NEW DELHI (AlertNet) - The United States is the biggest donor to India’s charities, contributing almost a third of 103 billion rupees ($2 billion) received by the country’s non profit organisations in 2009/10, the Times of India reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, latest statistics from the home ministry showed that Germany took second spot , replacing Britain, which had been No 2 after the U.S., in the list of donors for several years.
The data showed the U.S. provided over 31 billion rupees ($604 million) to local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) compared to 10.46 billion rupees by Germany, 10.38 billion rupees from Britain, 5.83 billion rupees by Italy and 5 billion rupees from the Netherlands.
These countries have been the top five donors to NGOs for the past several years, consistently making up over 50 percent of the total foreign aid contribution to local charities.
During 2009/10, the majority of this aid was channelled into organisations working in rural development, child welfare, construction and maintenance of schools and colleges, said the report, adding that investment in HIV/AIDs programmes was also significant.
The report said foreign contributions had not just come not just from developed nations. Countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Zambia and Congo a have also provided aid to charities
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