Butterflies NGO

What Butterflies NGO does

Butterflies is a Delhi-registered non-profit organisation founded in 1989 that protects and empowers street-connected children and other vulnerable young people in India, with the goal of breaking intergenerational cycles of illiteracy and poverty. It is led by Director Rita Panicker, who has headed the organisation since inception, and is registered under the Societies Act 1860, the Indian Public Trust Act 1950, and FCRA 1976, with 80G tax-exempt status. Its core programmes include the Street Education Programme (non-formal, NIOS-accredited education delivered at eight fixed contact points across Delhi, reaching over 1,000 children daily), Mobile Schools / Mobile Learning Centres delivering NCERT-aligned education via laptops, LCD TVs, and libraries to remote areas of Delhi and Uttarakhand, and Non Residential Special Training Centres operated under an MoU with the Government of Uttarakhand. Distinctive offerings include the Children's Development Khazana (CDK), a cooperative-based financial literacy and savings programme for children aged 9–18 that as of March 2019 had 23,247 members across 8 countries and 10 Indian states with US$103,484 in collective savings; Chakhle Dilli, a vocational culinary and catering institute for street-connected youth whose catering income funds programmes; and Butterflies Broadcasting Children (BBC), India's first radio show hosted by children on All India Radio FM Rainbow Delhi.

The business model is a hybrid of donations, grants, and social enterprise revenue. Individual donations (including Zakat) are accepted online, by demand draft, cash, or bank transfer, with PayU Money as the payment gateway; institutional grants come from Misereor, Comic Relief, FIFA Foundation, and Indian central and state governments; and Chakhle Dilli generates earned income from catering clients including UNICEF, NIPCCD, CHILDLINE India Foundation, Save Life Foundation, CBGA, Breakthrough, IGSSS, the Embassy of Ireland, and JW Marriott Hotel. International giving is channelled through the Butterflies USA Foundation on Etapestry. All programmes centre children's participation via Bal Sabha (Children's Council), and the organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees with independent annual audits.

Name

Butterflies NGO

Legal name

Butterflies

Website

https://butterfliesngo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Butterflies NGO is a Delhi-registered non-profit founded in 1989 that delivers non-formal education, mobile schools, vocational culinary training, and a child-managed cooperative savings programme to street-connected and out-of-school children across Delhi, Uttarakhand, and eight other countries, funded via individual donations, institutional grants, and catering income from Chakhle Dilli.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Non-Formal Education Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Communication, Collaboration & Conflict Resolution Skills (EDAMAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health, Wellness & Self-Care Skills (Sleep, Nutrition, Habits) (EDAMAIAJ)

Keywords

• Street children education
• Child welfare programs
• Non-formal education
• Youth vocational training
• Child rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individuals: Individual donors can make online donations through the website, demand drafts, cash donations, or bank transfers. All donations are 100% tax-exempt under section 80G.
2. Chakhle Dilli Catering Income: Butterflies School of Culinary and Catering generates revenue through catering services and staff meals. All income from Chakhle Dilli goes directly to supporting street-connected children.
3. Institutional Grants: Butterflies receives support from central and state governments of India, international organisations, and foundations including Misereor, Comic Relief, and FIFA Foundation.
4. Zakat Donations: Accepts Zakat donations from Muslim donors to support vulnerable children with education, healthcare and life skills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Butterflies NGO delivers non-institutional education, life skills, healthcare, and vocational training programmes directly to street-connected children in Delhi and Uttarakhand. Its portfolio includes the Street Education Programme (NIOS-accredited), Mobile Learning Centres, the Children's Development Khazana (a child-managed financial literacy cooperative), Butterflies Broadcasting Children radio show, Bal Sabha children's councils, and the Chakhle Dilli culinary vocational institute and catering social enterprise. All programmes are offered free of charge to beneficiaries and are funded through donations, grants, and social enterprise income.

Product overview

Butterflies NGO operates as a non-profit organization with a portfolio of interconnected programmes focused on street children in Delhi and Uttarakhand, India. The core offerings include the Street Education Programme providing non-formal education at contact points across Delhi, Mobile Schools reaching remote areas, Children's Development Khazana (a child-managed financial literacy and savings programme), Butterflies Broadcasting Children (a child-hosted radio programme on All India Radio), and the Butterflies School of Culinary and Catering vocational training institute. Children's participation is central to all programmes, facilitated through Bal Sabha (Children's Council). The NGO also produces publications including research papers, newsletters, comic books, and posters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Butterflies Broadcasting Children (BBC): India's first radio show by children - 'Bachon Ki Nazar Se – Through The Eyes of a Child' broadcast on All India Radio FM Rainbow Delhi 102.6MHz
• Chakhle Dilli
• Children's Development Khazana (CDK)

Products and services

• Street Education Programme Non-institutional education programme that reaches street-connected children at 8 contact points in Delhi (Chandni Chowk, Haathi Park, Kashmiri Gate, INA Market, Sadar Bazar, Jama Masjid, Nizamuddin Dargah, Okhla) using the formal/national syllabus with informal methodology. Accredited by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), the programme serves street children who have limited or no access to formal schooling.
• Mobile Schools (Mobile Learning Centre) Mobile education programme delivering quality education at the doorstep of children in remote areas of Delhi and Uttarakhand. Equipped with laptops, LCD TVs, education software, children's libraries, and recreational materials, with lesson plans developed following NCERT guidelines and tailored to local context.
• Children's Development Khazana (CDK) Life skills education programme on financial management and democratic values for children aged 9-18, in which children serve as members, volunteer managers, and promoters of their own cooperatives. As of March 2019, it was operational in 8 countries and 10 states of India with 23,247 child members and savings of US$ 103,484 held in mainstream banks.
• Butterflies Broadcasting Children (BBC) India's first radio show by and for children, broadcast on All India Radio FM Rainbow Delhi 102.6 MHz every Tuesday at 4:05 pm. The programme enables children to tell their own stories and bridge the gap between adult and child perceptions.
• Butterflies School of Culinary and Catering (Chakhle Dilli) India's first vocational institute in culinary and catering for street and street-connected youth, providing hospitality training with staff meals and catering services. All catering income is directed to supporting street-connected children.
• Bal Sabha (Children's Council) Platform for children to meet, discuss, and decide on issues concerning them. Small Bal Sabhas are held monthly at each contact point, with a Big Bal Sabha bringing together child representatives from all contact points. Described as the soul of Butterflies.
• Intervention in Uttarakhand Programme run in partnership with the Government of Uttarakhand's Samagrah Shiksha Abhiyan, supporting out-of-school children of migrant families and dropouts through multipurpose mobile schools and Non Residential Special Training Centres (NRSTCs) in Dehradun, Haridwar, and Uddham Singh Nagar.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23,247 children enrolled in CDK programme with US$ 103,484 in savings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli, Butterflies' vocational culinary institute. This partnership supports the social enterprise model where catering income directly funds programmes for street-connected children.
• NIPCCDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli, supporting the vocational training programme for street youth.
• CHILDLINE India FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHILDLINE India Foundation is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli. Butterflies also works closely with CHILDLINE for child rescue operations.
• JW Marriott HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJW Marriott Hotel provides industrial exposure visits for students of Butterflies School of Culinary & Catering, helping train street-connected youth in hospitality skills.
• Government of Uttarakhand (Samagrah Shiksha Abhiyan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership under Memorandum of Understanding for supporting out-of-school children education. Butterflies operates Non Residential Special Training Centres (NRSTCs) in Dehradun, Haridwar and Uddham Singh Nagar.
• Butterflies USA FoundationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based sister organisation that accepts donations from US and other international donors through its online platform, enabling international support for Butterflies' work in India.
• Family for Every ChildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational alliance of child-focused organisations sharing knowledge and best practices on children's issues.
• Save Life FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoad safety NGO that is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli.
• CBGAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre for Budget and Governance Accountability is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli.
• BreakthroughminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman rights organisation is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli.
• AspireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli.
• Action IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial organisation is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli.
• IGSSSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndo-Global Social Service Foundation is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli.
• Embassy of IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic mission that is a catering client of Chakhle Dilli.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aide et Action India: International education-focused NGO with India operations supporting marginalized children's access to quality education. Comparable in life skills and education access mission but operates as part of a broader global network.
• CHILDLINE India Foundation: National 24-hour child helpline and emergency outreach service for children in distress. Already a Butterflies catering client and operational partner; comparable in child protection mandate but much broader national reach via helpline infrastructure.
• Save the Children India: Indian arm of an international child rights NGO operating across education, health, and child protection at national scale. Significantly larger and broader in scope than Butterflies but operates in the same child welfare domain.

Direct peers

• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest NGOs focused on education access for underprivileged children, with nationwide programmes for out-of-school children. Comparable mission in education access and life skills, though much larger in scale.
• Mobile Creches: Delhi-headquartered NGO providing early childhood care and education to children of migrant construction workers. Comparable operating base, child welfare focus, and use of mobile delivery models to reach vulnerable children in non-traditional settings.
• Child in Need Institute (CINI): West Bengal-based NGO working on child rights, nutrition, education, and protection for vulnerable children. Comparable integrated child welfare approach combining education, health, and life skills programming.
• Salaam Baalak Trust: Delhi-based NGO providing shelter, education, and protection to street and working children. Directly comparable to Butterflies in target population, geography, and non-institutional support model, with overlapping programmes in non-formal education and life skills.
• Railway Children India: Indian arm of UK-based Railway Children focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, and educating children at railway platforms and stations. Highly comparable mission (street-connected children in Delhi) and similar non-institutional outreach methodology.

Others

• Butterflies USA Foundation: Sister non-profit organization to Butterflies India that channels US donor contributions through Etapestry. Same mission via fundraising conduit; included as it represents a unique US-India non-profit funding architecture relevant for understanding Butterflies' full operating structure.

Regional players

• Terre des Hommes India: Indian branch of Swiss child rights NGO working on migration, child labour, and street children with comparable non-formal education and protection programmes. Comparable mission; partnered internationally with development networks also including Butterflies (Family for Every Child).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/butterfliesngo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCmnkRhxTdwOsZlCpknxFJA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Butterfliesngo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/butterfliesngo
• Instagraminstagram.com/butterfliesngo

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Butterflies NGO