Ek Disha Foundation joins the nonprofit network to become its 11th chapter.
The American India Foundation has launched a chapter in Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States.
The chapter — the 11th one for the organization, which is dedicated to poverty alleviation in India — was formed by bringing the well-known Houston nonprofit Ek Disha Foundation into the AIF network.
The AIF said in a press release that the organization has signed a definitive agreement with Ek Disha for the formal merger, and once the transaction closes it will be known as the AIF Houston chapter.
The inaugural fundraising gala of the Houston chapter is scheduled for November 4, 2017.
Ek Disha founder and treasurer Rick Pal and other board members of the organization will continue in leadership positions of the AIF Houston chapter.
“In an era when the humanitarian sector continues to fragment, our alliance with Ek Disha Foundation and its excellent track record moves in the directions of collaboration, consolidation and synergy,” AIF President and CEO Alex Counts said in the release. “American India Foundation is proud to have EDF join us as our Houston chapter and become part of our growing national network of volunteer leaders. We will carry forward EDF’s proud traditions just as they will help us advance our bold poverty reduction goals.”
“Our work these past ten years at the Ek Disha Foundation has led to a reinforced belief that working with organizations on the ground can improve development effectiveness,” Ek Disha President Swati Narayan said. “It is with that belief that we have joined efforts with the American India Foundation to amplify our ability to affect change for the marginalized and underserved populations in the Indian subcontinent.”
Ek Disha has partnered with more than 20 nonprofits in India in the past decade, impacting 140,000 lives.
The AIF, which has been in existence for 15 years, has impacted 3.1 million lives in India.