NGOs with fat foreign funding double in a decade

The number of NGOs getting foreign contribution above Rs 10 crore has more than doubled in 11 years, a government report has said.

While 59 organisations got contributions above Rs 10 crore in 2001-02, it rose to 148 in 2011-12. In the 2010-11 fiscal, 135 NGOs got such massive foreign donation.

According to the 2011-12 annual report on “Receipt and Utilisation of Foreign Contribution by Voluntary Associations” under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 178 NGOs got funding to the tune of Rs 5-10 crore in 2011-12, while the figure for 2001-02 was 77.

The report also showed that the NGOs received donations worth Rs 93,000 crore for a period of 11 years ending 2011-12. Except for three fiscals, all other years showed an increase in foreign funding. The report said 2007-08 saw a dip in funding to Rs 9,663.46 crore from previous fiscal’s Rs 11,007.43 crore. In 2009-10 and 2010-11 also, there was a downward trend. An analysis of last three years data showed that the US continued to be the biggest donor country and the major heads for the donors from that country are for welfare of children and research.

The US donations amounted to Rs 10,204.18 crore between 2009-10 and 2011-12, while the UK came a distant second at Rs 3,323.05 crore and Germany third with Rs 3,139.70 crore.

Compassion International of the US is among the top ten donors of 2010-11 and 2011-12, sending Rs 283.03 crore.

The major head for the utilisation of funds from the US was for the welfare of children at Rs 355.04 crore in 2011-12, followed by funds for research at Rs 268.41 crore. Construction and maintenance of educational institutions got Rs 161.26 crore.

Funds from the UK were mainly used for rural development programmes.