Vision and Mission

When CAP was established in the mid eighties, there was no organisation in India which:

• Would pool information on donor and donee agencies and act as a clearing house;
• Provide expertise and professional advice on various matters of tax laws, investments and support services to philanthropic bodies, especially the smaller trusts.
• Represent the views of the philanthropic sector to the Government of the media, the equivalent of a chamber of commerce for an industry.

With this backdrop The Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy was established with the following Aims and objectives.

1. To provide professional advice and help, to public trusts, societies and service-oriented groups in the areas of management, finance, taxation, legal framework press and public relations.
2. To represent and advocate the cause of the philanthropic community before government, public bodies and the media.
3. To hold seminars, workshops, conferences to train a professional cadre equipped to cope with the growing needs of philanthropic organisations and the needs of the corporate sector for expertise in the field.
4. To build up a comprehensive base of information on the flow of philanthropic funds, on donor organisations, foundations and companies, on voluntary organisations, public trusts, societies and social action groups.
5. To serve as a clearinghouse, disseminating information widely on donors and donee organisations.
6. To widen the circle of philanthropy and to encourage trust and corporations to identify, select and support creative philanthropic programmes.
7. To encourage and to undertake research and critical appraisal of public policies affecting philanthropy

Over the, years, hundreds of individuals and institutions have sought the assistance of the Centre, on issues concerning trust laws, tax laws, resource mobilization, administration management and a plethora of other issues affecting philanthropic organisations in general.  Not just small voluntary organisations, but even large institutions like the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Jamshetji Tata Trust, Godrej Foundation, Child Relief & You (CRY) have sought the Centre’s assistance from time to time. This assistance was not only for minor inquiries regarding investment of funds in certain securities, procedure for obtaining loans, or setting up a trust or society but for more complex issues like correct interpretation of certain clauses in archaic trust deeds and documentation work and for filing papers before various Government authorities.

The Centre provides reliable advice and assistance, which is absolutely FREE and for once, small NGOs operating on shoestring budgets need not worry about huge consultation fees.

Our culture is to provide reliable service and our mission is to bring into existence organisations that will be of service to society.

The Centre, over the past decade and a half has helped dozens of trusts and societies get registered with the Charity Commissioner and the income tax authorities, without charging a rupee.  This is because the Centre has always laid stress on being a “service organisation”.  Among the prominent trusts we have helped register are,

• Madhu Mehta Foundation;
  
• WZO Trust Funds
  
• Population First
  
• Public Concern For Governance Trust
  
• Childline
  
• Meljol

Giving Bombay A 'Community Trust'

In 1991, the Centre launched the Bombay Community Public Trust on the lines of the community foundations in the USA. This Trust is today an independently and professionally managed trust that mobilizes local resources for local needs. It supplies a wide spectrum of development initiatives in the city to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Bombay.

Besides assistance to those seeking exemption under various sections of the Income Tax Act (like certain sub-sections of section 35 and section 80G), there are those who require guidance in effective administration, resource mobilization, filing change reports or annual returns, amalgamating two or more organisations, winding up, etc.

There are even those who approach us for preparing important agreements.  For example, a well-known Women’s Council entrusted us with the task of drafting the agreement between the beneficiaries and the trustees of a Senior Women’s Citizens’ Home.

There have even been cases where the Centre’s intervention has helped clear certain difficulties faced by members with certain Government authorities.

Recently the centre has made a representation to the finance minister regarding the hardships faced by trusts which had invested in the UTI’s CRTS scheme and made out a case for some kind of relief on the lines given to the UTI 64 holders.

The centre has also given its views and recommendations on the Kelkar report to the finance minister. This is based on comprehensive research and feed back received from trusts all over India

The Centre’s bi-monthly journal, ‘Philanthropy’, continues to be brought out regularly and is widely circulated not only among those directly connected with grant-making foundations and voluntary organisations, but also those in the corporate sector and professionals like chartered accountants and lawyers.

The journal continues to be unique from the point of view of approach, style and content.  We don’t just give facts and figures.  We also analyse and comment.  We try to humanize and simplify philanthropy.

The journal is produced in terms of people who give the sector its direction.  And we firmly believe that good management and proper understanding of legalities involved is the key to success in the philanthropic sector.  Issue after issue, we cover various income-tax sections, comment on issues, news, views and, although researched in depth, they’re economically written, in plain language that everyone can understand.

In short, the journal reflects the excitement of philanthropy, adds an interesting perspective to the news, offers comments and insights and is lively.  As one well-wisher recently put it, “Reading it is time well spent’”

The Future

The Centre has a definite social vision and views, itself as a small but effective source of leadership in the philanthropic sector.  The new millennium may require our greater attention to the new and emerging issues.  We are already responding to some of them within our limited financial and organizational capabilities.

Doubtlessly. We are proud of our work and our achievements. It is a personal commitment – an attitude that inspires us to constantly get ahead of ourselves. It is a personal commitment – an attitude that inspires us to constantly get ahead of ourselves. It is this commitment, which makes the Centre’s small band of workers take on new challenges, often having to make time when there is none.  Eleanor Roosevelt believed, “The most important thing in any relationship is not what you get, but what you give.”  And this has been the bedrock of our philosophy at the Centre.  Whether, a friend or a stranger, whether a member or a non-member, whosoever approaches us with a problem or an issue, we extend our assistance – readily, happily and gratis.

May we conclude with the works of Kahil Gibran, “You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

 

 

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