Throughout the year, generous donors make miracles for children in their own way and this time, it was Shaaista and her husband Muffadal who, with their donation made a HUGE difference. This young couple had clear goals as donors and wanted to make a ‘real impact’ through their contribution. Our team helped them identify the right program to invest their money in. When we asked Shaaista to share her thoughts on giving to Miracle Foundation India, here’s what the conversation looked like…
a) When did you first hear about Miracle Foundation India?
“I heard of Miracle Foundation India early this year through my husband who had connected with them about a year ago, while he was researching a number of NGOs in India for one of his projects. He had interacted with Snigdha and Nivedita then and was very impressed with their projects and initiatives in India.”
b) How has your journey with Miracle Foundation India been?
“We have just started our journey. These are early days but I can certainly mention that I am impressed with the degree of involvement Snighdha has demonstrated with us right from day one. She helped us to identify the right project to invest in and has been incredibly open and forthcoming regarding all our questions and queries. Communication has always been prompt and clear, which instills a huge degree of confidence in us as donors.”
c) What motivated you to give to us?
“I would say there were multiple factors at play here. They type of project- My husband and I were clear in goals as donors. We were looking for a project where our contribution could make a real impact (and not just an incremental impact). The team helped us identify a project in the deep interiors of Maharashtra in a very underprivileged home. This was a good opportunity for us to associate and we chose this project
Transparent setup – Since my husband has had access to how organizations in this space operate, he was well aware of the malpractices, misuse of donor money and even money laundering in some cases. We wanted to partner with an organization that was professional and transparent. Our decision was also influenced by the fact that Miracle has invested in the right tools like the thrive scale and technologies like Salesforce to present a clearer picture of their work and impact to donors looking to give through them.
Ease of working with them – I have not met Snigdha personally but have extensively been in contact with her through phone and email. It was very convenient to make our contribution as the process was not at all complex or inconvenient to us.”
d) What do children mean to you?
“As clichéd as it may sound, every child just like my own child deserves to have his/her basic needs and rights met. Unfortunately, a large population of children in our country does not have access to even the basics. While we have had a privileged upbringing and we are able to do the same for our own kid, by being invested in these underprivileged children, we are doing our bit to help them come closer to their basic needs.”
e) What do you envision for these children that you support?
“Love, care, nourishment, education, direction and the opportunity to thrive in abundance – the same as we would for our own children.”
f) What would you like to give to other donors or people who are looking to donate?
“For donors and people looking to give – I would first find your motivation to give so that you are able to sustain your interest in giving. Find a cause which is close to your heart and then take a longer-term view on staying invested… Think of it like how you stay invested in mutual funds of financial instruments. It takes 5-7 years to see substantial returns and create wealth. The same principle applies to effective giving – you should stay invested for 5-7 years at least to see the impact of your giving.
The other misconception people have is that philanthropy is only for the rich and affluent. Even a little money given periodically to the right NGO partner goes a long way to make a real impact. It is also a good idea to get to know your fellow donors and the projects they are involved in. By doing this you can pool resources to create greater impact instead of donating independently in silos.”
Wow. just plain simple wow.
We’re so thankful to donors like Shaista and her husband. This makes us feel so proud of the work we do and the difference we make in the lives of children. We know that if each individual started thinking and believing in bringing about a change, then all the suffering can be taken away in one generation.
It takes a little courage and openness to make this change. If you feel you have it in you, then join the movement with us.
