Wadhwani Foundation to Donate $1 Million in Grants for Indian Families Impacted by Covid-19

A family member visits a Covid-19 coronavirus patient in a hospital in Mahua on May 18, 2021, after Cyclone Tauktae hit the west coast of India with powerful winds and rain. The Indian American-founded Wadhwani Foundation announced a donation of $1 million for Covid relief in India. (Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images)

India-West Staff Reporter

p>The Wadhwani Foundation May 17 announced that it would donate $1 million in grants to ten charities and NGOs to help alleviate the devastating impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, according to a PRNewswire report. These grants will provide medical resources and assistance to COVID-19 patients and their families.

“Combatting the severe rise in COVID-19 cases and the tremendous burden on Indian families requires a comprehensive approach from as many organizations as possible. The Wadhwani Foundation can help alleviate some of the suffering Indian families are enduring through aid to charities and organizations providing “last mile” immediate relief in areas of most need, said Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, Indian American founder and chairman of the Wadhwani Foundation.

For phase 1 of these grants, the Wadhwani Foundation, based in Los Altos, Calif., has selected the following charities and partners: WISH Foundation: The Wadhwani Initiative for Sustainable Healthcare; Goonj: Rahat COVID 2021; American Indian Foundation: #AIFCOVID19Response; and Indiaspora: Chalo Give Initiative.

The criteria set by the Wadhwani Foundation for selection of the charities/NGOs were based on the ability to deliver immediate impact to patients and families and measure the impact of the relief. These included: The ability to immediately reduce the devastating impact and slow COVID-19 spread in India over the next month by providing medical resources to clinics or homes; Deliver direct relief benefits, including medical assistance, food, and loans/grants to affected patients and families; Organizations with more than five years of experience in the healthcare, basic-needs support space with highly developed existing infrastructure to immediately deploy to target groups; The ability to provide high transparency, reporting, and governance and quantify the impact of assistance; and Be recognized as a registered charity in the country of operation.

In addition to the grants, the Foundation will match donations to any of the supported charities/NGOs by SymphonyAI or Wadhwani Foundation employees through Sept. 1, 2021.