GiveIndia raises fund to bolster the on-going COVID-19 relief efforts

Non-profit organisation GiveIndia recently announced that it has launched the ‘India COVID Response Fund’ with an aim to support the already existing initiatives against COVID-19. The fund has been launched with an initial donations of around Rs 75 crore. Some of the donors that have so far donated include Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google.org, HSBC India, Omidyar Network India, Marico, Uber India, and UBS Optimus Foundation. With the funds raised, GiveIndia plans to identify the areas that are hit the most by coronavirus and augment the relief efforts that are being carried out by its network of NGOs across India. Furthermore, it aims to create a larger initiative that can provide aid up to 10 million people pan India.

According to GiveIndia director Venkat Krishnan N, the organisation started fundraising for COVID relief work on March 22 and so far a staggering two lakh people from India and around the world have donated. They have brought several organisations and NGOs on board. While noteworthy organisations and companies have stepped up and pitched in, the fund is open for everyone who wish to do their part in helping the COVID-19 victims.

To ensure a systematic allocation of the funds, an advisory group has been set up that includes Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (Chairman, Bitcoin), Sanjiv Mehta (Chairman, HUL), Surendra Rosha (CEO, HSBC India) and Amitabh Chaudhry (CEO, Axis Bank).

The fund’s overall focus will be on prevention of the virus spread, providing humanitarian aid to the affected (health-wise and financial wise), bolstering the front-line health workers and helping COVID-hit families to rebuild their livelihoods. GiveIndia will be associating with non-profits across various sectors such as health, disaster relief, rural livelihoods, etc.