We have several NGOs who are trying to make it easy for poor people to live and get educated but there is tremendous scope for improvement.
Almost every religion gives importance to giving charity to help poor people / relatives / neighbors. Most of us give charity but it is a common observation that it is not enough to make significant difference to the life of those living in big cities or villages below poverty line.
If we give charity to NGOs like CRY . Help Age India etc then we can claim tax rebate. This means if I pay 100 Rs then I can save upto 30 Rs in taxes. But I find a problem with this system. Why would I give donation to CRY when I know poor people living in my neighborhood? In my very own family? Most of the time people prefer to give charity to those whom they know. But then all such donations don't give us benefit of tax rebate.
I am thinking of forming an organization which will accept donation from people and ask them whom they want to be their beneficiaries and then pay the amount to them. For example I give 500 INR for studies to Raghu son of my maid. Instead of giving 500 directly to Raghu I will give it to this NGO which in turn will give it to Raghu. I will be given a receipt which I will use while filing tax returns and get tax savings.
This will ensure that every one giving charity is also getting benefited by saving on taxes. Now it is upto me how I want to use the tax savings ; to use it for myself or give it away again for charity.
There are several people around us who need money for education / marriages / healthcare and other important things. We must reach out to them and help them out and try to make it easy for them to survive and find opportunities to improve their lives.
We can get together and then for a group for teacher's welfare. Teachers who teach at government or semi government primary and high schools who are retired now and living it difficult to live on their pension. Not all of them may need us but still.
We can form groups to help people cope with rising healthcare cost. Any amount given for such causes can be routed through this NGO which in turn will hand over the money to the needy.
Every now and then we keep getting emails / calls etc to help poor for education / marriage / medicare etc and we regret our inadequacy to help each one of them. If we get a bit organized then we can make significant difference.
I don't think forming an NGO is going to be a herculian task. But at the same time it won't be possible without co-operation and consensus and trust.
If anyone is interested or knows how to go about it or already doing something similar then kindly let me know.
