Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust - Project WHY

What Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust - Project WHY does

Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust, operating under the brand Project WHY, is a Delhi-headquartered nonprofit registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 on 8 May 1998. Founded by Anouradha Bakshi, with field operations beginning in 2000, the organization delivers free after-school education and wraparound support services to underprivileged children and women across six physical centres — five in South Delhi slums (Giri Nagar, Govindpuri, Madanpur Khadar, Okhla, Yamuna) and one in Dehradun — reaching approximately 1,200 children annually. Over 25 years it claims to have transformed the lives of 10,000+ children and women, with documented outcomes including four alumni admitted to IITs.

The core offering is holistic after-school education for grades 1-12, supplemented by a mid-day meal programme for youngest students, computer education for 600 students and 20 teachers, digital learning sessions for high schoolers, and a recently launched (2024) beauty skills training centre for women. Specialized programmes include a boarding school placement scheme for at-risk children and "Heartfix Hotel" sponsorship for paediatric heart surgeries. The defining operational model is community-sourced staffing: all 50 Resource Persons (teachers) are recruited from the communities served, and alumni frequently return as staff, creating a self-reinforcing local talent pipeline.

The business model is entirely donation-dependent, with no institutional or government support. Revenue derives from individual donors, family foundations (Adish & Asha Jain Foundation, Trivedi Foundation, Max India Foundation), and international supporters (Enfances Indiennes, Project Why Germany, Asha for Education). The trust holds 12A and 80G tax exemption certificates plus FCRA clearance (231660437) enabling cross-border donations. Distribution is direct centre-based service delivery at zero cost to beneficiaries, with a recent buildout of digital channels (YouTube @ProjectWHYOnline, @ProjectWhy2000) and a community digital studio to extend lessons beyond physical locations.

Name

Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust - Project WHY

Legal name

Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust

Website

https://projectwhy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust, branded Project WHY, is a Delhi-based nonprofit providing free after-school education, nutrition, digital learning, and skill training to underprivileged children and women across six centres in South Delhi and Dehradun, reaching 1,200 children annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enrichment-Focused Before/After Care (Arts, STEM, Language) (EDACAHAI), Community & Nonprofit Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAD)

Keywords

• Charitable education services
• After-school education support
• Women skill development
• Nonprofit community programs
• Child education support

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual and Foundation Donations: Project WHY depends entirely on individual donors, major donors (e.g., Adish & Asha Jain Foundation, Trivedi Foundation, Max India Foundation), and institutional funders. No institutional or government support is received. Nearly all funds go back to community programmes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Project WHY provides free, holistic after-school education and support services to underprivileged children (grades 1-12) and women in South Delhi and Dehradun through six community learning centres. Core offerings include after-school academic support, computer and digital learning, a mid-day meal nutrition program, women's skill development (beauty, sewing, employability), boarding school placement, and sponsorship of heart surgeries for children in need.

Product overview

Project WHY is a single unified charitable program operated by Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust, offering a comprehensive portfolio of education and support services for underprivileged children and women in Delhi and Dehradun, India. The core offering is its after-school education support program (grades 1-12) supplemented by skill development training for women, computer/digital learning classes, a mid-day meal nutrition program, and healthcare support including heart surgery sponsorship. The organization operates 6 centres (5 in South Delhi, 1 in Dehradun) reaching approximately 1200 children annually, with educational content also distributed via YouTube channels (ProjectWHYOnline and ProjectWhy2000).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• After-School Education Support Free, quality after-school educational support curriculum for underprivileged children in grades 1-12, encompassing academic goals, moral character development, and professional career guidance with experiential learning for holistic development. Delivered at six community centres in South Delhi and Dehradun.
• Skill Development Programs Women's skill development program providing employability skills and basic education, including a beauty skills centre and sewing classes, enabling women from the community to become productive members and achieve economic self-reliance.
• Mid-day Meal Program
• Computer and Digital Learning Computer education classes from Class I onwards (thrice weekly), digital learning sessions for high school students, and a state-of-the-art recording studio producing video lessons for classes 9-12, available on dedicated YouTube channels.
• Project WHY YouTube Channels Dedicated YouTube channels (ProjectWHYOnline and ProjectWhy2000) for uploading lessons and digital documentation of impact stories, enabling free online learning access for students in grades 9-12 and beyond.
• Boarding School Support Provides safe housing and education support through boarding school placement for children in need, including those without homes or requiring special care, such as children whose parents are in rehabilitation or who lack family support.
• Heartfix Hotel (Heart Surgery Sponsorship) Sponsorship program for heart surgeries for children from underprivileged backgrounds who require critical medical intervention, extending Project WHY's support beyond education to health.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 children and women have had their lives transformed over 25 years.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Modicare FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on life skills workshops for children and adolescents covering topics such as life skills, good and bad touch awareness, growing up and adolescence, and self-esteem.
• Azure HospitalityminorOthersProvided hot lunches to over 150 persons during 10 days of flood relief. Treats children to lunch at Dhaba restaurant chain on Children's Day. Purchased Rakhi and Diya items made by special needs children.
• Avantika Chopra / Fuel-a-DreamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLed a crowdfunding initiative on the Fuel-a-Dream platform raising over 24 lakh rupees. Also helped increase Project WHY's visibility in India and inducted onto the Board as Advisor.
• Rotary ClubminorOthersProvided tents and sleeping bags to flood-affected families in the Yamuna centre area.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest NGOs focused on education for underprivileged children, operating across multiple states with after-school support, remedial learning, and vocational training programs that directly overlap with Project WHY's mission, though at significantly larger scale.
• Smile Foundation: National Indian NGO running education, healthcare, and livelihood programs for underprivileged children and women, with a focus on after-school education centres that overlap directly with Project WHY's core offering, though across a broader portfolio of causes.
• Teach For India: Places high-potential graduates as teachers in low-income schools across Indian cities, addressing the same educational equity gap Project WHY targets for underprivileged children, with comparable centre-based delivery in Delhi.
• Bharti Foundation: Corporate foundation running the Satya Bharti School program for underprivileged rural and urban children across India, sharing Project WHY's focus on educational equity and community engagement, but operating primarily full-day schools rather than after-school centres.
• Room to Read: Global nonprofit operating literacy and gender-equality education programs across India and other low-income countries, comparable in mission and after-school support focus, though typically operating at a much larger geographic and capital scale.

Direct peers

• Door Step School: Mumbai-based NGO providing education support to underprivileged children living in urban slums, including after-school classes, bridge schools, and community-based delivery — highly comparable in operating model, target beneficiary, and city-based service structure.
• Akanksha Foundation: Operates a network of after-school support centres (the Akanksha Schools) for underprivileged children in Mumbai and Pune, providing holistic education, teacher training, and community engagement — a near-direct functional analogue to Project WHY's centre-based model.

Emerging players

• Educate Girls: Focused on enrolling and retaining out-of-school girls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and other Indian states — a partial overlap with Project WHY's mission of supporting underprivileged children through community-driven education interventions.
• Make A Difference (MAD): India-based nonprofit providing education and life-skills support to underprivileged children in shelter homes across multiple Indian cities, sharing Project WHY's volunteer-driven, centre-based model and focus on holistic youth development.
• Magic Bus India Foundation: Works with underprivileged adolescents across India on education, life skills, and employability, sharing Project WHY's community-based delivery and outcome-focused approach, but with a stronger emphasis on sports and adolescent transitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/projectwhydelhi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ProjectWhy2000
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectwhydelhi
• Instagraminstagram.com/projectwhyindia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sri-ram-goburdhun-charitable-trust-project-why

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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