Seva Mandir depends on the generosity of its donors, individual, corporate and institutional, to fund the work we undertake. 

The need for a central fund

Over the decades, some donors have contributed not to individual programmes or projects, but to Seva Mandir’s central fund. Whilst all donations are greatly appreciated, these unrestricted donations are essential, as they allow us the flexibility to test and develop interventions until they become mature enough to be suitable for project-based funding, and also to meet emergency needs (such as a drought or storm damage to a school, which need urgent action).

The bedrock of all our work is the Community Institutions programme (see Sustainable Development), the success of which ensures the sustainability of all our work in the rural areas. Social change is not brought about simply by development interventions, but by building relationships of trust and solidarity. This takes time and the continuous involvement of our staff. This work, whilst essential, is less likely to attract funding than specific projects (for example, supporting afforestation or clean drinking water), so it requires investment from our central fund.

The central fund also allows us to fill gaps and maintain project continuity when dedicated donor funding comes to an end (for example, after one or several years) and replacement funding continues to be sought. Notable examples of such projects are the hospital at Kojawara (see Combating Malnutrition), the Women’s Shelter (see Women in Distress), and indeed our schools and teams of Balsakhis, which all fulfil vital needs in the communities they serve, but which currently depend, in whole or part, on our central fund.  

Non-financial support

Whilst financial support is vital and much appreciated, we also welcome other forms of support for our activities.

Individuals and corporates will have experience and expertise which they can share with us and members of our team to improve our skills and increase our knowledge.  Similarly, technical support for our IT and other systems is invaluable.  We also welcome the collaboration which we enjoy with academic and other research institutions in evaluating our work and deepening our understanding of the challenges faced by the communities with which we work, and of the solutions which may be available to address them.

Whether you are an individual, a corporation or institution, we would welcome a discussion with you of the different ways in which you may be able to support our objectives and activities for the greater benefit of the people and communities we serve.

Please contact: rmu@sevamandir.org

Thank you.