wishing you all the best. If you require personalized emails on this topic, please provide your email ID so that friends can respond directly.

Kind regards,
[Your Name]

Can anyone tell me what exactly should be the project? I mean, which section should I choose for our foundation's work?