ashraya initiative for children

What ashraya initiative for children does

Ashraya Initiative for Children is a nonprofit NGO founded in 2004 by Elizabeth Sholtys and headquartered in Yerawada, Pune, India, that delivers integrated education, health, community outreach, and residential services to children and families from De-notified tribal (DNT) and other marginalized communities living in eight urban slum communities. Its core programmatic pillars are the Education Outreach Program (including Hamari Shala whole-school support, remedial education, life-skills, digital education, and an Early Childhood Education component launched in 2010), the Health Outreach Program (nutrition, in-house counseling, and the Mother Baby Program for pregnant women), the Community Outreach Program (adult literacy, employability training, vocational training, and government-scheme advocacy), and a Residential Program that places orphaned and abandoned children in partner boarding schools with supplemental care.

The organization operates through three registered entities — Ashraya Foundation for Children (Maharashtra, India; primary operations), Ashraya Initiative for Children, Inc. (Durham, NC, USA; fundraising), and AIC Austria (Hallwang; European fundraising) — with service delivery anchored in physical community centers in Yerawada, partner residential schools, and government hospitals for maternal health. There is no proprietary technology platform; the only disclosed integration is Razorpay for online INR donations alongside PayPal (USD/EURO) and Austrian bank transfers. The operating model is community-embedded, with caregivers drawn from the served communities, and the organization has been Great Place to Work-Certified for Dec 2023–Dec 2024.

Financially, Ashraya is sustained by individual donations and a tiered child-sponsorship program — Basic Necessities (₹14,750/year), Education (₹23,220/year), Full (₹42,300/year), and Whole School (₹45,200/year) — plus general donations and special-project sponsorships. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. As of 2015, 307 children and 125 families were enrolled across all programs, and self-reported impact metrics include a 60% academic grade-level gap bridged since 2008, an 86% reduction in malnourishment since 2013, and 93% of DNT members successfully accessing government schemes since 2013.

Name

ashraya initiative for children

Legal name

Ashraya Foundation for Children

Website

https://ashrayainitiative.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ashraya Initiative for Children is a Pune-based nonprofit NGO delivering education, health, community outreach, and residential care to children and families from De-notified tribal and marginalized communities across eight urban slum communities in Yerawada, India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit community education and child welfare services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK), Special Needs-Inclusive Early Learning Academies (EDACADAI)

Keywords

• Community education programs
• Child welfare services
• NGO community outreach
• Maternal health programs
• Vocational training support

Headquarters

HQ city

Pune

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Child Sponsorship: Recurring annual sponsorship donations from individuals and organizations to support children in Education Outreach and Residential Programs. Includes Basic Sponsorship, Education Sponsorship, Full Sponsorship, and Whole School Sponsorship options.
2. General Donations: One-time donations from supporters worldwide via online payment platforms (Razorpay, PayPal) or bank transfers. Donations are tax-deductible.
3. Special Projects Sponsorship: One-time donations toward specific annual expenses such as school uniforms, teacher salaries, classrooms, or Diwali gifts. Donors receive updates and photos of the specific project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ashraya Initiative for Children is a community empowerment NGO that delivers education, health, maternal care, counselling, vocational training, and residential support services to vulnerable children and families from De-notified Tribal and marginalized communities in eight urban slum communities in Yerawada, Pune. Its core offering is delivered through four integrated programs (Education Outreach, Health Outreach, Community Outreach, and Residential Program) plus a Department of Psychology and Counselling, funded primarily by individual donations and recurring child sponsorships from supporters in India, the US, and Europe.

Product overview

Ashraya Initiative for Children is a community empowerment NGO operating as a multi-program organization rather than a single product. The core offerings include four interconnected programs: Education Outreach Program (featuring Hamari Shala whole-school support and Early Childhood Education), Health Outreach Program (Mother Baby Program and nutrition services), Community Outreach Program (vocational training and family welfare), and Residential Program for orphaned children. The organization also offers child sponsorship options (Full, Basic, Education, and Whole School Sponsorship tiers) as its primary fundraising mechanism. A Department of Psychology and Counselling provides in-house mental health support through counselling and Arts-Based Therapy. All programs work together to serve marginalized De-notified tribal communities in Yerwada, Pune, focusing on education, health, and community empowerment as pathways to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hamari Shala: Whole school support program providing academic subjects, value-education, life-skills and non-scholastic subjects focusing on contextual understanding of community concerns.
• Mother Baby Program
• Vocational Training and Support Program

Products and services

• Family and Child Welfare Program
• Education Outreach Program
• Health Outreach Program
• Community Outreach Program
• Residential Program
• Early Childhood Education Component
• Hamari Shala
• Mother Baby Program
• Vocational Training and Support Program
• Child Sponsorship Program
• Whole School Sponsorship
• Department of Psychology and Counselling

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% academic grade level gap bridged since 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Various vocational training organizationsminorOthersAshraya partners with various organizations which provide vocational courses and enroll students and youth from the community for them. Specific partner organizations are not named on the website.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Door Step School: Door Step School is a Pune-based NGO providing education and support to underprivileged children in urban slums — directly comparable to Ashraya's target geography, beneficiary base, and education-focused service model.
• Akanksha Foundation: Akanksha Foundation operates schools and education programs for low-income children across Indian cities including Pune, with a comparable mission to expand educational access for underserved communities.
• SOS Children's Villages India: SOS Children's Villages provides residential family-based care for orphaned and abandoned children across India — directly comparable to Ashraya's Residential Program serving orphaned children in Pune.

Broad incumbents

• Pratham Education Foundation: Pratham is one of India's largest education NGOs operating across many states with programs for underserved children — a much larger incumbent in the same broad mission space as Ashraya's education outreach.
• CRY (Child Rights and You): CRY is a major Indian child welfare NGO advocating for children's rights and supporting underprivileged children through partner organizations — a broader incumbent in child welfare comparable to Ashraya's community-based child support model.
• Bharti Foundation: Bharti Foundation runs rural education programs including Satya Bharti Schools across India — a comparable mission targeting educational access for underserved communities, though with greater geographic spread than Ashraya's urban slum focus.

Emerging players

• Magic Bus India Foundation: Magic Bus delivers livelihood and life-skills education for underprivileged youth in India — overlapping with Ashraya's vocational training and community empowerment programs for marginalized youth.
• Teach For India: Teach For India places fellows in low-income schools across India and is closely tied to Ashraya's leadership pipeline (CEO Tarun Joshi and Director Nidhi Wanjari are TFI alumni) — a comparable mission targeting educational inequity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ashrayainitiative
• Facebookfacebook.com/ashrayainitiative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ashraya-initiative-for-children-aic-
• Instagraminstagram.com/ashrayainitiative/?hl=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 ashraya initiative for children