Child Rights and You

What Child Rights and You does

Child Rights and You (CRY) is an Indian non-governmental organization founded in 1979 by Rippan Kapur in Mumbai, operating as a registered charitable trust under Section 80G of the Indian Income Tax Act (charity number F-0005208(GBR)). CRY delivers child rights programs across four pillars — education, health and nutrition, safety and protection (against child labour, marriage, and trafficking), and child participation — through a hybrid direct-delivery and partner-intermediated model. As of 2025-26, CRY reports reaching 23,38,980 children across 23 states and 125 districts of India, executed through 165 grassroots project partners, with regional offices in Mumbai (HQ), New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Outcome metrics include 91% of children (6–18 years) in project areas in school (14 percentage points above India's GER of 69%), 96% of children under 5 protected from undernourishment (vs. 32% all-India rate per NFHS 5), 88% of adolescent girls protected from child marriage, and 90% of children protected from child labour. Key programmatic offerings include Academic Support Centres (interactive audio-visual classes), Psychosocial Support Centres, Digital Multimedia Vans and tablet-based learning, Kitchen Gardens across 12 states, and dedicated campaigns such as #YellowFellow, #PooriPadhaiDeshKiBhalai (girls' education), and #LetsTalkAboutPeriods. CRY's rights-based methodology operates simultaneously at the family, community, public, and government levels to drive systemic change rather than one-off charitable relief. The organization maintains affiliated but legally independent entities CRY America (US 501(c)(3)) and CRY UK to enable tax-deductible cross-border donations; all funds raised by CRY India are restricted to Indian beneficiaries.

CRY's revenue model is diversified across six streams: one-time individual donations (₹500–₹40,000 tiers), monthly recurring donor subscriptions, corporate CSR grants and cause-marketing partnerships, face-to-face fundraising via third-party channel partners, CRY Gift Cards (occasion-based giving), and legacy/bequest giving. Donations are processed online through payment gateways (Billdesk, Paytm, Razorpay) and qualify for 50% tax exemption under Section 80G. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer online fundraising, high-profile social-media-driven awareness campaigns (#YellowFellow reached 4.3 Crore people), event-driven engagement (including a Guinness World Record-setting activation), and enterprise-grade corporate CSR partnerships (notably a long-standing relationship with Titan since 2002). The organization is governed by a board and led by CEO Puja Marwaha (in role since 2009). It holds GuideStar India Platinum (highest transparency tier), is certified as a Great Place to Work, and has been recognized globally as one of The Elders' 100 #SparksOfHope.

Name

Child Rights and You

Legal name

Child Rights and You

Website

https://cry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Child Rights and You (CRY), founded in 1979, is an Indian non-profit delivering education, health, nutrition, and child protection programs to underprivileged children across 23 states and 125 districts through 165 grassroots partners, funded by individual donations, corporate CSR grants, legacy gifts, and gift cards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. CRY accepts online donations via credit/debit cards, net banking, UPI, and wallets. Monthly donor program available with annual tax receipts.
2. Corporate CSR Grants: Corporate Social Responsibility grants from companies. CRY has partnerships with corporations for cause-related marketing, event sponsorships, adopt-a-project programs, and payroll giving.
3. Legacy Giving: Bequests and planned gifts through wills. Options include donating a share of estate, monetary gifts, special items, life insurance beneficiaries, retirement assets, or creating named funds.
4. Gift Cards: CRY Gift Cards available for various occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, Diwali, Christmas, etc.) that allow donors to make donations on behalf of loved ones.
5. Third-Party Channel Partners: Face-to-face marketing and tele-calling representatives who raise funds on behalf of CRY. Each representative has ID card and can collect donations via cheques, demand drafts, and digital mediums.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Child Rights and You (CRY) is an Indian nonprofit founded in 1979 that works to ensure children's rights across education, health and nutrition, safety and protection, and child participation. It raises funds through individual donations, corporate CSR grants, and sponsorships, and channels resources through a network of 165 grassroots project partners across 23 Indian states to deliver on-ground child welfare programs.

Product overview

Child Rights and You (CRY) operates as a nonprofit organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist primarily of charitable programs organized around child welfare focus areas: education, health and nutrition, protection from child labor and marriage, and child participation. The primary service is the Academic Support Centres program, which provides educational and psychosocial support to underserved children. Additional offerings include CRY Gift Cards (donation gift products), a Legacy Giving Program (planned giving), Digital Learning Support (technology-enabled education), Kitchen Gardens (nutrition programs), and various awareness campaigns (#YellowFellow, Poori Padhai Desh Ki Bhalai, Let's Talk About Periods). An Online Donation Portal enables public contributions with tax benefits. The organization works through 165 project partners across 23 Indian states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• #YellowFellow: An award-winning CRY campaign that mobilizes citizens to raise awareness for every child's right to a happy childhood. Campaign reached 4.3 Crore people across India.
• #PooriPadhaiDeshKiBhalai
• #LetsTalkAboutPeriods
• Legacy Giving Program

Products and services

• Academic Support Centres Centres that provide academic support to underprivileged children, helping them stay in school and improve learning outcomes; intended for children from marginalized communities in India.
• CRY Gift Cards A digital or physical gift card product that allows individual donors to donate to CRY's child welfare programs as a gift to friends, family, or colleagues.
• Legacy Giving Program A planned-giving program that allows individuals to leave a bequest or legacy contribution to support CRY's long-term child rights work.
• Digital Learning Support Digital learning initiatives that provide children access to online educational resources and remote learning support, particularly relevant during and after the COVID-19 disruption to schools.
• Kitchen Gardens Program A nutrition program that sets up kitchen gardens in communities to improve children's access to fresh, nutritious food and address malnutrition.
• Psychosocial Support Centres Centres offering psychosocial counselling and emotional support to children, including those affected by trauma, abuse, or distress.
• Online Donation Portal An online donation portal that enables individual and corporate donors to make one-time or recurring financial contributions to CRY's child welfare programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of children (6-18 years) in CRY project areas are in school, 14% better than national GER of 69%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• #YellowFellow Campaign PartnersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Merchandising partner, content partner, and restaurant partners for #YellowFellow campaign. Campaign reached 4.3 Crore people with participation from 4150+ people including 90 celebrities and influencers.
• Titan Company LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Long-standing partnership beginning with Titan CRY Education Fund. Former CEO Jacob Kurian collaborated on Microlite flight campaign raising Rs. 75 lakh. TATA Council of Community Initiatives collaboration. Titan supported creating urban play spaces for children. Titan provided resources and employee engagement for child rights cause.
• Rolls-RoyceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2002Original sponsor of Microlite flight campaign that partnered with Titan and CRY. Flight from Farnborough Air Show in England to India created awareness for child rights cause.
• GuideStar IndiacoreOthersGuideStar India conducts due diligence on legal and financial compliances, verifies documents against regulatory authorities, and awards Platinum certification to CRY for transparency and accountability.
• Account AidcoreOthersFirm of chartered accountants specializing in non-profit sector that aids CRY's regular budgeting and reporting systems to ensure optimal use of resources by project partners.
• The EldersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutonomous group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. Recognized CRY as one of 100 #SparksOfHope for work in child rights, particularly taking children out of labour and placing them back in school.
• CRY America (USA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLegally registered Section 501(c)(3) entity under US Income Tax Laws. Allows US residents to avail tax exemption on donations to CRY's work in India.
• CRY UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLegally registered charity under UK Income Tax Laws. Allows UK residents to donate and avail tax exemption. Also accepts donations from NRIs with international bank accounts.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bachpan Bachao Andolan: Founded by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, focused on child labour elimination, education, and trafficking — directly comparable on child-protection mission and advocacy-driven approach.
• Plan India (ChildFund India): Indian operation of the global Plan International network, focused on children's rights, girls' education, and child protection across India — closely mirrors CRY's thematic priorities and partner-led delivery model.
• Save the Children India: India arm of the global Save the Children network, working on child rights, education, health, and protection. Most directly comparable peer to CRY in mission, target population, and fundraising model.
• Akshaya Patra Foundation: Large Indian NGO running the world's largest mid-day meal program for school children, with significant CSR and individual donor funding. Comparable scale and geographic reach as CRY.
• World Vision India: India arm of World Vision International, supporting child welfare, education, and community development through sponsorship and partnerships. Comparable in scale, donor base, and grassroots partner approach.
• Childline India Foundation: India's national child helpline, working on child protection, emergency response, and rehabilitation. Comparable in child-rights focus and pan-India presence, though funded primarily by government.
• Smile Foundation: National-level Indian NGO running programs in child education, healthcare, and livelihood, with a similar donor-funded model and partner-based delivery across multiple states.
• Pratham: One of India's largest education NGOs, focused on ensuring quality education for underprivileged children. Comparable in scale, grassroots delivery, and education-outcome emphasis.
• Bal Raksha Bharat (SOS Children's Villages India): India arm of SOS Children's Villages, focused on alternative care, family strengthening, and child rights — directly comparable in child-welfare focus and individual-donor funding model.

Others

• Give India: India's leading online donation platform aggregating NGOs including CRY. Not a direct child-welfare peer, but a key channel/ecosystem partner that influences CRY's digital fundraising reach and donor acquisition costs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CRYINDIA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=KWlbR3QuwJM
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.cry.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.cry.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/reel/C8mb9RIt2Ko

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Child Rights and You