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Asia Initiatives
New York, NY · EIN 272190020 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P20 · Human Services · Small ($100K-$1M) · asiainitiatives.org
revenue
$753K
expenses
$678K
net assets
$1.2M
employees
0
volunteers
15
program ratio
88%
mission · from form 990

To leverage the power of social capital to promote health care, education and sustainable development, striving to bring positive change in the quality of life in people in underserved communities. With particular focus on women and their families, our initiatives utilize transformative methodologies to empower people to realize their full potential.

profile · synthesized from sources

Asia Initiatives leverages social capital to advance health, education, and sustainable development in underserved communities, with a focus on women and their families. The organization uses its innovative Social Capital Credits (SoCCs) methodology to incentivize community-driven change across India, Kenya, Ghana, and the United States. Programs emphasize women's empowerment, digital literacy, environmental sustainability, and livelihood development.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $65K
    Sri Lalitha Manila Samajam - this organization runs higher secondary schools in a remote area of Tamil Nadu India. AI's grant has enabled the school to build a science lab computer rooms play area and sanitized toilet facilities for male and female attendees.
  2. #2 $108K
    Mantra Social Services Karunodaya - Libraries - enhancing literacy levels among primary grade students in Bihar India. Involves 170 teachers in establishing children's libraries and library corners in 37 middle schools. Goal is to bring 3,500 students to grade level reading proficiency within 2 years. Maker labs - Creating 15+ labs in Udaipur Rajasthan India to provide STEM learning opportunities in rural and remote geographies.
named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Cascade of Upskilling
Program that incentivizes skilled community members to teach digital and vocational skills to others using SoCCs, promoting participation in the digital economy
Community Initiative
Encourages community engagement through adult literacy programs, peer mentoring, and social good activities focused on hygiene and food security
Education & Technology Initiative
Establishes digital learning centers and libraries, provides STEM labs and vocational training, and improves literacy in government schools across rural India
Environmental Sustainability Initiative
Promotes sustainable farming, water conservation, and waste management through community-led projects including check dams, pond rejuvenation, and organic kitchen gardens
Health Initiative
Provides health education, promotes safe institutional births, and supports nutrition through kitchen gardens and healthcare workshops for women and girls
Micro Credit and Livelihood Initiative
Supports women's self-help groups and microcredit societies, enabling access to low-interest loans and promoting entrepreneurship and financial independence
Social Capital Credits (SoCCs)
Community currency model that incentivizes social good by rewarding individuals with credits for contributing to education, health, and environmental initiatives, which can be used for loans or services
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Smallholder Agricultural Development 2 activities
    • Promoting kitchen gardens and nutrition programs for women farmers
      Supported over 1,500 women to establish kitchen gardens for improved family nutrition and financial independence, with funded expansion reaching 1,800 women farmers in Odisha and 3,000 in drought-prone areas of Maharashtra.
    • Supporting rural livelihoods through climate-smart agriculture and animal husbandry
      Implements a project targeting 500 households in Mayurbhanj, Odisha to improve goat rearing and promote climate-smart agricultural practices, enhancing rural livelihoods and resilience.
  • Career and Technical Education Programs 1 activity
    • Delivering vocational and digital skills training via mobile labs and upskilling programs
      Provides hands-on vocational training to rural students in Madhya Pradesh through a mobile lab bus, and runs the "Cascade of Upskilling" program that uses SoCCs to incentivize skilled community members to teach digital economy skills to others.
  • School Infrastructure Development 1 activity
    • Establishing educational infrastructure and literacy programs in rural schools
      Implements literacy and language teaching initiatives in 214 government schools in Gaya District, Bihar, including library establishment, mentoring systems, and teacher training; also supported creation of children's libraries in 37 middle schools in Bihar and established over 15 maker labs in Udaipur, Rajasthan for rural STEM education.
  • Interest-Free Loan and Grant Support 1 activity
    • Funding microcredit and financial inclusion initiatives
      Finances the establishment of tribal microcredit societies and supports revolving loan programs, including a society in Maharashtra with over 1,200 members, to promote financial independence in underserved communities.
  • Teacher & Classroom Innovation Grants 1 activity
    • Funding rural education and STEM infrastructure development
      Awards grants for construction of science labs, computer rooms, play areas, and sanitized toilet facilities at rural schools in Tamil Nadu, and funds maker labs and educational goal-setting initiatives in rural India.
  • Women's Empowerment and Leadership Development 1 activity
    • Implementing Social Capital Credits (SoCCs) programs
      Operates Social Capital Credits (SoCCs) in 18 sites globally to support community-led development, including through a mobile application that connects women in underserved communities with resources, training, and social capital.
  • Digital Literacy Training and Technology Access 1 activity
    • Providing digital literacy and technology access in underserved communities
      Funds and operates learning centers using Raspberry Pi devices and Zoom-based instruction to deliver digital literacy programs to adolescents in Odisha and Rajasthan, reaching hundreds of youth through AI-funded centers and partner-led instruction.
  • Community-Based Educational Programming 1 activity
    • Providing education resources through partnerships
      Provides education resources to underserved communities in partnership with CFD, supporting broader access to learning tools and materials.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Implementing water conservation and climate-smart agriculture projects
      Implements earthen nala bund water storage structures in Maharashtra and funded revival of traditional watershed structures in Jharkhand, along with spring water collection units, pond rejuvenation, and pipeline installation in Maharashtra to support water security and climate-resilient livelihoods.
    • Supporting women's self-help groups and community health initiatives
      Collaborated with partners in Ahmedabad, India to support women's self-help groups, promote safe institutional births, engage community leaders, conduct healthcare workshops, and facilitate peer mentoring among girls, with sustainable changes implemented across multiple years.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$753K
Contributions & grants$805K107%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$35K5%
Other revenue$-88K
expenses
Total expenses$678K
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$440K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$1.23M
Cash$1.23M
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$1.23M
Liquid reserves21.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -5.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 12
  • Alicia Kershaw — Director
  • Ashish Garg — Director
  • Eva Haller — Director
  • Helen Yang — Director
  • Kratma Saini Sood — Director
  • Krishen Mehta — Director
  • Kylie Schuyler — Director
  • Lisa Robins — Director
  • Marianne Clyde — Director
  • Preeti Mattoo — Director
  • Rani Kumar Rajah — Director
  • Yoshiko Sheard — Director
relationships · 21

Who they work with

  • CFD Partner — Field partner collaborating to provide education resources to underserved communities.
  • Caterpillar Foundation Funder — Awarded the Future of Work prize in partnership with MIT Solve for the Cascade of Upskilling program.
  • Center for Development Partner — Collaborated in 2016 to implement sustainable changes in women’s self-help groups, healthcare, and community leadership in Ahmedabad, India.
  • Center for Development Partner — Collaborated on implementing sustainable changes in women’s self-help groups, safe institutional births, community leadership, healthcare workshops, and peer mentoring.
  • Center for Development Partner — Collaborated with Asia Initiatives (via Social Capital Initiatives) in 2016 on programs related to women's self-help groups, safe births, healthcare workshops, and peer mentoring.
  • Center for Development Partner — Collaborated with Asia Initiatives in 2016 to implement sustainable changes in women’s self-help groups, safe institutional births, community leadership, healthcare workshops, and peer mentoring in Ahmedabad, India.
  • Dilasa Janvikas Pratishthan Partner — Local implementing partner in Maharashtra, India, for the earthen nala bund water storage project.
  • Education District Authority Partner — Partner in launching a literacy and language teaching initiative in 214 government schools in Gaya District, Bihar.
  • Karunodaya Foundation Partner — Partner in launching a literacy and language teaching initiative in 214 government schools in Gaya District, Bihar.
  • Kids Who Kode Partner — Knowledge partner providing digital literacy instruction to adolescents in AI-funded programs in Odisha, India
  • M.S. Swaminathan Foundation Partner — Collaborated with MSSRF whose work in Tamil Nadu inspired the founding of Asia Initiatives.
  • MIT Solve Partner — Co-awarded the Future of Work prize for the Cascade of Upskilling program.
  • Mantra Social Services Karunodaya Partner — Partnered to enhance literacy through school libraries and provide STEM education via maker labs in Bihar and Rajasthan, India
  • NYDHEE Partner — Implements a joint project in Mayurbhanj, Odisha focused on goat rearing and climate-smart agriculture.
  • SEWA Partner — Partnered to improve literacy for women weavers in Delhi as part of economic empowerment initiatives.
  • Savera Foundation Partner — Partnered to ensure water security in nine villages in Jharkhand, India through watershed revival
  • Shrmjivi Janata Sahayyak Mandal (SJSM) Partner — Partnered to establish a tribal microcredit society and implement water conservation and sanitation initiatives in Maharashtra, India
  • Social Capital Initiatives Partner — Partner organization involved in the design and development of the SoCCs App.
  • Sri Lalitha Manila Samajam Partner — Partnered to support school infrastructure improvements in Tamil Nadu, India
  • Views Partner — Partnered to fund kitchen gardens and digital literacy programs for women and adolescents in Odisha, India
  • Voluntary Integration for Education and Welfare of Society (VIEWS) Partner — Partnered to support kitchen gardens and digital learning centers for marginalized communities in Odisha, India
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Holistic Community Empowerment
    methodology: holistic_development
    By integrating education, health, livelihoods, environmental stewardship, and women-focused initiatives, we create interconnected improvements in social and economic well-being because addressing multiple dimensions of poverty simultaneously amplifies individual and community resilience.
  • Reciprocal Learning Ecosystem
    methodology: cascades_of_learning
    By requiring peer mentoring in exchange for vocational training accessed via mobile labs, we create a cascading model of knowledge transfer that sustains engagement and spreads skills organically because teaching reinforces learning and builds social accountability.
  • Social Capital Credits (SoCCs) Model
    methodology: social-capital-credits
    By using Social Capital Credits as a community currency, we incentivize and track participation in social good activities, which strengthens community ownership, enables access to financial services like low-interest loans, and promotes sustainable local development because recognition of social contributions increases agency and reciprocal engagement.