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Knowns and Unknowns

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Some of the largest U.S. nonprofit organizations focused on India and overseas Indians operate in virtual obscurity, a Little India analysis of the revenues and assets of nearly 2,000 Indian nonprofits has found.

Gospel for Asia and Mission India, which promote Christianity in India, with $58 million and $11 million in revenues respectively in 2008 are the largest nonprofits focused on India. They are followed by the far better known Pratham ($10 million) and the American India Foundation ($10 million). But the fifth largest Indian foundation by revenues, the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation ($9.6 million), which provides interest free loans to college students in Texas, remains virtually unknown to most Indian Americans.

The Little India investigation identified 49 Indian nonprofits with annual revenues exceeding $1 million, ranging from the well known Seva Foundation ($4 million), Asha for Education $3.3 million), Sankara Eye Foundation ($3 million) and Share and Care Foundation ($2.2 million) to such virtual unknowns as Bodhgaya Religious Trust ($4 million), Dakshana Foundation ($2.6 million), The Prem Rawat Foundation ($2.4 million), the Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team ($2 million), etc.
 

With almost $21 million in assets, the India Community Center of Milpitas, Calif., is by far the largest Indian nonprofit by assets. It is followed by the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation ($16 million), Gospel for Asia ($13 million), Indian Muslim Relief And Charities ($13 million), Pratham USA $11 million), Art of Living Foundation ($10 million) and the American India Foundation ($9 million). In all 61 Indian nonprofits and foundations had assets in excess on $1 million.





  Largest Indian Foundations by Revenues  
 
Organization
Revenues
1 Gospel for Asia, Carrollton TX $58,404,573
2 Mission India, Grand Rapids MI $11,620,648
3 Pratham USA, Houston TX $10,038,984
4 American India Foundation, New York NY $9,967,646
5 Bhupat And Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation, Houston TX $9,616,923
6 Art Of Living Foundation, Santa Barbara CA $6,698,588
7 Himalayan Cataract Project, Waterbury VT $5,066,811
8 India Community Center, Milpitas CA $4,848,613
9 Iit Bombay Heritage Fund, Cupertino CA $4,309,085
10 South Asia International Educational Services Foundation, Preton NJ $4,273,082
11 Seva Foundation, Berkeley CA $4,175,929
12 India Gospel League, North America, Hudson OH $4,161,945
13 Bodhgaya Religious, Berkeley CA $4,051,360
14 Telugu Association Of North America, Houston TX $3,543,996
15 Indian Muslim Relief And Charities, Palo Alto CA $3,366,865
16 Ekal Vidyalay Foundation Of Usa, Houston TX $3,365,900
17 Asha For Education, New York NY $3,309,197
18 Ved Vignan Mahavidyapeeth, San Antonio TX $3,282,210
19 BAPS Charities, Piscataway NJ $3,123,854
20 Sankara Eye Foundation USA, Milpitas CA $2,925,435
21 Isha Foundation, Mcminnville TN $2,900,266
22 Nithyananda Foundation, Fremont CA $2,693,322
23 Dakshana Foundation, Irvine CA $2,574,721
24 The Prem Rawat Foundation, Los Angeles CA $2,441,746
25 American Association Of Physicians From India, Oak Brook IL $2,234,160
26 Share And Care Foundation For India, Paramus NJ $2,229,051
27 Visiontrust International , Colorado Springs CO $2,160,902
28 Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team, Rockville MD $2,126,936
29 Akshaya Patra Foundation USA, Stoneham MA $2,120,163
30 India National Inland Mission, Forest VA $1,967,595
31 Amrita International Medical Services Project, Castro Valley CA $1,927,630
32 KW International, Mukilteo WA $1,821,075
33 American Telugu Association, Naperville IL $1,683,303
34 Reaching Indians Ministries International, Round Lake Beach IL $1,677,699
35 India House, Houston TX $1,614,102
36 Friends Of The Indian School Of Business Foundation, New York NY $1,436,502
37 IIT Madras Alumni Association Of North America, Houston TX $1,422,059
38 India Cultural Association, Grayslake IL $1,358,923
39 India Development And Relief Fund, N Bethesda MD $1,313,304
40 India Gospel Outreach, Rch Cucamonga CA $1,278,428
41 Indian American Foundation, New York NY $1,214,609
42 Advaita Society Sri Rama Foundation, Santa Cruz CA $1,196,130
43 South Asian Youth Action Saya, Elmhurst NY $1,160,106
44 All India Movement Aim For Seva, Saylorsburg PA $1,138,909
45 American Service To India Medical & Edu.  Foundation, Costa Mesa  CA $1,132,878
46 Association For Indias Development, College Park MD $1,116,419
47 Friends Of The India Christian Ministries, Dana Point CA $1,075,514
48 American Council Of Asian Christian Academy Of India, Austin  TX $1,067,031
49 Calcutta Mercy Ministries, Salt Lake Cty UT $1,029,037
Source: Guidestar. Only organizations with $1 million in revenues in 2007 or 2008 whose predominant focus is on India or Indian Americans are included.
     
     
     
  Largest Indian Foundations by Assets  
 

Organization

Assets

1 India Community Center, Milpitas CA $20,807,765
2 Bhupat And Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation, Houston TX $16,051,517
3 Gospel for Asia, Carrollton TX $13,049,488

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Amit Joshi November 3, 2009 at 12:01 PM
It is surprising that Gospel for Asia, World Vision, Gospel Fellowship Trust, and Plan India are not on the list. Certainly Gospel for Asia would qualify for inclusion on the list under the criteria of an organization which is predominantly focused on India. According to data released by the Government of India, Gospel for Asia contributed approximately $50 million in 2006 alone.

Editor\'s Note: World Vision ($1.5 billion in 2007 revenues) and Gospel Fellowship Trust are excluded from the list because their predominant focus is not India or overseas Indians. Plan India is excluded because it is not a U.S.-based charity. Gospel for Asia does not report its financial data publicly and was therefore not in the original list. Little India requested and Gospel for Asia provided its financial statements and as a result the information has been updated to include the organization.
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NRI | Magazine | November 2009

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