Save a Child

What Save a Child does

Save a Child is a UK-registered charity (No. 328218) and US-recognized 501c3 nonprofit (Tax ID: 80 055 6546), founded in 1986 by Louise Nicholson after her 1985 visit to Kolkata. The organization provides long-term sponsorship to deprived children in India, currently supporting approximately 300 children living in partner residential homes in Delhi, Kolkata, Barrackpore, and rural West Bengal, and claiming over 3,000 children helped since founding. The core product is the long-term child sponsorship program, which matches individual donors with specific children and provides funding for accommodation, health, clothing, education, and practical needs through completion of education and entry to the workforce.

The organization's revenue model is built on subscription-style recurring child sponsorship as the primary stream, supplemented by one-off donations directed to specific projects (counselling, spoken English, football training, Sam's Project, computer lessons) and the UK Gift Aid scheme that lifts donor value by 25%. Per-sponsor pricing is not publicly disclosed; the organization states that over 93% of all funds gathered benefit the children, with the remaining balance covering a lean administrative cost base. Operations are run by 23 staff alongside volunteer trustees, board members, and administrators, with no proprietary technology beyond a child/sponsor tracking database.

Distribution is direct-to-sponsor via the Save a Child website, with annual field trips to India functioning as the primary accountability and donor-engagement mechanism (sponsors receive photographs and progress reports). Marketing relies on the website, the Save a Child Magazine, field trip reports, and word-of-mouth referrals from existing sponsors. Save a Child operates through three core partner NGOs: All Bengal Women's Union (ABWU, since 1985, ~160 girls), Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission (RKVM, since 1997, ~170 sponsored children across 36 centres/homes and 30 schools), and Shridigamber Jain Mahila Ashram in Delhi (suspended in 2023). The 2011 establishment of Save a Child America Inc extends fundraising reach into the United States.

Name

Save a Child

Legal name

Save a Child

Website

https://saveachildindia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Save a Child is a UK-registered charity (founded 1986) that provides long-term child sponsorship to approximately 300 deprived children living in partner residential homes in Delhi, Kolkata, and West Bengal, India, funded primarily by recurring individual donor contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare and Sponsorship Charity

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Child sponsorship programs
• Charitable donations
• International humanitarian aid
• Orphan care services
• Nonprofit fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Child Sponsorship: Long-term sponsorship program where donors provide ongoing financial support to individual children. Funds contribute to accommodation, health, clothes, education, and practical needs. Sponsorship continues through the child's education and training until they enter the job market.
2. One-off Donations: General donations help fund special projects such as ceiling fans, first aid equipment, computer lessons, learning English, or recreational activities like picnics. Donors can contribute to specific programs like counselling, spoken English, football training, or Sam's Project.
3. UK Gift Aid: UK donors can utilize Gift Aid which increases donations by 25%, enhancing the value of contributions to the charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Save a Child connects individual sponsors in the UK and US with deprived children living in partner residential homes in India (Delhi, Kolkata, Barrackpore, and rural West Bengal). The charity's core offering is a long-term sponsorship program funding accommodation, health care, clothing, education, and practical needs for sponsored children, supplemented by one-off donations for special projects such as counselling, spoken English classes, computer lessons, and recreational activities.

Product overview

Save a Child is a charitable organization operating since 1986 that connects sponsors with deprived children in India through long-term sponsorship. The organization supports children living in three residential homes: All Bengal Women's Union (ABWU) in Kolkata, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission (RKVM) in Barrackpore/West Bengal, and Shridigamber Jain Mahila Ashram in Delhi. Their core offering is the long-term child sponsorship program which funds accommodation, health, clothes, education, and special projects including counselling, spoken English classes, and football training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long-term Child Sponsorship Program
• One-off Donation Program for Special Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 children helped since 1986
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission (RKVM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997RKVM is a residential home and educational mission founded in 1976 at Barrackpore, West Bengal. It runs 36 centres/homes and 30 schools across the region, teaching over 10,000 students daily. Save a Child has partnered with RKVM since 1997, sponsoring approximately 170 children across various homes including Barrackpore, Joyrambati, Purulia, and Suryapur. Save a Child funds football training programs, Sam's Project for village girls, and supports individual sponsored children.
• Shridigamber Jain Mahila AshramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986The Jain Ashram in central Delhi was founded in 1953 by Mrs Das's grandmother to give education and protection to girls and women. It houses about 100 girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. Save a Child supports 22 girls at the Ashram and funds annual adventure trips for all girls and staff. Note: The 2023 field report mentions Save a Child must suspend the relationship due to internal matters to be resolved.
• All Bengal Women's Union (ABWU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985ABWU is a residential home in central Kolkata founded in 1932. It houses approximately 160 girls aged 5-18 who are orphans, abandoned, abused, or from destitute families. Save a Child began its partnership with ABWU in 1985 when founder Louise Nicholson first visited. Save a Child funds counselling programs, spoken English classes, and supports individual sponsored girls. The partnership has continued for 40 years.
• Reliance Group of IndiaminorOthersReliance Group provided full 5G Wi-Fi across the RKVM Purulia campus as part of their CSR obligation requiring companies to spend 2% of profits for community benefit.
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIOS is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. ABWU has initiated the Open Basic Education Program of NIOS to give shelter and nurturing to girls who are first-generation learners and who missed early schooling due to difficult circumstances.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ActionAid: International federation working on child rights, women's rights, and poverty alleviation. Overlaps with Save a Child's broader child-protection and development mission.
• Plan International: International development and child-rights NGO with sponsor-a-child heritage. Operates global child-sponsorship programs very similar to Save a Child's core model, but at much larger scale.
• World Vision: One of the largest international child welfare NGOs, with sponsorship programs and emergency relief. Overlaps with Save a Child's child sponsorship and development programming.
• Save the Children: Large global NGO focused on children's rights, education, health, and protection. Shares the child-welfare mission, though operates at vastly larger scale and across many countries.

Direct peers

• SOS Children's Villages: International charity running residential family homes for orphaned and abandoned children, including in India. Strong conceptual overlap on residential care and long-term child sponsorship.
• ChildFund International: US-based international child sponsorship organization supporting deprived children in developing countries. Most directly comparable business model — recurring child sponsorship with long-term support through local partners.
• Compassion International: Christian child-sponsorship organization operating in developing countries. Closely aligned with Save a Child's recurring sponsorship model and individual child reporting cadence.
• Children International: US-headquartered child sponsorship organization supporting children in India, the Philippines, Colombia, and other countries. Direct competitor for individual child sponsors supporting India-based programs.

Regional players

• Bal Rashmi: Smaller Indian nonprofit focused on child welfare and education. Comparable in mission and beneficiary geography (India) though at more local scale.
• Smile Foundation: Indian NGO supporting underprivileged children through education, healthcare, and livelihood programs. Comparable in beneficiary focus (Indian children) but operates as a direct service provider rather than sponsorship intermediary.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/save-a-child-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Save a Child