March 22 :
With the opening of their 5th Annual Youth Essay Competition, the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), a US-based alliance of 21 nonprofit, philanthropic, and charitable organisations with an emphasis on India, reaches a major milestone.
2020, a few months after IPA's public launch, the first Youth Essay Competition was introduced to inspire middle and high school students to think and act philanthropically.
The competition asks middle and high school students who are US citizens or permanent residents to list the most important problems that India is now facing and suggest methods that we, as a community, may help find solutions.
One of the main goals of the IPA, as stated in a press release, has been to include youth in charitable activities. The essay competition, which is in its fifth year, has shown to be a successful starting point for young people's exploration and participation, bringing together bright young minds with organisations that are leading the way in development and reducing poverty in India.
Students are asked to choose a developmental issue that they think is one of the most significant problems that India is currently facing and explain how each of us can contribute to the solution in their essays.
This year, students are expected to explore India's undiscovered stories in order to identify and highlight the less obvious but no less important problems facing the country.
Essays will be judged on their originality and relevance as well as the quality of their research and answers. July 1, 2024 is the deadline for young people to turn in their essays.
The top articles will earn speakers invitations to a national conference of nonprofit executives, business executives, and philanthropists.
Additionally, a $1,000 donation will be given to the winners' preferred charity, and runners-up will get a $500 grant to the same charity.
The news was made soon after India Giving Day, which was a huge success for IPA.
According to Alex Counts, Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance, "the synergy of the Youth Essay Competition and India Giving Day came together in a profound way this year."
"The essay competition has paved the way for altruistic thought and action over the previous four years. Engaged youngsters were given the opportunity to act on behalf of the 33 participating organisations this year through India Giving Day.
The largest campaign run by IPA is called India Giving Day, which concluded its second year with an amazing $5.5 million raised from 1,770 distinct donors.
IPA added a Youth Leadership Council to its remarkable roster of national co-chairs, ambassadors, and steering committee members as part of this year's campaign.
Fourteen young individuals volunteered their time to raise awareness, promote the campaign, hold awareness events, and help participating NGOs as required. Half of them had previously won the essay competition.
Melvin Joseph, a finalist in the previous year's competition who has been an IPA intern since he was informed of his victory in August of last year, led the Youth Leadership Council.
Melvin claims that his time as the Youth Leadership Council's team leader was both memorable and rewarding.Working together with other young people who share my goals of making a real difference in India was amazing. The entire event was energising and empowering.
The Sehgal Foundation and the Sarva Mangal Family Trust are the sponsors of the youth essay competition.
Agastya USA, Akanksha Education Fund, Akshaya Patra, American India Foundation, Antara International, Arogya World, Avanti Fellows, Children's Hope India, CRY America, Community Pure Water, Foundation for Excellence (FFE), Indiaspora, Lotus Petal Foundation, Planet Read, Pratham USA, Project ECHO, Sehgal Foundation, Teach for India US, Vicente Ferrer Foundation, VisionSpring, and WISH Foundation are among the 21 core network organisations IPA has identified.
