One Kind Act

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £150,000 - £300,000+ (varies significantly by year based on event success)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: £1,000 - £25,000
• Geographic Focus: International (India, Africa, UK)

Contact Details

Website: https://onekindact.org

Email: info@onekindact.org or shamit.malhotra@outlook.com

Phone: 07956270156

Grant Application Page: https://onekindact.org/charity_application

Overview

ONE KIND ACT (OKA) was founded by Shamit Malhotra and registered as a charity in England and Wales in 2015 (Charity Number 1160116). The charity won Start-up Charity of the Year 2017 and has since grown to distribute substantial grants internationally and domestically. For the financial year ending 31 December 2021, the charity recorded total income of £464,284 and total expenditure of £499,376, with major events like the 2023 Dare to Dream Gala Ball raising over £300,000 alone. The charity's distinctive approach focuses on ensuring maximum impact by minimizing overheads through dedicated volunteers, claiming that almost 100% of donations reach beneficiaries. OKA's mission is to alleviate poverty and hunger, protect health, and advance education for the public benefit anywhere in the world. The organization operates through a combination of large fundraising events and targeted grant-making to carefully vetted charities and projects, with particular focus on education infrastructure, healthcare provision, and support for vulnerable populations in India, Tanzania, Uganda, and the UK.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

ONE KIND ACT does not operate fixed grant programs with predetermined amounts. Instead, they provide grants based on specific project needs identified through their vetting process. Applications are accepted through their online grant application form available at onekindact.org/charity_application.

Recent Grant Examples (2021-2024):

• Education Infrastructure: £22,947 for girls' toilet facilities at Manyire School, Tanzania; £15,000 for refurbishment of 9 classrooms at Olderdenet School, Tanzania; £18,707 for rainwater harvesting and new classrooms in rural Tanzania
• Healthcare: £25,000 for brain injury treatment equipment at a Delhi rehab centre; £2,500 for Ayurveda medicines and post-COVID support
• Food Security & Poverty Relief: £12,500 for daily midday meals for 100+ elderly villagers (Project Annam); £8,000 for permanent hot food kitchen in Ukraine; £4,428 for LCK to support food poverty and Christmas gifts for vulnerable children in UK
• Emergency Support: £3,651 for vulnerable families in Ukraine; £3,000 for homeless winter essentials

Grant Range: £1,000 - £25,000 (most grants fall between £2,000 - £15,000)

Priority Areas

• Education advancement: School infrastructure, classroom renovations, educational facilities, scholarships
• Health and nutrition: Medical equipment, healthcare facilities, nutrition programs for vulnerable populations
• Poverty relief: Food security programs, support for homeless populations, emergency relief
• Clean water and sanitation: Water harvesting systems, toilet facilities, hygiene infrastructure
• Support for vulnerable populations: Elderly care, children in poverty, displaced persons

Geographic Focus: Primary focus on India, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United Kingdom, though the charity's objectives extend to anywhere in the world.

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, based on grant patterns, OKA appears focused on:

• Direct service provision rather than operational costs
• Projects with measurable community impact
• Infrastructure and essential services rather than general running costs

The charity emphasizes ensuring “maximum amount of financial aid goes directly to make a difference to lives rather than to infrastructure or operational running costs of a charity.”

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Shamit Malhotra - Founder & Chairman: Inspired by his father's envelope-based charitable giving, Malhotra founded OKA to scale this mission through a committed board. He hosts networking events for charity partners and brings business development experience from his role at Brown & Brown (previously IS Group UK).

Annu Shah - Intuition & Efficiency Lead: Shah emphasizes the centrality of compassion, noting “How easily we take aspects of our lives such as opportunity and good health for granted without considering those lacking these privileges.”

Mona Bhogal - Money Collector: Sought meaningful charitable involvement and describes feeling privileged to assist those with fewer advantages.

Rita Soni - Heart of Kindness: A traveler and music enthusiast with frontline experience, Soni advocates for connecting like-minded people for collective good, observing that witnessing compassion reminds us “of all that is right in the world.”

Dilip Popat - Trustee: Joined to strengthen governance and support OKA's mission of positively impacting lives.

Noreen Sumra - Trustee: Applies legal and strategic expertise, highlighting OKA's distinctive approach: "Every day they ask the question 'how do we make things better for you?'"

Key Partners

OKA works with established charity partners including Yuva Unstoppable and YUVA International to transform lives of underprivileged children, and LCK for UK-based food poverty initiatives.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. Confirm Alignment: Ensure your project falls within OKA's charitable objectives (prevention or relief of poverty, relief of sickness, protection of health, advancement of education)

1. Download Materials: Access the Grant Application Form and Grant Making Policy document from https://onekindact.org/charity_application

1. Complete Application: Fill out the form thoroughly, demonstrating how your project aligns with OKA's mission

1. Submit to Causes Team: Send completed application to info@onekindact.org

1. Vetting Process: Each cause undergoes stringent vetting to ensure fulfillment of OKA's purpose, demonstration of strong leadership and operational excellence, and visible and measurable community impact

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. The charity emphasizes using “raised funds to provide help and support communities without any unnecessary waste, red tape or delays,” suggesting a streamlined process, though specific timeframes are not provided.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly disclosed. The charity's approach involves careful vetting of all applicants to ensure alignment with objectives and operational excellence.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not explicitly stated. Applicants should contact the Causes team at info@onekindact.org for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Key Factors for Strong Applications

Demonstrate Measurable Impact: OKA prioritizes projects where impact can be clearly measured and demonstrated to communities. Applications should include specific metrics and outcomes.

Minimize Overhead Costs: The charity strongly emphasizes ensuring maximum funds reach beneficiaries. Applications should demonstrate how grant funds will be used for direct impact rather than operational costs. According to their vetting criteria, they “try to ensure that the maximum amount of financial aid goes directly to make a difference to lives rather than to infrastructure or operational running costs.”

Show Strong Leadership: Demonstrate a history of strong leadership and operational excellence within your organization.

Focus on Essential Services: Recent grants show strong preference for essential infrastructure (education facilities, healthcare equipment, food security) over general programming.

Geographic Alignment: While the charity is open to projects anywhere in the world, they have established relationships and track records in India, Tanzania, Uganda, and the UK.

Examples of Funded Projects

• Classroom renovations and educational infrastructure in Tanzania
• Brain injury treatment equipment for rehabilitation centres
• Daily meal programs for elderly villagers in India
• Food poverty relief and homeless support in UK
• Emergency relief for displaced populations
• Clean water and sanitation facilities at schools

Language and Approach

OKA uses language centered on “joyful giving,” compassion, and direct impact. The organization values:

• Sustainable improvement in lives
• Visible community transformation
• Essential services for vulnerable populations
• Efficiency and minimizing waste

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Maximum Impact Focus: Demonstrate how grant funds will directly reach beneficiaries with minimal overhead - this is a core value for OKA and critical to application success

• Build Relationships: OKA works closely with established charity partners; consider attending their fundraising events (Garden Party, Gala Balls, Cricket Cup Days) to build relationships before applying

• Be Specific and Measurable: Applications should include concrete project details, specific costs, and measurable outcomes that can be demonstrated to communities

• Align with Proven Areas: Education infrastructure, healthcare equipment, and food security programs have strong track records of funding success

• Show Operational Excellence: The vetting process emphasizes strong leadership and operational history - be prepared to demonstrate your organization's capabilities

• Consider Project Scale: Most grants fall in the £2,000-£15,000 range, with larger grants (up to £25,000) for significant infrastructure projects

• Emphasize Sustainability: Frame projects as creating “sustainable improvement” rather than short-term interventions

References

1. UK Charity Commission Register - ONE KIND ACT (1160116): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5053066

1. ONE KIND ACT Official Website: https://onekindact.org

1. ONE KIND ACT Grant Application Page: https://onekindact.org/charity_application

1. ONE KIND ACT Trustees Page: https://onekindact.org/committee

1. ONE KIND ACT About Page: https://onekindact.org/about

1. Charity Clarity - One Kind Act Profile: “One Kind Act: driven by the idea of joyful giving” (2017)

1. IS Group UK - “Our chosen charity: One Kind Act”: https://isgroupuk.com/about-is-group/chosen-charity-one-kind-act/

1. Charity Choice Directory - One Kind Act: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/one-kind-act-245001