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KARUNA USA INC

BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 872033348 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE Q12 · International Affairs · Small ($100K-$1M) · karuna-usa.org
revenue
$123K
expenses
$123K
net assets
$11K
employees
mission · from form 990

Access to opportunities for marginalized people in S Asia

profile · synthesized from sources

Karuna USA supports marginalized communities in South Asia by expanding access to education, protecting women and girls from violence, building climate resilience, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. The organization partners with local grassroots organizations to empower individuals and communities, focusing on self-reliance and systemic change. It mobilizes donors and advocates in the United States to fund and support these efforts.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Grassroots Resilience Initiative
Supports 35 local organizations in India through training in financial management and leadership, promoting community-led, self-reliant development.
Learning Champions Project
Helps girls in rural areas access education through group meetings, school supplies, and childcare support, operating Dignity Centres that foster academic and personal development.
Migrant Labourer Resilience Project
Provides access to government welfare benefits and answers helpline calls to support migrant workers and daily wage labourers in securing stable livelihoods.
Participatory Climate Adaptation Project
Supports cyclone-affected households in India and Bangladesh by promoting adaptive farming methods and forming peer support groups to build climate resilience.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Disaster Relief and Recovery Services 2 activities
    • Climate resilience and disaster preparedness programming
      Conducts workshops on disaster planning, flood forecasting, and mitigation techniques; trains communities in hygiene, sanitation, and water treatment; and supports climate-adapted agricultural training through partners. Supported 25,912 individuals across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh in climate resilience programs.
    • Emergency response and direct crisis intervention
      Provides emergency food and medical aid during crises and intervenes in cases such as rescuing students from bonded labor. Operates helplines that answered 250,000 calls providing vital support to vulnerable populations.
  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Capacity building for local organizations
      Supports 35 local organizations through the Grassroots Resilience Initiative, enhancing their ability to deliver services and collectively impacting over 296,000 people.
  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
    • Grantmaking to end discrimination and support marginalized communities
      Funds partner organizations working to end discrimination, including projects supporting displaced char communities in Bangladesh and climate adaptation initiatives reaching over 50,000 people. In 2024-25, allocated £2,513,638 toward program delivery through grants.
  • Domestic Violence Survivor Support Services 1 activity
    • Legal and psychosocial support for women survivors of gender-based violence
      Provides psychological, social, and legal support services to women survivors of gender-based violence, connects them with legal professionals to file cases, and supports case pursuit leading to a 70% conviction rate in partner-handled cases. Establishes peer surveillance groups to protect women and girls from trafficking post-disaster.
  • Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
    • Livelihoods and economic empowerment programs for marginalized people
      Runs livelihoods programs that empower 8,000 marginalized individuals through access to decent work, supports 75,000 migrant workers and daily wage laborers with skill development and financial training, and provides entrepreneurship and business training to women survivors enabling independent business startups.
  • Girls' Education Access Initiatives 1 activity
    • Supporting access to education for marginalized children
      Implements programs that help underprivileged children remain in school, with 96% of children in Karuna projects continuing education past age 14. Supports girls in rural West Bengal to access nursing training and higher education, and provides holistic support involving schools, parents, and children to prevent dropout due to structural discrimination, especially among girls.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$123K
Contributions & grants$123K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$123K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$27K
balance sheet
Total assets$11K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$11K
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue -37.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Jarrod Lovett Chief Executive Officer 20 $66K
Amanda Seller Strategic Growth Officer 5 $11K
board members · 4
  • Dominic Houlder — Director
  • Haresh Dalvi — Director
  • Maryellen Burke — Director
  • Todd Johnson — Director
relationships · 10

Who they work with

  • Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Partner — Draws inspiration from Dr. Ambedkar's vision of social reform and human dignity in guiding its mission and programs.
  • Human Rights Law Network Partner — Collaborated with Karuna USA director Max Gaston during his role as a litigation consultant advising on public interest litigation in India.
  • Karuna Germany Network — Part of a network of Karuna organizations contributing to combined income and program funding
  • Karuna UK Network — Part of a network of Karuna organizations contributing to combined income and program funding
  • Nishtha Partner — Collaborates with Nishtha to support girls in rural West Bengal to avoid child marriage and access education.
  • Pragya Partner — Implements the Participatory Climate Adaptation Project in India and Bangladesh with funding and support from Karuna USA.
  • Urja Partner — Karuna USA funds and collaborates with Urja, which operates a protective shelter and provides support services for homeless and at-risk young women in Mumbai.
  • Urja Partner — Provides safe shelter, psychological counseling, and vocational training to women survivors of violence, supported by Karuna USA.
  • new partner Partner — Collaborates on a project with displaced and vulnerable char communities in Bangladesh.
  • project coordinators Partner — Local partners with community ties who identify and support women survivors of gender-based violence.
strategies · 5

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.

  • Early Interdiction and Community-Based Outreach
    methodology: early_interdiction_outreach
    By intervening at critical arrival points and using close community ties to identify vulnerable individuals, Karuna USA prevents human trafficking and supports survivors of gender-based violence because timely, trusted local engagement enables effective protection and access to services.
  • Girls’ Education and Community Protection Against Trafficking
    methodology: girls_empowerment_protection
    By empowering girls through education in girls’ groups and organizing peer support and community surveillance post-disaster, Karuna USA reduces risks of trafficking and child marriage because informed, connected girls and vigilant communities can recognize and resist exploitation.
  • Grassroots Partnership with Local Empowerment
    methodology: local_leadership_empowerment
    By partnering with locally-run grassroots organizations and equipping local leaders with leadership and financial management skills, Karuna USA fosters self-reliant community development because locally driven initiatives are more sustainable and contextually effective.
  • Holistic Education Support
    methodology: holistic_education_support
    By engaging schools, parents, and children together, Karuna USA improves educational access and retention for underprivileged children because multi-stakeholder involvement creates a supportive ecosystem that sustains enrollment and learning outcomes.
  • Networked Grassroots Collaboration
    methodology: networked_grassroots
    By building networks among grassroots organizations, Karuna USA amplifies resources and extends impact across communities because interconnected local groups can share knowledge, coordinate responses, and increase collective resilience.