A 501(c)(3) registered organization supporting Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust in India
Introduction
Bala Mandir USA is a registered non-profit organization, which was set up in September 2023, by friends and well-wishers of Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust (BMKT) — a premier Social Welfare and Child Care Organization based in Chennai, India. The primary objective of Bala Mandir USA is to help raise funds from US based donors to support BMKT’s activities and help advance its mission of educating and improving the well-being of poor and destitute children in India.
Donations made by US tax-payers to Bala Mandir USA are eligible for tax deduction under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
In India, Bala Mandir was started in Chennai by Sri. K. Kamaraj and Smt. S. Manjubhashini in 1949, inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. Over the years it has sheltered thousands of children – orphans, destitute and socio-economically deprived children – in its homes and schools. Over the years its activities have been expanded to include children with special needs as well as other children who remain with their families but face difficult challenges which need help and support to reach their full potential.
Bala Mandir’s facilities, which include a children’s home (infants, toddlers, girls and boys), crèche with a Montessori environment, schools teaching in English medium (primary, high school, children with special needs), resource centre, administrative block etc. is spread over five acres of land in the heart of Chennai. Bala Mandir also works beyond its homes and educational institutions on outreach programmes to share the best practices in parenting and early childhood practices as well as provides support to orphans and destitute children who continue to live with their kin. All activities focus on providing inputs for holistic and all-round development of the children.
Bala Mandir is an independently run organisation which is not affiliated to any specific corporate organisation or individuals or religious and other groups. The institution’s legacy activities have over the years been largely funded through Government grants for specific programmes and donations from a limited group of Corporates and individuals within India and outside, who know about Bala Mandir and have had many years of association with it. One of the goals of Bala Mandir USA is to explore support for the emerging and new activities which have been growing in the last few years and need funding support. These activities are positively impacting an increasing number of needy children.
Besides the paid staff, there is a small group of dedicated volunteers (normally members of the executive committee) who take specific responsibilities in running the institution. Bala Mandir also has a board of trustees whose role is not only to advise and guide Bala Mandir in all its new initiatives, but also to safeguard the assets of the organisation.