Smile Foundation

Smile Foundation
Name	Smile Foundation
Type	Non-governmental organization
Founded	2002
Founders	Sanjay Sachdeva; Archana Sachdeva
Headquarters	New Delhi, India
Area served	India
Focus	Child welfare; healthcare; education; women’s empowerment; disaster relief
Methods	Direct service delivery; community mobilization; capacity building; advocacy
Revenue	Charitable donations; grants; corporate social responsibility funds

Smile Foundation

Smile Foundation is an Indian non-governmental organization established in 2002 that implements development programs for children and families across India. The organization focuses on healthcare, education, livelihood, and empowerment initiatives delivered through a network of field offices, mobile units, and community partners. Over two decades it has interacted with numerous United Nations agencies, Indian state governments such as Government of Uttar Pradesh, corporate entities like Tata Group, and civil society platforms including NASSCOM.

History

Founded in 2002 by entrepreneurs Sanjay Sachdeva and Archana Sachdeva, the organization emerged during a period of expanding corporate philanthropy in India following policy shifts by Ministry of Finance (India) and influences from global initiatives such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Early interventions concentrated on mobile healthcare units modeled after programs run by Operation Smile and community-based education pilots influenced by Pratham. In the 2000s the organization scaled through strategic partnerships with state-level bodies including Government of Madhya Pradesh and philanthropic arms of conglomerates like Reliance Industries. Key milestones include expansion into adolescent health linked to campaigns by World Health Organization and disaster relief operations coordinated with National Disaster Management Authority (India) during events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and regional floods in Kerala.

Mission and Programs

The stated mission centers on delivering holistic services to underprivileged children and their families, aligning programmatic work with frameworks articulated by United Nations Children's Fund and World Bank development goals. Signature programs include child education initiatives inspired by models from Teach For India and community health projects operating mobile clinics comparable to Lifeline Express. The foundation’s programs span:

- Health: primary healthcare camps, maternal and child health drives, immunization support in collaboration with National Health Mission (India) and technical inputs from World Health Organization. - Education: remedial learning centers, digital literacy projects leveraging technology partnerships with Microsoft and Google for access to e-learning content. - Livelihood: vocational training for youth and women modeled on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Employment Scheme approaches and collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation. - Women and youth empowerment: adolescent life-skills programs informed by curricula from UNFPA and community leadership initiatives allied with India Habitat Centre networks. - Disaster response: rapid relief and rehabilitation coordinated with Indian Red Cross Society and state disaster management apparatus.

Operations and Funding

Operationally the organization maintains regional hubs that interface with district administrations such as Delhi and Maharashtra authorities, deploying program staff and volunteers trained in methodologies promulgated by Save the Children and Plan International. Funding sources include individual donations, institutional grants from foundations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, corporate social responsibility contributions from firms such as Mahindra Group, and partnerships with international development agencies like United Nations Development Programme. Financial oversight practices reference reporting norms promoted by Charities Aid Foundation and comply with Indian statutes including registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act when applicable. Monitoring and evaluation draws on indicators recommended by World Bank and academic partners such as Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Impact and Recognition

The organization reports outreach figures tied to program beneficiaries across states including Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Assam, and cites improvements in school retention and immunization uptake reminiscent of results documented by Pratham and UNICEF studies. Recognition has come in the form of awards and mentions from entities like FICCI and media coverage in outlets such as The Times of India and NDTV. Independent evaluations undertaken with research partners including Indian Council of Social Science Research have been used to refine models similar to iterative learning cycles promoted by International Initiative for Impact Evaluation. The organization’s disaster-response work has been acknowledged by state administrations during relief operations in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Strategic alliances encompass multilateral agencies including UNICEF and UNDP, philanthropic foundations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, academic institutions like Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Jawaharlal Nehru University, and corporate partners including Tata Group, Reliance Industries, and HDFC Bank CSR programs. Collaborations with sectoral NGOs—Pratham, CRY (Child Rights and You), Smile Train—have facilitated shared learning and co-implementation of projects. The organization also engages with policy platforms such as NITI Aayog consultation forums and industry bodies like Confederation of Indian Industry to influence program scale-up and resource mobilization.

Category:Non-profit organisations based in India