Frequently Asked Questions:

[ Why does MSS need your donation? Why isn't MSS self-sufficient? ]

There was a time when Maharogi Sewa Samiti was almost entirely self-sufficient. While it received outside grants for capital investment projects, it was able to provide food, clothing and shelter for its residents from its agricultural income. Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, MSS is facing some financial hardships:

Ageing Demographic
Also, many of the leprosy patients who started Anandwan with Baba and helped build the organization, still live there, and health care costs have skyrocketed. With an ageing demographic that is destitute and requires medical care, and cannot contribute to the economy, Anandwan finds itself in a very tough position.

Insufficient Government Funds
The Government of Maharashtra, which is supposed to provide funds for the public schools on the MSS campuses has been very irregular for the past five years and the funding it provides is inadequate, forcing MSS to incur debt to keep the doors of its school open. The other option is to tell students in the blind school or the deaf school that after all the hardships they went through to get to school, they now should give up on getting a basic education.

Baba Amte's Peace Activism
Due to political activism against big dams and his peace missions during the Indo-Pak crises, MSS has paid the price for standing up for its values. But despite all the hardships, Dr. Vikas Amte has kept the organization alive and expanded its reach into the rural areas around each of the projects. For those of us who admire Baba's courage and his convictions, it is important not just to pay lip service but also to "put our money where our mouth is!"

Needs of the Madia Gond Tribals
The tribal project at Hemalkasa called Lok Biradari Prakalp (People's Brotherhood Project) has received international recognition for its free Medical services to benefit 40,000 poor tribal patients coming from about 1000 surrounding hamlets and villages extending up to a radius of 150 kilometers into the 'Dandakaranya Forest' area, on the confluence of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh, deep in the heartland of India.

Hemalkasa also offers a residential school for 600 tribal children who are given free food, accommodation and education. Unfortunately, the government of the state of Maharashtra offers no grants to cater to the health and education needs of these poor Madia Gond Tribals. Often referred to as 'Stone Age Tribals' because their primitive ways are not often appreciated or understood in the modern world, they turn to Lok Biradari Prakalp (People's Brotherhood Project) because they are loved and respected.

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[ What is the relationship between Niya and IHC? ]

Niya is a project of a registered US charity, International Humanities Center (IHC) based in Malibu, California (tax ID# 33-0767921). Copies of IHC's "letter of determination" is available upon request. Please contact IHC for further information.

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[ What is the fiscal fee that Niya pays IHC? ]

95% of the money you donate through Niya goes directly to Maharogi Sewa Samiti while a fiscal fee (5%) is retained by our fiscal sponsor International Humanities Center (IHC) to do accounts, file taxes with the IRS and send donor receipts, etc. Niya does not keep a penny of your donation to MSS beyond the fiscal fee charged by IHC, which is a 501(c)3 US-based charity. Our operating expenses come from providing services to clients or from donors and foundations that support Niya's mission.

IHC's tax ID number is 33-0767921. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

So for example, if you donated $100, $95 will go to MSS and IHC will keep $5. Most large non-profits have operating costs of 10% - 40% so an operating cost of 5% is considered extremely low. If you prefer, you can donate through ASHA, AID, or MSSO in Canada to avoid this fee. See [ Can I donate through AID or ASHA? ].

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[ When should I use wire transfer to transmit funds to Niya/IHC? ]

If you live outside the US and are donating a large amount of money, it may be advisable to wire transfer the money directly from your bank to Niya/IHC. Send us an email and we will send you specific instructions.

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[ What are the ways to help financially? ]

- Stock gifts: Many people choose to donate their stock ­ either when they are cleaning up their portfolio or when their investments don't reflect their socially responsible values. We don't play the market; we will simply liquidate the stock and use the proceeds for MSS projects.

- Estate planning: Consider including Maharogi Sewa Samiti in your will.

- Real estate: We accept donations of property as long as they are not under litigation.

- Life insurance and retirement accounts

- Gift in memory of a loved one: Some people choose to remember their loved ones through a loving gift.

- Special occasions:This year on your loved one's birthday or anniversary, or on Divali or Christmas or Valentine's Day, give them a special gift they'll never forget. It's a gift that gives as much to the person giving as the person receiving it! Donate to the MSS/Niya fund.

- Employer Matched funds: If your company matches donations you make to a charity, don't miss taking advantage of that opportunity.

- In-kind gifts: MSS needs many items that companies could donate ­ a computer that can be used by blind students, Braille equipment, hearing aids, an excavator ­ if you want to help, just get in touch and we can discuss further.

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[ What is the relationship between MSS and Niya? ]

Niya helps raise funds and awareness for organizations that do social justice and peace work around the world. This web site is one of its awareness initiatives. This site (mss.Niya.org) about Maharogi Sewa Samiti was designed and is being maintained by Niya (www.Niya.org). Niya underwrites the web development, design, and hosting costs for the site.

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[ Can I donate through AID or ASHA? ]

AID and ASHA don't have to pay a fiscal sponsor so if that is a concern for you; you are welcome to donate through them. As long as the money gets to MSS, we're happy. But if you could drop us an email to let us know about your donation, that would be very helpful.

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[ How do I know for sure if MSS is a legitimate non-profit? ]

Maharogi Sewa Samiti is a registered nonprofit in India. It has been around since 1949. It has been recognized by many well-known groups and foundations, both in India and internationally. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has visited Anandwan, the oldest MSS community. Baba Amte has received numerous awards for his work including the Templeton Prize, the Gandhi Peace Prize, and the U. N. Human Rights Prize.

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