Donations

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) of India in its current form makes it "very difficult" for NGOs to receive donations from people around the world, a senior Democratic lawmaker has said. "India has a law called the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act that was amended in 2010 and has been amended again in 2020 that makes it very difficult for NGOs operating in India to receive donations from people around the world," US Senator Time Kaine said during a Congressional hearing on 'Anti-NGO Laws and Other Tools of Democratic Repression' organised by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "Organisations like Amnesty International and others have had to dramatically limit or shutter operations in India because they do rely on fundraising," Kaine said. "But India has chosen through this act to significantly restrict the ability of organisations to operate and receive foreign funding. The law allows the freezing of bank accounts investigations, among others," he said. He said

A charity working with homeless people in Auckland, New Zealand unknowingly distributed candies filled with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine in its food parcels after the sweets were donated by a member of the public. Auckland City Mission told reporters on Wednesday that staff had started to contact up to 400 people to track down parcels that could contain the sweets -- which were solid blocks of methamphetamine enclosed in candy wrappers. New Zealand's police have opened a criminal investigation. The amount of methamphetamine in each candy was up to 300 times the level someone would usually take and could be lethal, according to the New Zealand Drug Foundation -- a drug checking and policy organisation, which first tested the candies. Ben Birks Ang, a Foundation spokesperson, said disguising drugs as innocuous goods was a common cross-border smuggling technique and more of the candies might have been distributed throughout New Zealand. The sweets had a high street val

Retain Form 10BE and related documents for at least four years to validate Section 80G claims

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi contributed Rs 2,000 to the BJP's campaign to strengthen efforts to build a 'Viksit Bharat', several BJP leaders including Union ministers on Monday contributed to the party fund. Those who contributed on Monday to the BJP fund ahead of the Lok Sabha polls included Union ministers Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar, and Smriti Irani. Singh contributed Rs 2,000 to the BJP fund and shared its receipt on X, appealing to people to donate for nation building. With a resolve to make India a developed country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has started a campaign to bring every countryman together. The role of individuals is important in making this campaign successful, the defence minister said. I have contributed to join this resolve of the BJP. You also contribute to this and become a participant in this campaign of nation building. I appeal to everyone to be a part of #DonationForNationBuilding through the NaMo App, Singh

Donation surge witnessed with Rs 8 crore in cash and Rs 3.5 crore via cheque and online contributions

Helping charitable institutions recognised by the government, scientific institutions and even political parties can earn deductions

This week we tell you how making charitable donations can help in your taxes and the health effects of room heaters

More than 2.5 lakh devotees paid obeisance at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday while donations totalling Rs 3.17 crore were recorded on the first day after the consecration ceremony, officials said. Amid the huge rush of devotees, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with officials in Lucknow to review the steps taken for crowd management and advised VIPs planning to visit the temple to inform the authorities in advance. In a press statement issued by the state government, District Magistrate Nitish Kumar said more than 2.5 lakh devotees visited the temple till 10 pm on Wednesday, the second day after the consecration ceremony. More than 5 lakh people had visited the temple on the first day, posing a challenge to the authorities. Devotees made donations totalling Rs 3.17 crore in a day on 10 counters opened after the consecration ceremony and through the online mode, Anil Mishra, trustee of Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said. In the wake of the overwhelming .

Airbnb on Tuesday donated a total of USD 10 million to more than 120 non-profits in 44 countries on six continents, the short-term rental giant's latest outlays in its unusual distribution of USD 100 million through its Airbnb Community Fund. The grantees include Digify Africa, which helps young people join Africa's digital economy, the Japanese Service Dog Resource Centre, and the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. All the groups receiving funds were selected, not by Airbnb or its employees, but by the hosts who rent out their properties on the platform. While many corporations are shifting more of their philanthropy decisions from corporate suite executives to employees by matching their donations, few have gone as far as Airbnb which has, at times, faced criticism for its effect on housing markets and tourist destinations in turning over control of funds to outside groups. Airbnb has a 21st century company view, said Janaye Ingram, Airbnb's director of community partner programs and

Earlier in December, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched the crowdfunding campaign 'Donate for Desh' for the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

TVS Motor Company on Saturday said it has donated Rs 3 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to aid relief work in the wake of flooding and damage caused by cyclone Michaung in Tamil Nadu. The money will be used to provide necessary flood relief and support for the communities that have been badly affected by the cyclone, the company said in a statement. "The floods have unleashed severe hardship on the community, and we would like to do our part to support the community," TVS Motor Co Managing Director Sudarshan Venu said. The company said it will also offer additional service support for its customers in the flood-hit districts of Tamil Nadu.

A recent spate of donation appeals from Wikipedia, directed at its Indian users, has raised questions on its need for funds

Mumbai's famous Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal received donations of over Rs one crore in two days of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal received donations worth over sixty lakh on the second day of the festival. According to the Mandal, it received over 60,62,000 on the second day taking the total to over 1,02,62,000 in two days of the festival.Lord Ganpati idol has also received an offering of 183.480 grams of gold and 622 grams of silver as a donation. Compared to the first day, the second day received more donations in cash.Earlier on Wednesday, Sudhir Salvi, the Secretary of Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal lauded industrialist Mukesh Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani for his support towards the Lalbaug committee's activities."Today the dialysis centre of Lalbaugcha Raja is getting started, it has 24 machines which were given by Anant Ambani and along with that we have a blood donation camp as well to help every patient. There is a lot of support

The government has asked trusts to share the identities of relatives of trustees, settlors, and substantial contributors, along with information about electronic and other modes of payments

Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, the treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, on Monday said the trust has applied for permissions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to start accepting donations collected by people in different parts of the world. Speaking to reporters, Swami Giri said the trust has so far collected more than Rs 3200 crore in donations from individuals and organizations within the country. "People (Indians) living abroad have collected donations there, but we have not accepted them. We will start receiving these donations as we have already applied for FCRA permissions, and we are sure we will get the required permissions," he said. "We have so far received donations to the tune of Rs 3200 crore from individuals and organizations within the country, and the work of the temple is also complete. People are eager to contribute towards the work and we are sure there wont be any paucity of funds ever," said Swami Giri. He informed that Heritage

Nearly 40 per cent of the money raised by the WHO Foundation in its first two years came from anonymous sources, worrying some that donors may be trying to influence the World Health Organisation and its role in shaping global health policy with their gifts. The foundation, launched in 2020 to help raise private sector funds for the WHO, said it received USD 66 million in direct gifts through 2022, with USD 26 million coming from donors who chose not to be publicly named. Anil Soni, WHO Foundation CEO, told The Associated Press the foundation's board, which includes a representative from the WHO, knows the donors' identities and that the foundation will not accept a gift if there is a conflict of interest. They want to be anonymous because they're otherwise solicited or even targeted because they're seen to be a source of wealth, Soni said in an interview. And I respect that. The foundation, which is based in Switzerland, is not required to disclose its donors. Some global health

Donate only to legitimate organisations using banking channels, maintain documentation to back up claim

The appeal was made on the eve of a high-level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, a UN-led fund-raising activity held on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, Xinhua news agency reported

'At a time of tough tests for the humanitarian sector, CERF's focus on under-funded crises was more important than ever'

India offers two different rates of deduction on its most popular tax incentive scheme (also known as the 80G scheme), 50 per cent and 100 per cent, depending on the recipient