Frequently Asked Questions

<< Back
 What is the focus of Robin Raina Foundation (RRF)?
 How much funds does RRF have at present?
 How does RRF raise money?
 What are Robin Raina Foundation’s (RRF) present projects for children?
 How does RRF monitor progress and transparency of each of its projects?
 What is the tax status of donations to RRF? What article is it incorporated under?
 What are RRF mission and objectives?
 Why does RRF organize celebrity based entertainment events?
 Have RRF’S recent charity entertainment events been successful?
 What do these celebrities have to say about RRF?
 How can I become a RRF donor and sponsor a child?
 How can I track that my money is reaching the child I adopt financially? How can I monitor progress of the child adopted financially, by me?
 Can I pay by credit card for my donation?
 How can I become a RRF volunteer?
 Who comprises the RRF managing team?
 How often does RRF Managing team meet?
 What is a RRF Life Member? Who are the RRF life members?
 How can I become a RRF Life member?
 We are a charity that represents needy children? How can we apply for funding from RRF?
 Where can I reach RRF public relations group?
 What are RRF’s upcoming charity based events?
 Does RRF intend to organize sports events? If yes, what are they?
 How can I become a RRF sponsor?
What is the focus of Robin Raina Foundation (RRF)?
Robin Raina Foundation (RRF) is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the providing hope to underpriviliged children in terms of education, food, and shelter along with a sense of belonging.

The foundation has been setup to raise funds for charity work to be carried out to empower children who need help. The foundation's focus is to make a difference in the lives of children - who are handicapped, blind, mentally challenged, sick or in need of urgent medical help and underprivileged kids who needed education. Each and every bit of money collected will be spent on these children.

The foundation intends to bring hope to children at high risk of becoming street children. How? By offering street school to children with no other access to education. And by offering parents, the chance to learn a profession which will help them to escape exploitative labor, so that they can look after their children properly. It is infinitely satisfying to rescue a street child and give them a home, a hope and a future. But perhaps more rewarding still is to prevent a child from being made homeless through circumstances.
How much funds does RRF have at present?
As of 1st May 2004, RRF has donations equivalent to $ 112,000 for charity purposes in its available kitty.
How does RRF raise money?
RRF is a public charity that raises money through the following means:

  • A strong commitment of funds from its Founder Robin Raina – who has already committed $100,000 to the foundation.
  • Raising funds from corporate donors, for charity event sponsorships or adoption of projects.
  • Raise funds from individual donors, for sponsoring and financially adopting children.
  • Raise funds by organizing entertainment shows, sports events, theme dinners etc. for the purposes of charity
All donations to RRF will be exempt from income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
What are Robin Raina Foundation’s (RRF) present projects for children?
RRF is working on many projects at present, which can be divided under four main headings:

  1. Joint Venture partnership charity projects with Other charities, where RRF is creatively involved along with funding the charity project
  2. Funding specific charity projects for children of Rural areas
  3. Scholarship and equipment for blind and handicapped underprivileged children
  4. Running specific charity initiatives through our own sister charity Robin Raina Charitable Trust in India

Joint Venture Partnership Projects
RRF has agreed to be involved in two joint venture projects, dedicated to providing food, education, shelter and a sense of belonging to poor and underprivileged children.
  • RAINA-PRAYAS PROJECT: RRF and Prayas, one of the largest charities in India (www.prayaschildren.com) have agreed to partner together and adopt 400 children belonging to slum areas, across two different regions in India- Bhawan in North West Delhi and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
  • UDAAN PROJECT: RRF and Project Crayon, a large charity in Bombay, India (www.projectcrayons.org) have agreed to partner together and adopt 100 underprivileged children across Bombay
Funding Specific Rural Area Charity Projects
RRF has agreed to immediately donate one medical Ambulance to Grameen Seva Kendra run by Servants Of the People Society (www.sps.org.in) (Founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, the famous Indian freedom fighter in 1921), for rural areas around Delhi. This ambulance will have Doctors travel four times a week to far flung villages around Delhi city, to meet the medical needs of the needy children and poor citizens in these villages and shift them to relevant Hospitals to save precious lives.

Scholarship and Equipment for Blind and Handicapped Children
RRF has agreed to provide scholarship for three years to ten needy Blind children, after they pass out of 12th standard from The Blind Relief Association, New Delhi (a 1944 founded, rehabilitation charity for the visually impaired) based on merit and pure need. (Read story from The Hindu newspaper.)

Sister Charity in India, the Robin Raina Charitable Trust
RRF has committed to undertake some new projects for underprivileged children, though its own sister charity in India, the Robin Raina Charitable Trust, based in Delhi, India.

How does RRF monitor progress and transparency of each of its projects?
RRF employs a multi-step process to monitor progress of each of its projects, while maintaining complete control and ensuring transparency:
  • Each project is selected after on-ground study of the work required, the expertise of the charity involved and the track record and transparency record of that charity over the years.
  • Each of the projects has creative involvement by RRF’S own volunteers in the city concerned.
  • Each project has day-to-day involvement by these volunteers in terms of ground based work, administration and monitoring.
  • Each project is additionally monitored by RRF project Coordinators based in the United States on a online basis.
  • RRF insists on usage of its in-house developed software ASP application to monitor the progress of each project online – in terms of funding, progress of the children, pictures of the children, direct communication with children, online tracking of expenses etc.
  • RRF believes in complete transparency and thus makes every effort to make that a sine-qua-non for all its partner charities.
  • All project funding is released quarterly based on satisfactory progress of each of the projects, failing which RRF reserves the right to stop funding on a particular project.
What is the tax status of donations to RRF? What article is it incorporated under?
The corporation is organized and operated exclusively for such charitable, religious, research, educational, literary and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the corresponding provision of any future United States federal tax law (the ‘Code’), including, for such purposes, the providing of relief to the poor and underprivileged and the making of distributions to one (1) or more organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, as will qualify the corporation to be described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Code.
  • The corporation shall have and exercise all rights and powers conferred on corporations under the laws of the State of Georgia; provided, however, that the corporation is not empowered to engage in any activity which in itself is not in furtherance of its purposes as set forth in these Articles of Incorporation, or which is not permitted to be carried on (i) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Code as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, or (ii) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Sections 170(c)(2), 2055(a)(2) or 2522(a)(2) of the Code.
  • No part of the net earnings, gains, or assets of the corporation, on dissolution or otherwise, shall inure to the benefit of any private person or individual or any director of the corporation, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered to or for the corporation and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set for in these Articles of Incorporation.
  • In case of dissolution or final liquidation of the corporation, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the debts, liabilities and obligations of the corporation and for necessary expenses thereof, distribute all of the remaining assets of the corporation to such one (1) or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, research, educational, literary and/or scientific purposes as shall then qualify as an organization exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a) of the Code as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, as the Board of Directors shall determine, and

    (a) The corporation shall not, as a substantial part of its activities, carry on propaganda, or otherwise attempt to influence legislation.

    (b) The corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.

    (c) The corporation shall not engage in any ‘excess benefit transaction’ within the meaning of Section 4958 of the Code."

    The Board of Directors of the Corporation adopted the foregoing Articles of Incorporation on February 19, 2004. The foregoing Articles were approved by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors of the Corporation on February 19, 2004.

What are RRF mission and objectives?
  1. To primarily establish, develop, run, maintain and grant aid in cash or in kind to child welfare charity activities directed at providing education, food, clothing and lodging to underprivileged children.
  2. To establish and develop institutions for the physically handicapped and disabled and/or mentally retarded persons and to provide them education, food, clothing or other help of like nature.
  3. To establish, maintain and run studentships, scholarships and render other kind of aid to underprivileged students including supply of books, stipends, medals and other incentives to study, without any distinction as to caste, color, race, creed or sex.
  4. To run, support and grant aid or other financial assistance to schools, colleges, libraries, reading rooms, universities, laboratories, research and other institutions, for use of under-privileged students.
  5. To primarily establish, develop, run, maintain and grant aid in cash or in kind to hospitals, medical schools, medical colleges, research centers & institutes, diagnostic and pathologic centers nursing schools, institutions, dispensaries, maternity homes, and other vocational and educational courses related to the medical field for the benefit and use of general public.
  6. To establish, maintain or grant aid for the establishment and/or maintenance of parks, schools, gardens, gymnasiums, sports clubs, and rest house for use by the underprivileged folks.
  7. To establish, maintain or grant aid to homes for the aged, orphanages, establishments for the relief and help to the poor, needy and destitute people, orphans, widows, and aged persons.
  8. To grant relief and assistance to the needy victims during natural calamities such as famine, earth quake, flood, fire, pestilence, etc. and to give such donations and other assistance to institutions, establishments of persons engaged in such relief work or alike in its nature.
  9. To grant and receive aid or render assistance to other public trusts or institutions that are involved in charitable activities directed towards the above causes.
Why does RRF organize celebrity based entertainment events?
RRF organizes celebrity based entertainment events to raise funds for charity purposes, as it is a faster way of raising money from individual donors while providing value for money to them in terms of an entertaining time.

RRF salutes the people who work behind the scenes, to make the end result of raising donations a reality – and considers them the real celebrities.
Have RRF’S recent charity entertainment events been successful?
RRF organized a celebrity based entertainment fashion and dance extravaganza on March 13, 2004 – WAVES’04.

Organized at - Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Atlanta, GA

Celebrity Participants - Bali Brahmbhatt (Singer, Entertainer - Amma dekh & Kem che fame), Anupama Varma (Super Model, Actress - Grahan & Chameli fame), Indrani Dasgupta (Super Model - Lakme fame), Purvi Shah (Super Model, Miss India Runner-up), Prateeksha Patel (Actress - Kyon fame), Humera Akhtar (Famous UK model and choreographer), Shweta Bhardawaj (Performer - Music videos), Aseem Merchant (Choreographer, Mr. Gladrags)

Tickets Sold – 500

Money Raised - $25,000

An excerpt from Atlanta based www.DESIBUZZ.com on the show is reproduced below:
"It was a passionate night filled with grace, poise, talent and cause. The WAVES 2004 concert, held on March 13, left hearts warmed and smiles on faces.

WAVES 2004 was a musical, fashion, and dance extravaganza. Some of the featured performers included Bollywood’s very own singer, Bali Brambhatt. Brambhatt, the creator of "Patel Rap", "Kem Che", and many other music delights, put forth an amazing performance that truly lit up the stage. He was very interactive, down to earth, and he definitely captured the audience.

Joining Brambhatt were some of Bollywood's most beautiful models and actresses. Strutting their stuff on stage were Anupama Verma, Indrani Dasgupta, Purvi Shah, Prateeksha Patel and performer Shweta. Shezi Sardar also gave a few smashing presentations. Along with Sardar, an incredible dance crew called "Silent Killers" also performed well. Kruti Dance Academy also put up a nicely choreographed performance for the audience.

Over all, the fundraiser was a great success. The many businesses and individuals that donated, supported, volunteered, and performed at the concert all contributed and caused a wonderful turnout. It was a consensus among volunteers that everyone worked diligently in bringing the show together.

At the end of the show, Robin Raina spoke to the audience with an open heart. He said, "All of you have smiles on your faces. We need to make an effort to put smiles on the faces of children in India."
What do these celebrities have to say about RRF?
Please click here to view and see what celebrities have to say about RRF.
How can I become a RRF donor and sponsor a child?
Please click here to sponsor a child and adopt a child or a number of children.
How can I track that my money is reaching the child I adopt financially? How can I monitor progress of the child adopted financially, by me?
As a parent, you will be given a secure password and id to communicate with your adopted child, view pictures of the child, look at progress reports on the child, exchange emails and letters written by the child scanned for your viewing etc. in an online manner.

RRF stands by its commitment of passing on Hundred percent (100%) of your donation to the children concerned. All administrative costs will be borne by the RRF Founder Robin Raina.
Can I pay by credit card for my donation?
Yes, you can pay online via credit card for all donations. To make a donation or adopt a child click here.
How can I become a RRF volunteer?
Please click here to become a RRF volunteer.
Who comprises the RRF managing team?
RRF comprises of folks who want to make difference in the lives of these underprivileged children, and are prepared to do everything to make that dream a reality. Towards that RRF has a jointed racially diverse managing team that strives for transparency and action. Click here to reach out to any of these team members. RRF welcomes new people with a drive for similar desire to help children, to contact us towards becoming managing team members.
How often does RRF Managing team meet?
RRF managing team meets as the need demands. However, by default the team meets on the first Friday of each month at 6.30pm EST.
What is a RRF Life Member? Who are the RRF life members?
RRF Life members are folks who have been involved in setting up the foundation from day one of its inception. To see the names of life members, please click here.
How can I become a RRF Life member?
Please click here to become a RRF Life member.
We are a charity that represents needy children? How can we apply for funding from RRF?
Please click here to apply for funding.
Where can I reach RRF public relations group?
Please click here to access the RRF Press Room.
What are RRF’s upcoming charity based events?
Please click here to access the new events page.
Does RRF intend to organize sports events? If yes, what are they?
Yes, RRF has a number of immediate and future sports events planned. For more details, please click here.
How can I become a RRF sponsor?
Please click here to become a RRF sponsor.