Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras

Educational Fundraisingjoyofgiving.alumni.iitm.ac.in

The Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations is a non-commercial IIT Madras department that operates the "Joy of Giving" fundraising platform, enabling alumni, corporates, and well-wishers to donate to scholarships, research, infrastructure, and student programs via domestic and global giving channels.

Company typePrivate
Founded1959
HeadquartersChennai, India
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras does

The Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations (ACR) is a non-commercial departmental unit of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), a government-funded institution of national importance established in 1959. It operates the "Joy of Giving" web-based fundraising and donor-management platform (joyofgiving.alumni.iitm.ac.in), which enables alumni, corporate partners, and well-wishers to contribute to a structured portfolio of causes spanning student financial support (scholarships, distress funds, mess funds, laptops), research and innovation (Centre for Innovation student projects, research scholar funds, the School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation), infrastructure (hostel renovations, smart classrooms, the Heritage Centre), and annual cultural and technical events (Saarang, Shaastra, Robowars, Mechanica). The platform integrates OTP-based user verification, multiple payment gateway options (credit/debit cards, net banking, international wire transfer, Interac), and a recurring monthly giving programme called GEM.

The office does not generate commercial revenue. Its inflows are entirely philanthropic: voluntary donations routed through the platform and supplemented by direct cheque, wire transfer, shares, and immovable property contributions, all of which qualify for 100% tax deduction under Section 80(g) of the Indian Income Tax Act. Distribution leverages three overseas fundraising affiliates — IITM Foundation (USA), IITUK (UK), and Canadian Friends of IIT Madras — that act as regional giving portals, alongside a domestic self-serve channel and direct outreach by the Dean-led ACR team for major institutional gifts. The platform's reach is anchored to IIT Madras's brand equity, evidenced by its consistent #1 NIRF University ranking and an alumni network that includes founders of Infosys, Cognizant, CAMS, AmZetta, and Fairfax Financial Holdings.

The office is staffed by a small team (11 employees) led by Dean Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam (Department of Civil Engineering). It reports no external funding rounds, M&A activity, or private ownership; its operating mandate is to convert alumni affinity and brand prestige into funded projects for the institute rather than to run a profit-generating enterprise.

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras
Legal name: IIT Madras
Website: https://joyofgiving.alumni.iitm.ac.in
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1959
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: The Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations is a non-commercial IIT Madras department that operates the "Joy of Giving" fundraising platform, enabling alumni, corporates, and well-wishers to donate to scholarships, research, infrastructure, and student programs via domestic and global giving channels.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras industry classification

Industry

Product category: Educational Fundraising
NAICS: Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
akta.pro primary industry: Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship) (EDALAOAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC), Scholarships, Grants & Donor-Funded Awards Management (EDALAJAB)

Keywords

Alumni fundraising
Donor management
Educational philanthropy
University donations
Alumni relations

Where Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Chennai
HQ country: India
HQ region: Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: The organization generates revenue through voluntary donations from alumni, corporations, and well-wishers. Donations support specific projects (scholarships, research, infrastructure) or general institute funds. All donations are tax-deductible under Section 80(g) of Indian Income Tax Act.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Flexible giving - any amount

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations (ACR) at IIT Madras operates the Joy of Giving platform—a web-based fundraising and donor management system that enables alumni and corporate donors to contribute to IIT Madras across categories including scholarships, research, infrastructure, innovation, and student welfare. Donations are 100% tax-deductible under Section 80(g) of the Indian Income Tax Act, with global giving corridors in India, USA, UK, and Canada.

Product overview

The Joy of Giving platform is a unified web-based fundraising and alumni engagement platform operated by the Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations at IIT Madras. It serves as the primary portal for soliciting and managing donations across a broad portfolio of causes — spanning student financial support (scholarships, distress funds, living expenses), research and innovation (Centre for Innovation student projects, research scholar funds, School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation), infrastructure (hostel renovations, smart classrooms, seminar halls), international programmes (Zanzibar campus, student travel grants), cultural and technical events (Saarang, Shaastra, Mechanica, Robowars), and institutional funds (Endowment Fund, Annual Fund, General Institute Fund). The platform integrates multiple payment mechanisms for donors in India and internationally, with dedicated giving portals through IITM Foundation (US), IITUK (UK), and Canadian Friends of IIT Madras. Related initiatives include Alma Matters (story-sharing blog), the Donor Wall (recognition), and the Heritage Centre (legacy archive).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Centre for Innovation (CFI): Student innovation hub at IIT Madras established in 2008 with support from Class of 1981
School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Manohar C. Watsa Stadium
Sudha and Shankar Innovation Hub

Products and services

Joy of Giving Platform A web-based fundraising and donor management platform enabling alumni and corporate donors to contribute to IIT Madras across multiple giving categories including scholarships, research, infrastructure, innovation, and student support. All donations are 100% tax-deductible under Section 80(g) of the Indian Income Tax Act.
Give Every Month (GEM) A monthly recurring donation programme allowing donors to set up automated recurring contributions to IIT Madras, supporting ongoing student and institutional needs.
IITM Foundation (US Giving Portal) Dedicated donation portal operated by the IITM Foundation (USA) for alumni and donors in the United States to contribute to IIT Madras with tax-efficient giving options for American donors.
IITUK (UK Giving Portal) Dedicated donation portal operated by IITUK for British alumni and donors to support IIT Madras with Gift Aid-eligible giving options.
Canadian Friends of IIT Madras Canadian entity facilitating donations to IIT Madras via wire transfers (TD Bank) and Interac e-transfers from Canadian alumni and well-wishers.

Quantifiable outcome

15000+ donors and 1500+ Cr received
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras

Customer profile

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and social impact.

IITM Foundation (USA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based fundraising partner organization facilitating tax-efficient donations from American donors. Located at iitmfoundation.org.
IITUK (UK)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based partner for British alumni and donors, facilitating donations through www.iituk.org.
Canadian Friends of IIT MadrascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian entity facilitating donations with wire transfer (TD Bank) and Interac e-transfers ([email protected]).
SocIITysupportOthersAlumni networking platform for IIT Madras graduates at sociity.in.
Teach for Indiasocial impactStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial campaign collaborator for Saarang 2025's Empower initiative supporting individuals with physical disabilities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Emerging players

Givebutter: Modern fundraising platform for nonprofits and educational institutions. While not alumni-specific, it provides technology infrastructure comparable to the Joy of Giving portal — online donations, recurring giving, peer-to-peer campaigns, and event ticketing.
AlumniTek / Graduation Alliance (Graduway): Alumni engagement and fundraising SaaS platform serving universities globally. Comparable as the technology layer powering alumni networking, giving campaigns, and community engagement — adjacent to the in-house Joy of Giving platform.

Direct peers

IIT Delhi Alumni Association: Alumni relations and fundraising arm of IIT Delhi, running donation drives for scholarships, research, and infrastructure. Comparable in operating model — premier Indian engineering institute with corporate and alumni donor base.
IIT Kharagpur Alumni Foundation: US-based 501(c)(3) foundation supporting IIT Kharagpur, similar in structure to IITM Foundation (USA). Both facilitate tax-efficient giving from American alumni to the parent institute.
IISc (Indian Institute of Science) Alumni Association: Alumni association of India's premier science and research institution. Comparable as a top-ranked Indian public research institution with a global alumni donor base and major-gift programs.
IIT Kanpur Alumni Association: Office of Dean of Resources and Alumni (DoRA) at IIT Kanpur, which manages fundraising and alumni engagement. Directly comparable as a peer IIT advancement office with similar giving categories and donor demographics.
IIT Bombay Alumni Association (HERC / Donor Platform): Alumni fundraising and engagement platform for IIT Bombay, the closest comparable IIT with a similarly large alumni base and active donor programs. Directly comparable in structure: institute-led giving portal, batch reunions, scholarships, and infrastructure funding.

Regional players

Aga Khan Foundation: Large international development philanthropy organization with structured fundraising operations across multiple geographies. Comparable as a benchmark for managing institutional giving, project-based funding, and donor stewardship at scale across multiple countries.

Broad incumbents

MIT Office of Philanthropic Partnerships / Alumni Fund: MIT's alumni giving and fundraising operation is the global benchmark referenced by IIT Madras's positioning ('quality comparable to top institutes like MIT'). Comparable in donor journey design, recurring giving programs, and major-gift stewardship.
Stanford University Office of Development: One of the world's leading university fundraising operations. While structurally larger and global, it represents the gold-standard model for advancement services, donor stewardship, and endowment management that comparable Indian institute platforms aspire toward.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance2 records

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras

What does Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras do?

Is Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras a public or private company?

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras founded?

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras was founded in 1959. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras based?

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras is headquartered in Chennai, India, in the Asia region.

How does Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras make money?

One revenue line is on record: donations and Philanthropic Contributions.

Who are Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras's main competitors?

Emerging players on record are Givebutter and AlumniTek / Graduation Alliance (Graduway). Direct peers are IIT Delhi Alumni Association, IIT Kharagpur Alumni Foundation, IISc (Indian Institute of Science) Alumni Association, IIT Kanpur Alumni Association and IIT Bombay Alumni Association (HERC / Donor Platform). Aga Khan Foundation is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are MIT Office of Philanthropic Partnerships / Alumni Fund and Stanford University Office of Development.

Does Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras have an API?

No public API is recorded for Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras.

What industry is Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras in?

Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras's product category is Educational Fundraising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAOAD, Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship), with a secondary code of EDALAOAB, Fundraising & Annual Giving. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.