FAQs

 

  • To help catalyze the empowerment of India's underprivileged and marginalized communities.

  • To realize India's founding vision of sustainable self-governance through systemic transformation.

  • IFA’s philosophy is one that has evolved consistently since our inception in 1993. Currently, our philosophy is encapsulated by the acronym EMPOWER.

    Enable self-sufficiency among underprivileged and marginalized communities

    Magnify the impact of contributions by leveraging and building awareness of existing support systems

    Promote an attitude of service as its own reward

    Overcome systemic barriers to a sustainable livelihood

    Weave a fabric of unity from the diverse cultures of India

    Encourage active community participation in bringing about systemic change

    Raise awareness about inequities across India

  • Beliefs

    • Inclusive and voluntary involvement. Compel none and invite all

    • Assist and cooperate towards self sufficiency, not charity or dependency

    • Build bridges by seeking participation rather than mere monetary contributions

    • Aim for the lowest possible overhead with most working expenses voluntarily borne by the members

    Values

    • High personal involvement

    • Frugality

    • Collective effort with emphasis on service

    • Democracy in thought, consensus in action

  • IFA addresses root causes without ignoring symptoms.

    • Most charities offer much needed immediate relief while IFA’s focus is on long term issues and root causes

    • IFA emphasizes “path to self-sufficiency”, a key evaluation factor in all IFA funding decisions

    • IFA supports both “projects” and “fellowships”

    • IFA Projects have modest and tangible objectives, over a short time frame, in a relatively local context. They are awarded to organizations that would create a model action plan that can be replicated elsewhere.

    • Fellowships have more potential to effect widespread changes due to emphasis on diverse social and economic reforms. They are awarded to individuals with outstanding record of active on-the-ground engagement with the masses.

    IFA is community-based, and an all-voluntary organization.

  • Yes! Anyone can and is welcome to attend IFA meetings as a guest without the pressure of expectation or immediate commitment.

  • We encourage everyone to attend our meetings and engage in volunteer activities to realize the degree of our transparency. Please contact us at info.indiafriendsassociation@gmail.com for any specific question about IFA and we will be happy to answer them.

  • Yes, we do have partner organizations for particular matters. With that, we reserve the right to have independent opinions on matters beyond the scope of the partnership. Although we network with several organizations across India and locally for individual issues, causes, movements and projects, we are not part of any contract-based relationships.

  • IFA fellows are essentially foot-soldiers undertaking grassroots action in geographically remote or economically impoverished communities of India. Typically, they are first recommended by senior activists in India who know of the candidate’s work. The matter is then debated in IFA meetings before decisions are made with the guidance of our charter.

  • Absolutely. In fact, most of our members work part-time.

    You can get regular updates by visiting IFA's website here at www.indiafriendsassociation.org. You can also share your email address and ask questions through the Contact Us page on our website for regular communication and updates from IFA.

  • The best way to contact us is via email at info.indiafriendsassociation@gmail.com. You may do this from your email platform itself, or you may use the form on our website under the Contact Us tab.

  • If you are interested in participating in our next Archana, please contact us directly at info.indiafriendsassociation@gmail.com or use the Contact Us tab on the website for further details. We thank you for your time and welcome your participation!

  • Barring unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID pandemic, IFA members go to India multiple times each year to meet various grassroots leaders. Through this network, they are able to identify areas of need and select its fellows and projects. Fellowships and projects are evaluated using the IFA Charter to determine if they meet the foundational requirements for IFA support. We highly encourage those who are interested in learning more to join us in IFA meetings (for further details on how to do so, please send us a message via the Contact Us tab).

  • IFA was started in 1993 by a group of Indian Americans in Southern California following the Latur earthquake.

  • India Friends Association is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established in 1993 to empower India’s underprivileged and marginalized communities.