Excitement has started to build up for the fourth edition of the India Giving Challenge (IGC) - Indias first and only online fundraising event! IGC is an online event held by GiveIndia as a part of the Joy of Giving Week - a weeklong festival of giving. Launched in 2009, the festival is celebrated every year, starting on Gandhi Jayanti i.e. October 2nd - 8th, and brings together Indians from all walks of life, to celebrate "giving". From auto drivers to CEOs, school children to celebrities, homemakers to opinion leaders, millions of people give their time, money, resources or skills back to society - by creating or participating in "events" of their choice.

GiveIndias holds an online fundraising event called The India Giving Challenge (IGC) to enable NGOs, corporate as well as individual donors to be part of the week. The event, which is spread over six weeks, sees NGOs, corporates and individuals reach out to their networks and raise funds online. It has been intentionally designed to encourage participants to reach out to more and more individuals, thus helping spread a giving culture in India (in line with GiveIndia's overall mission).

NGOs which raise the maximum funds are rewarded, in turn, through additional funds (also known as matching funds). The matching funds have been introduced to not only encourage people to give more to their chosen cause but also to add a sense of competition and excitement into the event! There are over 100 NGOs reaching out to thousands of donors who pledge their support financially as well as by spreading the word about their favorite NGO. In addition matching funds are won by different organisations every day, prizes are given to top donors a buzz on Facebook and Twitter only adds shine to the event. It is six weeks of 'fun'draising, to use the clichéd term!

In terms of numbers, over Rs. 3 crores was raised from 9,000+ donors in 2011. 150+ NGOs and 19 corporates, including Genpact, HDFC Bank and FirstSource participated in the event. 60+ NGOs won a part of the overall additional funds of Rs. 90 lacs from GiveIndia.

With the event gearing up to hit the Rs. 5 crore mark this year, preparations are on in full swing. Corporates have begun selecting NGOs they would like to support, NGOs have begun registering themselves for the event.

NGOs and corporates who would like to learn more about the event may attend an India Giving Challenge workshop at a city close to them, being held between 20th-29th August, 2012. For details, see: http://www.giveindia.org/t-india-giving-challenge-2012-workshops.aspx

For additional details about the event, please send a mail to igclisting@giveindia.org or call the GiveIndia office at +91-22-2389-4942/3/4

Contact Details:
GiveIndia
http://www.giveindia.org
3rd Floor, West Khetwadi Municipal School,
Khetwadi lane No.5,
Mumbai - 400 004
INDIA
Telephone number (+91) 22 6610-1175 / 2389 - 4944
Email: igclisting@giveindia.org

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