Christian Institutions Top List of NGOs Operating in India in 2007

HPI: Christian Institutions Top List of NGOs Operating in India in 2007

Source: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2007/12/27.shtml#3
http://mha.gov.in/fcra/annual/ar2005-06.pdf
NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 27, 2007 (HPI note): Each year, the Government of India's Ministry of Home Affairs releases a report (URL above) entitled, "Receipt of Foreign Contributions by Voluntary Associations." Most of the donations go toward relief work, rural development, medicine and education. "Maintenance of priests/preachers/other religious functionaries" is 15th on the list of purposes, receiving $21 million dollars of all foreign funding. Of the fifteen top donor agencies given in a chart on page 20, eight are Christian, seven are secular and none are Hindu:

Name and Country Dollars remitted to India

Gospel Fellowship Trust India, USA -- $60,305,263
Gospel for Asia, USA -- $36,100,000
Plan International, UK -- $29,257,895
Foundation Vicent E Ferrer, Alicante, Spain -- $27,428,947
Christian Aid, UK -- $21,094,737
Miseror Mozartstrasse, Germany -- $20,457,895
Foundacion Vicente Ferrer, Madrid, Spain -- $20,118,421
Oxfam, UK -- $19,721,053
NOVIB, Netharlands -- $19,321,053
Deptt for International Devpt (DFID), UK -- $15,723,684
Kindemothilfe, Germany -- $14,318,421
Save the Children Fund, UK -- $13,594,737
Manos Unidas, Spain -- $13,050,000
Missio, Germany -- $12,900,000
Population Service International USA -- $12,826,316
Total funds sent to India: -- $336,218,421

The following is a brief description of each organization:

Gospel Fellowship Trust India, USA, $57 million, here. The URL says that, "Gospel Missions of India (GMI) is an IRS approved non-profit, tax exempt, religious organization based in Michigan, USA to support Christian workers and ministries in India associated with the Brethren assemblies. GMI is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and Christian Ministries Management Association, both of which stand for financial integrity and public accountability. GMI stays abreast of the work of the missionaries and ministries in India to ensure that gifts are faithfully invested for the Lord's work."
Gospel for Asia, $34 million, here, Gospel for Asia is a Texas-based Christian missionary organization whose, "Focus and goal as a ministry is to reach the 2.7 billion people in the 10/40 window who have never heard about the love of God. In India alone, there are over 500,000 villages with no Gospel witness."
Plan International, UK, $28 million, here, The URL explains, "Plan is a child-centred community development organization with no religious and political affiliations, enabling families and communities in the poorest countries to make lasting improvements to the lives of their children. Plan's work is made possible because more than a million people across the world support us through sponsoring children. In doing so they benefit many other children, and entire communities. Plan's also supported by the UK Government's Department of International Development, the European Union and partners and governments worldwide."
Foundation Vicent E. Ferrer Alicante and Madrid Spain - $26 million and $19 million (the organization occurs twice in the contribution list), here - Until 1970 Vicente Ferrer was a Jesuit missionary associated with the Society of Jesus. In 1996, the Foundation was created in Spain to promote economic development in rural India by organizing small cooperatives to dig wells, form seed banks and irrigate small plots as well as building community hospitals and schools. The foundation is viewed as a cooperative between a sponsoring Spanish family and a corresponding family in India.
Christian Aid, UK, $20 million, here, This organization was formed after World War II by British and Irish Church leaders to help European refugees. In the 1950's Christian Aid began responding to emergencies in Africa and Asia and in the 1980's Christian Aid received government funding. In the 1990's Christian Aid "Became one of the first aid agencies to highlight 'unsexy' and complex global economic issues. Our celebrated Banking on the Poor campaign alerted people to the need to cancel Third World debt, while the culpability of the World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund was exposed in our 'Who Runs the World' campaign. We were not afraid to confront governments and challenge the rules of the day that said charities should be apolitical. This resolve helped change government trade policy and establish the Fairtrade Foundation - our campaigning works Christian Aid was also quick to respond to humanitarian crises in Rwanda, the Middle East and, at the end of the decade, working across ethnic and religious divides in Serbia, Bosnia and Kosovo."
Miseror Mozartstrasse, Germany, $19 million, here, Miseror is affiliated with the Catholic Church in Germany. The organization has mandated to, "Fight the causes of hardship and misery as manifested chiefly in countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America in the forms of hunger, disease, poverty and other forms of human suffering thus enabling the people affected to lead a life of human dignity and to promote justice, freedom, reconciliation and peace in the world."
Oxfam, UK, $19 million, here, Oxfam UK is an affiliate of Oxfam International. Oxfam International is described as a confederation of 13 organizations working together with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Oxfam UK is known for specializing in crisis aid such as clean drinking water and tents.
Novib, Netherlands, $18 million, here, The URL says, "Oxfam Novib is and will remain an independent organization, rooted in the Netherlands. Twelve independent Oxfams are collaborating, dedicating their efforts to the five basic rights of people throughout the world: the right to an honest income, to drinking water, to healthcare and education, to safety and to one's own opinion, for women and minorities too. Cooperation takes place in development projects, emergency aid and campaigns that bring a just world without poverty closer.
Deptt for International Devpt (DFID), UK, $15 million, here, Represented by both the Cabinet and the House of Commons, the 1997 White Pater on International Development describes the focus of DFIB as, "A commitment to the Millennium Development goals. Much of this involves direct poverty reduction work, through our development activities, and work with multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union."
Kindemothilfe, Germany, $14 million, Kindemothilfe was founded in 1992 and encourages monthly sponsorship of a needy child in a third world country. The sponsorship of 60 marks a month is transferred to the native churches and Christian organizations of third world countries and from there a welfare organization called the 'child help in need' coordinates the cash dispensing for meals, clothes, and medicine.
Save the Children Fund, UK, $13 million, here, This humanitarian organization was founded by two sisters at the beginning of the 20th century to assist starving children in Berlin and Vienna. Under the initial leadership of Eglantyne Jebb the ideals spread worldwide and inspired the present UN Convention on the rights of the child.
Manos Unidas, Spain, $12 million, here, Manos Unidas, "Is a Catholic development organization which fights against poverty, hunger, malnutrition, lack of education and underdevelopment as well as against their causes: injustice, unequal share of goods and opportunities between people and countries, ignorance, prejudice and lack of solidarity. The purpose of its work is to contribute to the full development of the countries of the South, to take an active role in the fight against famine and inequality and to support those countries in their process of liberation from poverty and dependency."
Missio, Germany, $12 million, here, Missio is the German Catholic Bishops' Agency for International Mission Work and has been known to campaign against sex tourism and child abuse. The main site is in German.


Population Service International, USA, $12 million, here, The URL says that, "PSI is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that harnesses the vitality of the private sector to address the health problems of low-income and vulnerable populations in more than 60 developing countries. With programs in malaria, reproductive health, child survival and HIV, PSI promotes products, services and healthy behavior that enable low-income and vulnerable people to lead healthier lives. Products and services are sold at subsidized prices rather than given away in order to motivate commercial sector involvement. PSI is the leading nonprofit social marketing organization in the world."