Make a Difference
Make A Difference is an Indian non-profit operating an 18-year volunteer-led mentoring program (Age Transition Model) for vulnerable children aged 10-28 across 20 cities. The organization serves 7,500+ children through 2,000+ active volunteers and is funded entirely through diversified donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersBangalore, India
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Make a Difference does
Make A Difference (MAD) is an Indian non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Jithin Nedumala in Kochi, operating a volunteer-led mentoring program for vulnerable children across 20 cities. The organization currently serves 7,500+ children through 2,000+ active volunteers (MADsters) within a 50,000+ member community, and has delivered 2 million mentorship hours to date. MAD addresses a target population of an estimated 35 million Indian children at risk and in need of care and protection, with beneficiaries reported to be 8x more likely to move above the empowerment line by age 28.
The organization's core product is the Progression Mentoring Program, delivered through the globally acclaimed Age Transition Model — an 18-year continuous intervention framework structured across four sequential stages: Foundational Skills (ages 10-13), Educational Support (ages 14-16), Transition Readiness (ages 17-18), and Aftercare (ages 18-28). The Community Organiser Program is the operational backbone, investing in on-ground leaders who build self-sustaining communities. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; the service model is fundamentally human-delivered, with volunteers providing foundational academic support, mentoring, career counseling, and emotional well-being support. Impact has been independently validated by an Omidyar-funded 2021 evaluation benchmarking MAD in the top 20% globally against 180,000+ beneficiaries across 60+ countries.
MAD is a registered society under the Travancore Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955, with 12A, 80G, and FCRA regulatory status. Revenue is entirely donation-based across four streams: individual Indian donations (tax-deductible), international donations via Every.org (FCRA-enabled), corporate and institutional funding from 18+ disclosed partners (CAF, Myriad, Ketto, Bajaj Finserv, AVPN, Unisys, Omidyar, Thoughtworks, Micron, British Asia Trust, etc.), and individual philanthropists (Siddhartha Lal, Natasha Jamal, Khorakiwala family, Nilekani family). Financials are audited annually by G. Joseph & Associates. The strategic goal is to reach 3 million children across India by 2030.
Make a Difference firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Make a Difference
- Legal name
- Make A Difference
- Website
- https://makeadiff.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Make A Difference is an Indian non-profit operating an 18-year volunteer-led mentoring program (Age Transition Model) for vulnerable children aged 10-28 across 20 cities. The organization serves 7,500+ children through 2,000+ active volunteers and is funded entirely through diversified donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Make a Difference industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentoring and Child Welfare Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
Keywords
Where Make a Difference is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangalore
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices20 records
Markets served
Make a Difference business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from Indian citizens through a secure donation payment portal, with 12A and 80(G) tax benefits available to donors.
- International/Foreign Donations: Donations from non-Indian citizens through Every.org platform, enabled by Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act eligibility.
- Corporate/Institutional Funding: Funding from corporate partners including CAF, Myriad, Ketto, Bajaj Finserv, C4EC, EIV, AVPN, Unisys, Motwani Jadeja, Devilliers, Nilekani, GiveIndia, Infogain, Thoughtworks, Micron, TKE, Lighthouse Communications, British Asia Trust, and others.
- Individual Philanthropist Funding: Funding from individual philanthropists such as Siddhartha Lal and Natasha Jamal.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Make a Difference product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Make A Difference (MAD) is a non-profit organization that runs a volunteer-led mentoring program for vulnerable and at-risk children in India. It delivers an 18-year intervention through its Age Transition Model that provides age-appropriate support across four life stages: foundational skills (ages 10-13), academic support (ages 14-16), transition readiness (ages 17-18), and aftercare (ages 18-28). All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded entirely through donations, grants, and corporate philanthropy.
Product overview
Make A Difference operates a single unified product called the Progression Mentoring Program, an 18-year-long volunteer-led intervention for vulnerable children in India. This program is delivered through the company's Age Transition Model, which consists of four sequential program modules: Foundational Skills (ages 10-13), Educational Support (ages 14-16), Transition Readiness (ages 17-18), and After Care (ages 18-28). The programs are supported by a Community Organiser Program that invests in on-ground leaders to build self-sustaining communities across India.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Progression Mentoring Program
- Age Transition Model
- Foundational Skills Program
- Educational Support Program
- Transition Readiness Program
- After Care Program
- Community Organiser Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Children born in poverty are 8 times more likely to move above the empowerment line by age 28 when supported by MAD
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Make a Difference
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Make a Difference technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Make a Difference partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Every.orgcoreInternational donation platform enabling non-Indian citizens to donate to MAD; provides the technology infrastructure for foreign donations
- DasracoreStrategic NGO collaborator providing support in scaling and developing MAD's model for impact
- DEFYminorCollaborator in ecosystem of support for children
- Indus ActionminorCollaborator in social impact initiatives
- Studio SubuminorDesign partner that conceptualized and designed MAD's branding and materials
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Make a Difference competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Udayan Care: Indian NGO supporting orphaned and underserved children through aftercare, higher education, and life-skills programs. Highly comparable to MAD's Aftercare stage (18-28) and similar reliance on donor funding and mentor networks.
- Magic Bus India Foundation: Indian youth-development nonprofit using mentoring and life-skills curricula to move children out of poverty. Comparable to MAD on age-targeted youth mentoring, program-stage design, and corporate-funder base.
- CRY (Child Rights and You): One of India's largest NGOs supporting underprivileged children's rights, education, and wellbeing. Directly comparable to MAD as a pan-India child-focused nonprofit relying on donations and individual giving, though CRY's model is grant-funded rather than volunteer-delivered.
- SOS Children's Villages India: Indian arm of a global NGO providing family-based care and long-term support for vulnerable children. Comparable to MAD on long-horizon child welfare interventions and donor-supported operating model, though focused on residential care rather than volunteer mentoring.
- Smile Foundation: Indian NGO running education, healthcare, and livelihood programs for underprivileged children. Comparable to MAD as a pan-India child welfare nonprofit with a strong corporate-CSR donor base and city-level program delivery.
Emerging players
- The/Nudge Foundation: Indian nonprofit working on livelihoods and poverty alleviation with a strong focus on outcome measurement. Comparable to MAD on outcome-driven design, HNI and institutional funding base, and a model that combines community delivery with rigorous evaluation.
- Catalysts for Social Action: Indian NGO focused on institutional child care reform and aftercare for children aging out of shelters. Closely comparable to MAD's 18-28 Aftercare stage and shared target of vulnerable Indian children transitioning to independence.
Broad incumbents
- Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest education NGOs focused on literacy and foundational learning. Comparable as a nationally scaled, donation-funded education-and-child-welfare player, though focused on direct instruction rather than long-horizon mentoring.
- Teach For India: Large Indian education equity nonprofit placing young leaders in low-income classrooms. Comparable to MAD in mobilizing young volunteers/mentors and operating across multiple Indian cities with strong corporate and individual funding.
Regional players
- India Vision Foundation: Indian NGO working on child rights, education, and youth empowerment across underserved communities. Comparable to MAD as a donation-funded, child-focused nonprofit operating in India with mentorship and life-skills components.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Make a Difference social profiles
Digital presenceMake a Difference compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Make a Difference financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Make a Difference leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Make a Difference funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Make a Difference M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Make a Difference
What does Make a Difference do?
Make A Difference (MAD) is a non-profit organization that runs a volunteer-led mentoring program for vulnerable and at-risk children in India. It delivers an 18-year intervention through its Age Transition Model that provides age-appropriate support across four life stages: foundational skills (ages 10-13), academic support (ages 14-16), transition readiness (ages 17-18), and aftercare (ages 18-28). All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded entirely through donations, grants, and corporate philanthropy.
Is Make a Difference a public or private company?
Make a Difference is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Make a Difference founded?
Make a Difference was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Make a Difference based?
Make a Difference is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.
How does Make a Difference make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are international/Foreign Donations, corporate/Institutional Funding and individual Philanthropist Funding.
Who are Make a Difference's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Udayan Care, Magic Bus India Foundation, CRY (Child Rights and You), SOS Children's Villages India and Smile Foundation. Emerging players are The/Nudge Foundation and Catalysts for Social Action. Broad incumbents are Pratham Education Foundation and Teach For India. India Vision Foundation is listed as a regional player.
Does Make a Difference have an API?
No public API is recorded for Make a Difference.
What industry is Make a Difference in?
Make a Difference's product category is Youth Mentoring and Child Welfare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAK, Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJAEAF, Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.