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American India Foundation

Annual Giving
$10.5M
Success Rate
7%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $10.5 million USD (2024)
  • Success Rate: ~7% (for Fellowship program; organizational grant rate not publicly available)
  • Decision Time: Varies by program; concept note review followed by field visit
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed; 25 awards distributed in 2024
  • Geographic Focus: India (35+ states and Union Territories)

Contact Details

General Inquiries

U.S. Offices

  • New York: 211 E 43rd St, Suite 1900, New York, NY 10017
  • Bay Area: 228 Hamilton Avenue, Third Floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Program-Specific Contacts

Regional Chapters

Overview

Founded in 2001 by President Bill Clinton following his visit to India, the American India Foundation (EIN: 13-4159765) is one of the largest secular, non-partisan American organizations supporting development work in India. With offices in New York and California, four chapters across the U.S., and India operations headquartered in New Delhi, AIF has raised over $225 million since its founding. The organization distributed $10.5 million in grants across 25 awards in 2024. AIF is committed to improving the lives of India's underprivileged—with a special focus on women, children, and youth—through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, and public health. The foundation has impacted over 16.5 million lives across 35 states and Union Territories in India, working with 330+ partners including community members, institutional and government agencies, and the private sector. In 2026, AIF received recognition as one of the "Best Nonprofits to Work For," reflecting its organizational culture of collaboration and impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Education Programs

  • Digital Equalizer (DE): Utilizes technology to bridge the educational and digital divide in India by transforming under-resourced schools into dynamic places to teach and learn through collaborative, project-based learning
  • Learning and Migration Program (LAMP): Empowers children at risk of distress seasonal migration and climate-induced displacement by facilitating their access to quality education opportunities and resources

Livelihoods Programs

  • Ability Based Livelihood Empowerment (ABLE): Creates sustainable livelihoods through skills training
  • Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST): Provides workplace readiness and industry skills training (e.g., 350 disadvantaged young people annually in Rewari, Haryana through partner Sarva Mangal)

Public Health Programs

  • Maternal And Newborn Survival Initiative (MANSI): Utilizes a public-private partnership model to reduce maternal and child mortality by providing resources and support to local communities

Integrated Programs

  • Support Adolescent Health Education & Livelihood Initiative (SAHELI)
  • Skilling Nutrition Education and Health (SNEH): Operates in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha to address health, education, and livelihoods

Leadership Development

  • Banyan Impact Fellowship: Fully funded, 10-month program placing young professionals from the U.S. and India with communities and organizations across both countries for mutual learning, capacity building, and leadership development. As of 2022-23, 539 Fellows have served with 238 NGO partners

Application Method: Rolling basis with concept note submission

Priority Areas

AIF focuses on three core development areas:

  1. Education: Quality educational opportunities, STEM-based learning (especially for girls), foundational learning skills, digital literacy
  2. Livelihoods: Skills training, workplace readiness, sustainable livelihood creation for disadvantaged youth
  3. Public Health: Maternal and newborn health, healthcare access in remote areas, community health systems strengthening

Target Beneficiaries: Women, children, and youth in India, particularly in remote and under-resourced communities

Special Focus: Girls' education, migrant populations, seasonal workers' families, vulnerable communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations with religious mandates or affiliations
  • Organizations with political affiliations or mandates
  • Organizations without direct implementation activities
  • Organizations outside of India
  • Organizations without proper FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) compliance or exemption
  • Organizations that cannot demonstrate sustainability plans for post-grant period

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

  • Ajay Banga - Chairman Emeritus, President of World Bank (former Co-Chair)
  • Lata Krishnan - Co-Chair, Managing Partner of Krishnan-Shah Family Office
  • Harit Talwar - Co-Chair, Board member of Mastercard & Infostretch (formerly Head of Consumer at Goldman Sachs)
  • Diaz Nesamoney - Vice Chair, President & CEO of Jivox Corporation
  • Raj Seshadri - Board Director, President of U.S. Issuers at Mastercard
  • Saugata Saha - Board member, President of S&P Global Commodity Insights

Executive Leadership

  • Nishant Pandey - Chief Executive Officer
  • Kalpana Kanthan - Chief Development and Marketing Officer
  • Hema Gandhi - Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer

Governance Structure: AIF maintains a Global Board of Directors, India Trustees Board, regional advisory councils across the U.S., and an international team of development professionals.

CEO Vision: CEO Nishant Pandey, an economist by training and entrepreneur by mindset, stated: "At AIF, our team's steadfast commitment to excellence and impact is matched by a culture that values collaboration, growth, and purpose. I'm proud of the passion and integrity our staff bring to advancing opportunity and dignity for millions across India every day."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

AIF operates a rolling application process with no fixed deadlines. The application follows a structured, multi-stage approach:

  1. Concept Note Submission: Organizations should first submit a concept paper containing basic information about the organization and a brief project description with budget. This can be submitted at any time during the year.

  2. Review and Approval: When the concept note is approved, AIF generally conducts a field visit.

  3. Detailed Proposal: After the field visit, a detailed proposal is invited from the organization.

  4. Rigorous Selection Process: All host organizations—both existing and new partners—go through a rigorous selection process that includes:

    • Written application
    • Interview
    • Evaluation visit (for new partners)

Organizational Requirements:

  • Must have a registered office in India
  • Must follow a non-political, non-religious mandate
  • Must maintain active FCRA certification or be FCRA exempt
  • Must be implementation organizations working directly with communities and beneficiaries
  • Must demonstrate robust project plans with clear deliverables and goals
  • Must show a solid local support structure
  • Must provide a sound sustainability plan for post-grant period
  • Must demonstrate required resources to sustain and replicate the project

Contact for Applications: info@aif.org (general inquiries) or fellowship@aif.org (for fellowship partnerships)

Decision Timeline

The decision timeline varies by program and stage:

  • Concept note review: Timeline not publicly disclosed
  • Field visit conducted after concept note approval
  • Final decision made after detailed proposal review

For the Fellowship program (as reference for organizational processes), the timeline runs January through April, with interviews in March and final admissions in April.

Success Rates

  • Fellowship Program: Approximately 7% selection rate (highly competitive)
  • Organizational Grants: Success rate not publicly disclosed
  • Recent Activity: 25 awards made in 2024, 29 awards in 2023, 42 awards in 2022

The declining number of awards suggests increasingly selective grantmaking or larger grant sizes.

Reapplication Policy

AIF's reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly documented. Organizations should contact AIF directly at info@aif.org for clarification on reapplication procedures and any waiting periods.

Application Success Factors

Based on AIF's documented priorities and partnership criteria, successful applicants demonstrate:

1. Strong Implementation Focus

  • Direct work with communities and beneficiaries (not intermediary organizations)
  • Proven track record in education, livelihoods, or public health sectors
  • Demonstrated sustainability plans that extend beyond grant period

2. Cultural Competency and Relationship Building According to AIF's Fellowship criteria (which reflect organizational values): "Exceptional ability to build meaningful relationships across cultures in the social development space, with sensitivity and ability to work with vulnerable communities, as well as humility and passion to acquire new skills informally and 'learn by doing.'"

3. Clear Deliverables and Measurement

  • Robust project plans with specific, measurable deliverables and goals
  • Solid local support structure
  • Ability to demonstrate impact (AIF has tracked impact on 16.5 million lives)

4. Alignment with Focus Populations

  • Projects targeting women, children, and youth
  • Work in remote or under-resourced communities
  • Specific focus on girls' education, maternal health, or vulnerable populations

5. Technical and Organizational Capacity

  • Proper legal registration and FCRA compliance
  • At least three years of operational history (for FCRA registration)
  • Minimum spending of Rs. 10 lakhs over three years on activities
  • Strong financial management systems

6. Scalability and Innovation

  • AIF seeks "innovative and scalable projects" from Indian NGOs
  • Projects should demonstrate potential for replication
  • Technology integration valued (see Digital Equalizer program)

Recent Project Examples:

  • NBA/Sacramento Kings/Indiana Pacers partnership: School Transformation Program for five under-resourced municipal schools in Mumbai, including robotics lab and basketball court
  • Guru Krupa Foundation partnership: Learning Resource Centers for 1,500 children in Karnataka serving children of sugarcane migrants
  • Rural India Supporting Trust partnership: $7.6 million commitment for girls' education and maternal/newborn health

CEO Priority Statement: Pandey emphasized that "India's poor, who have limited access to the right information, healthcare and are predominantly employed/self-employed in the unorganized sector, are expected to bear a disproportionate brunt" of challenges, indicating AIF's commitment to addressing systemic inequities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Rolling applications accepted: No need to wait for specific deadlines; submit concept notes year-round to info@aif.org
  • Start with a concept note: Keep initial submission brief with organizational background, project overview, and budget summary
  • Demonstrate sustainability: Field visits and evaluations emphasize long-term viability beyond grant period
  • FCRA compliance is mandatory: Ensure active FCRA registration or exemption before applying; this is non-negotiable for foreign funding in India
  • Focus on direct implementation: AIF funds organizations working directly with beneficiaries, not intermediaries or re-granting organizations
  • Alignment with three pillars essential: Projects must clearly fit within education, livelihoods, or public health—ideally demonstrating integrated approaches
  • Emphasize vulnerable populations: Strongest alignment for projects serving women, children, youth in remote or under-resourced areas, with special consideration for girls and migrant populations
  • Build for scale: AIF values innovative approaches with clear potential for replication and broader impact across India's 35+ states

References

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