Donate Now
Donate Now
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, since 1994, a farmer commits suicide every 41 minutes
Why focus on farmer suicides?
Agriculture is the primary occupation in India. Most farmers need to work hard just to feed their families, and it is extremely difficult for them to make a profit. There were over 3000 suicides in the state of Maharashtra alone in 2011. We believe that the people who work so hard to bring food to our plates deserve a better life.
Who is to blame?

 

 

 

 

 

When we started brainstorming few years back on these issues, several offenders came to mind – the government policies, corporate lobbying, uneducated farmers, lack of water conservation and fair pricing structure. Soon, we realized that the reasons are almost irrelevant as they provide fodder for debates but not solutions. Imagine this – you are married, you have a 3-year-old daughter and own a small piece of land to support your wife and child. You take loans with the hope of paying them off after the next harvest. The debt keeps mounting (due to inclement weather and other reasons) with sky-high interest rates of the private lenders and you see no way out of this. The social burden of humiliation and the sheer helplessness of their situation drives farmers to suicide.

Would you rather read about this and blame someone or take action? We chose the second path and we are making efforts to support the families of deceased farmers and to prevent future suicides.

How much money has SIF raised? Does that meet your expectation? If not, why?
Save Indian Farmers was formed in August 2012. Looking at our financials since then, as of Dec 31, 2018, we have raised a total of $622,678.89. Out of this amount, we have invested $468,053.97 on our projects (Project Jal, Bundhelkhand, Drumsticks, Adopt-A-Widow, Udaan to name a few). Our total expenses are $34,309.63 (as of Dec 31, 2018). Our fundraising efficiency ratio is 94.5%. This means that out of every dollar that we raise, we invest 94.5 cents on our projects. The national average in America is 77 cents.
We are grateful to our donors who enable us to help India’s farmers, but at the same time, we are excited to do more groundbreaking work! There are some parts of India, where farmers do not have access to basic needs like health, education, food and water and are living in extreme poverty. Our goal this year is to invest a major part of your contributions in Project Jal and Project Drumsticks. Both are part of our larger sustainable farming initiative.

 

Have you received any donations from people living in India? If not, why?
No, since this NGO is formed in USA, and donations are tax-deductible in the U.S., there is more focus on collecting money in USA (outside India, in general). People in India are encouraged to donate money directly to our NGO partner in India – Deendayal Trust.
How many farmer’s families have been supported so far? Can you provide any testimonies?

So far, 80+ families have been provided monetary aid to help start their own small business.

How do you ensure that donations are used efficiently for the welfare of a farmer’s family?

 

 

 

Save Indian Farmers has adopted following processes to make sure donations are used efficiently:
1) We closely work with our on the ground partners to get timely progress reports, photos and videos. We also look at funds utilization reports and raise concerns with our partners, talk to farmers directly to verify benefits.
2) We have 2 dedicated people working in different parts of India focused on visiting various projects. They submit independent reports from the actual place, where work is being done.
3) SIF members from India as well as the ones abroad (when they visit back home), visit project sites, talk to NGOs and also submit their independent feedback. For example see Chandni’s report here  and Yashwantrao’s Bundelkhand report here
4) All independent reports are published on our website and photos/videos are shared through facebook as well as newsletter. Please sign for our newsletter using the subscribe to our newsletter form at the bottom of this page.

How many organizations like SIF are supporting a similar cause? Have you approached any of them to work together towards your goal? If not, why?
We are always looking for partner NGOs that we can help fund. We are looking for NGOs that work in rural areas, are transparent, focus on farmer issues, and are NOT politically affiliated.
How do you differentiate your organization from other nationally recognized NGOss? In short, please help me understand why I should make a donation to you instead of to United Way/Red Cross/Disabled Veterans/ St. Jude etc.?
We are different in some ways and not so different in some other ways. We are a non-profit focused on a specific cause just like these organizations. We are not as big or internationally widespread as these organizations. We thrive on 100% transparency, feedback and we are focused on actionable & measurable goals.
How many cents of every donated dollar will be actually assigned to a particular project?

Our fundraising efficiency ratio is 94.5%. This means that out of every dollar that we raise, we invest 94.5 cents on our projects. The national average in America is 77 cents.

Can you provide information that will allow my company to match my donation?

Sure we can. Here is commonly asked information to get your company to match your donation.

You can download the W9 form here

Name Save Indian Farmers
EIN 45-3588545
Address 137 Courts Lane
City Little Rock
State AR
Zipcode 72223
Country USA
Phone 501-580-8492
website https://www.saveindianfarmers.org
Contact Person Dr. Hemant Joshi
Secretary
phone: 501-944-5916
email: info@saveindianfarmers.org

 

Events and Fundraisers

Recent News

MENU