SECTION1: About #DaanUtsav
1. What is #DaanUtsav?
#DaanUtsav is India’s festival of giving, celebrated all over India, between October 2-8 each year. It is a platform for all across the country to celebrate the joy in giving back to society. Everyone can reach out to someone less privileged – by donating money, volunteering time, providing your skills and even just saying a kind word to someone who may not have expected it from you. Just like Diwali, Christmas, Id, Durga Puja or Holi, or like special days (such as Earth Day, Mother’s Day, etc.), the ‘festival’ doesn’t have any specific format, nor is it “owned” by anyone.
a) When will the event be held?
The events under #DaanUtsav will be held from Oct 2-8. #DaanUtsav is a festival and not an event by itself- just like millions of people celebrate Diwali or Mother’s Day in various different ways, people celebrate #DaanUtsav in different ways by organising their own giving events, or doing acts of giving and kindness themselves.
b) Where will it be held?
Events will be held all over India
c) Who are the people behind #DaanUtsav?
#DaanUtsav is a festival and not an organisation- like Diwali or Father’s Day, there is no specific individual behind it. The idea is being promoted by volunteers spread all over India.
d) How was #DaanUtsav conceived?
Many people from across India came together and put together the concept, including people from NGOs, corporate, schools, government, colleges, etc. It is not any 1 person or organisation’s idea.
e) Who can participate in DaanUtsav?
Anybody can participate in DaanUtsav. Whether you are a paan wala in Lucknow, a traffic cop in Mumbai, an idli seller in Madurai, a millionaire in Delhi, a multinational company in Bengaluru, a saree shop owner in Kolkata, a teenager in a school or a college goer in Vadodara….
2.What is the purpose for having a #DaanUtsav?
The need is felt for people of India to come together on one platform to help bring about change in our country, by focusing on a POSITIVE emotion- helping others and bringing out the goodness in each of us.
3. Why is it called #DaanUtsav?
Because it is a festival (utsav) of giving (daan).
4. Is this an annual event?
Yes, DaanUtsav is celebrated from October 2 to 8 every year.
5. Can I donate money to #DaanUtsav? What will you use it for?
#DaanUtsav is a platform and does not accept individual donations (just like you can’t donate to Diwali or Father’s Day). However, you can donate through any of the various events listed on the website, if none of them is suitable for you, donate online through various crowdfunding platforms.
6. Can I volunteer with #DaanUtsav? How do I volunteer?
Yes. Both #DaanUtsav itself and many of the events organised need volunteers!
#DaanUtsav volunteers spend their time reaching out to societies or schools/colleges, or NGOs or corporates, explaining the idea of DaanUtsav to them and inviting them to participate in whatever way they want. These volunteers also help such organisations plan their events for DaanUtsav. To volunteer with DaanUtsav itself, please click here.
Different #DaanUtsav events also need volunteers for various purposes. To volunteer with one of the events happening in your city, visit the website after Sep 25, check location wise what events interest you and write to the people behind the event that you would like to volunteer. They will get back to you.
7. Who are the sponsors of #DaanUtsav?
No sponsors. People/Corporates are helping with free services. A strong Volunteer base in cities, towns and villages across India advocates the festival.
SECTION 2: Individuals
1. Can I participate as an individual?
Yes you can participate as an individual. You can plan an Event and register it on the website
2. How will it help make a difference?
We are all drops in an ocean and if we all do something in a small way, while each individual effort may be small, but together it will help make our country a better place.
3. What do I gain by participating?
The “Joy” in “Giving”. What better gain?
4. How can I participate?
View ideas here, and create an event if you want to. Or you can visit the website after Sep 25 and check what events are available in your area for you to join.
a) Why should I participate?
There are crores of people less privileged, challenged and vulnerable and they need your help ☺
b) What should I do to participate?
Pick a cause that you’ve felt strongly about. Locate NGO’s convenient to your location and see if you are able to connect with any of them, and figure out a way to help them during the Week. You can also do something on your own!
c) When can I participate?
That is entirely upto you ☺, but it should be during the Week (Oct 2-8). Events done before the Week (say, Sept 29-Oct 1) or after (say Oct 9-12) are not treated as DaanUtsav events, but events that go throughout the week (e.g., Sept 28-Oct 8 or Oct 2-Oct 12) are OK.
d) For how long would my involvement be required, both in terms of number of days and the number of hours per day?
This depends entirely on you, and what activity you choose to do. If you decide to sponsor a movie ticket for your maid, it would take only 5 minutes of your time. If you decide to organise a fundraising dinner, it might take more than 100 hours of work.
e) Whom do I contact to register my participation?
You can register your participation here on the website.
f) When should I start?
This depends on the idea you have for participation. To take 5 poor children on a “Joy Ride” in your car, you may only need to plan 1 day in advance, but to organise a charity walk in your city, you may need to start 3-6 months before.
SECTION 3: Fundraising by Individuals
1. How can I connect with an NGO?
a) Why should I connect with an NGO?
If you are collecting money through your event, your donors will need receipts and possibly 80G deduction certificates. This is best done through an NGO. Also, if you want to help the poor, an NGO may help you reach people who need your help. However, if you are not collecting money, and you know who you want to help, or if your donors don’t want receipts, then you may not need an NGO.
b) What are benefits of connecting with an NGO?
It gives authenticity to your idea and also gives assurance to the participant that the donation is not going to be misused
c) When should I connect with an NGO?
Once you have frozen on your idea and you will be generating resources with your idea then you should connect to an NGO.
d) Where would these NGOs be based?
An NGO closest to you would be where you start.
e) How credible would these NGOs be?
NGOs which are listed with GiveIndia (www.giveindia.org), or Credibility Alliance (www.credall.org.in) or CAF India (www.cafindia.org) or Guidestar India (www.guidestarindia.org) are credible NGOs.
2. Can I contribute in cash and kind?
Cash can be donated directly to an NGO of your choice.
a) What can be donated?
You can donate anything you want to. Be it clothes, old furniture, old computers, toys and even old newspapers.
b) How can it be donated?
You can donate it to any local non-profit near your place or to credible organisations like Goonj.
c) When should it be donated?
During the week (Oct 2-8).
d) How can we be sure that it will reach the intended recipients?
Pick and work with organisations you trust, or that are refered to you by people you trust.
e) Are there any tax benefits for donations in kind?
There is no tax exemption for inkind donations
- CASH DONATIONS
a) How do I donate money, online or offline?
You can make donations online on any crowdfunding platforms. For offline donations you would need to send it directly to an NGO of your choice.
b) For offline donations, in whose favour should the cheque by drawn?
Please check with the NGO concerned.
c) Where should I send the cheque?
Directly to the postal address of the NGO you wish to donate money to.
d) Will I get a receipt for the donation?
The NGO will send you an 80(G) receipt, if you can confirm that they are eligible.
e) What are the tax benefits for such donations?
Under section 80G of the IT Act you will get a 50% deduction- but please check this with the org you wish to donate to.
SECTION 4: Volunteering for Individuals
1. How do I register to volunteer with an NGO?
Check for opportunities on platforms like iVolunteer, ConnectFor, BuildTheWorld, etc.
a) How do I find the right NGO?
You can try to find NGOs near you on the IamHere.mobi website/ app.
b) Whom do I contact in the NGO?
The contact person will be listed on their website.
2. How can I volunteer my time to an NGO for the week?
The NGO’s own website or team will tell you what you can do.
SECTION 5: DaanUtsav Events and Registering Them on the Website
1. What is a #DaanUtsav event?
Any “giving event” or act of giving, to help the less fortunate is a #DaanUtsav event. The giving can be money (e.g., fundraising event, donation campaign), time (e.g., spending a day at an elderly home or reading to the blind), materials (donating clothes, books and other material) or skills (conducting trainings in English speaking for maids or taxi/auto drivers, accounting for NGO accountants, writing for NGO communicators, etc.), or raising awareness about a cause (environment, elderly, gender parity, etc.)
a) Why should I do an event?
If you find a good event in your area (office, society, town) that you can participate in, please do so. You can also offer to extend an event to your area by contacting the event organisers. But if neither is possible, or if you have an idea of your own, it would be great if you can organise an event yourself.
If people organise events, it allows more and more people to participate in DaanUtsav. If everyone wants to “participate”, we will need at least few people who are willing to organise!
b) Why should I participate in an event?
So that you can do your little bit to make a difference.
c) Can I create my own event or activity?
Yes please do. Please register it on the website. Someone else might get inspired to do an Event similar to yours.
d) What support can I expect from #DaanUtsav volunteers for my event or activity?
#DaanUtsav is a platform for people. Through the website, you may get access to other people. The #DaanUtsav volunteer team also provides information about various events to the media, who pick up events from the #DaanUtsav website to cover. If your event is very significant, please write to us and our volunteer team will see how we can help you.
e) How do I register my event on your website?
Click here.
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