Donate to NGO

All of the following NGOs offer Gift Aid Eligible. Please donate to one or multiple of these NGOs. Clicking on a particular NGO will take you to the underlying GoFundMe page.

Here are some highlights of these NGOs. For more detailed information, check below:

BRAC UK is a Nourish Bangladesh vetted non-profit that offers Gift Aid for charitable donations made by UK citizens (BRAC UK is registered with HMRC). Any donations made here will be directly transferred to BRAC UK. Nourish Bangladesh does not receive the funds donated here.

 

Who is BRAC?

BRAC is an NGO based in Dhaka, Bangladesh whose mission is to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice. BRAC started in 1972 as a microfinance institution, and since then has spread throughout the world with multiple projects including direct cash and food transfer projects for the ultra poor, employment assistance, public health endeavors, and joint-programs, such as their popular joint-program with GrameenPhone known as Dakche Amar Desh. While BRAC’s work is varied, the underlying methodology is that they pilot, perfect, and scale all of their projects to ensure efficacy. BRAC is currently prioritizing Covid-19 relief through a food assistance fund and a public health campaign aimed at informing the Bangladeshi public, reducing spread, and preventing death.

Highlights 

BRAC is a long-established NGO, well known within Bangladesh and internationally and regularly vetted by assessment organizations. They are able to specifically use donations for Covid-19 relief efforts in all 64 districts of Bangladesh. In addition to focusing on women and girls, they are also notable for serving minority and especially underserved communities, including Rohingya refugees, sex workers, LGBTQ, and the transgender community. 

Responses to Vetting Questions

These responses are based on our correspondences with Ms. Ashley M Toombs, Director of External Affairs at BRAC USA, and our independent research of information available on their official website. In particular, we focus on BRAC's general activities and their plans for using the funds donated through our fundraising campaign. We researched and asked the same set of standard questions to the other NGOs we vetted as well.

Question: With our donation, what is the geographical spread of the relief recipient (e.g. Dhaka city, rural Mymensingh, etc.)?
Response: BRAC is working on Covid-19 relief efforts across all 64 districts of Bangladesh and your funds would cover our work in all areas.

Question: With our donation, which groups will be helped (e.g. LGBTQ community, Transgender community, street children, Garo indigenous population, sex workers, gypsy community)?
Response: We are applying comprehensive Covid-19 response efforts across the most vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, in both rural and urban areas, with a particular focus on women and girls. In addition, we have designed specialized interventions for other populations that are often the most marginalized including, but not limited to, transgender, LGBTQ, and sex worker communities.
 
Question: With our donation, will you reach out to the Rohingyas?
Response: Yes, we have a comprehensive Covid-19 program in place for the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, as well as the surrounding host communities. We currently have over 2,300 staff on the ground responding and our need for support is increasing daily as the number of Covid-19 cases in the camps continues to increase.
 
Question: Can you give us a price breakdown of how much money is spent towards food relief (e.g. with 1000 taka we offer lentils, rice, onions, and potato for a family of 4 for two weeks) or how much cash is handed to each household (e.g. 1800 taka for each adult in a household)?
Response: We are unable to provide an exact price breakdown of how much money is spent towards food relief, as we provide varying content for different contexts such as families living in rural versus urban areas. In BRAC's initial Covid-19 response, the organization was able to provide an average of two weeks worth of food for a family of four people for £14.6. 

 
Question: We prefer our donations be used for cash transfers or food relief. Nonetheless, what type of other services, if any, other than food relief or cash transfer will be provided with our donations?
Response: Given the breadth of its work, BRAC cannot guarantee that your donation will be used exclusively for food relief or cash transfers. BRAC is also working on other services, such as providing Cyclone Amphan relief, house repairs, WASH facility repairs, and multipurpose cash support.

Question: Can you ensure our donation money is spent only on food relief or cash transfer? If not, can you provide a list of services our fund will be used for?
Response: No, we cannot. However, BRAC is also providing ongoing healthcare services for both Covid and non-Covid-challenges, supporting health institutions to meet the demand for equipment, modifying education programs and curriculum to continue reaching the children and adolescents who are no longer able to attend school physically, and conducting ongoing awareness and hygiene campaigns.
 
Question: Are you able to customize your food relief or cash transfer efforts based on what we want the donation to be used for?
Response: No, we are not.
 
Question: Do you have any mechanism to ensure transparency of exactly where our money is going?
Response: There is a weekly Situation Reports on our Covid-19 efforts in Cox’s Bazar and in Bangladesh more broadly (https://www.brac.net/covid19/index-en.html). In addition, the progress being made towards BRAC’s Covid-19 fundraising goal in Bangladesh can be tracked here: https://www.brac.net/covid19/en/donate/.
 
Question: Can you give us an estimate of what percentage of our donation is used up in overhead cost i.e. if we donate £1000, what fraction of that will go directly to the poor?

Response: The average overhead on funds that have been sent to BRAC entities via BRAC USA is 5.6% (past three audited fiscal years). Note that this does not include other costs associated with relief distribution (e.g. transportation cost, payroll, etc.) once it reaches Bangladesh. Note that We are currently in the process of figuring out the overhead cost for BRAC UK. 
 
Question: Is your organization secular or religiously-affiliated? Does this affect who you serve?
Response: No. BRAC does not affiliate itself with any religion or political parties. Our priority is to serve the most vulnerable populations in all communities across Bangladesh.
 
Question: Can you give us a very brief history of your relevant past efforts that makes you uniquely suited to carry out relief efforts in the face of Covid-19?
Response: BRAC is well-positioned to coordinate effective responses to the outbreak, having deep experience in humanitarian response. we work alongside governments, non-governmental organizations, and communities to build disaster resilience and respond holistically to the effects of both natural and man-made disasters and epidemics. BRAC has immediate avenues for outreach through our network of community health workers, microfinance loan groups, youth empowerment clubs, schools, and other community programming. Though these programs are limited during the outbreak, we are leveraging our existing relationships with beneficiaries, local leaders, partner organizations, and governments to ensure a coordinated response. 
 
Question: Do you have any mechanism in place to ensure that you are aware of which households are getting help from the government, so as to avoid overlapping coverage with government efforts?
Response: BRAC is working closely with the Government of Bangladesh and other implementing partners to increase transparency and digitization efforts to avoid overlapping coverage and allocation of resources. The organization has increased its use of mobile money platforms for the allocation of cash transfers to ensure funds are able to reach the intended people with speed and efficiency.
 
Question: Do you have any results from non-profit assessment organizations (i.e. Givewell)?
Response: For the past five years, BRAC has been named the world’s #1 NGO by Geneva-based NGO Advisors for its impact, innovation, and sustainability (https://www.ngoadvisor.net/ong/brac). BRAC’s work has been awarded and recognized on numerous occasions including the Yidan Prize in 2019, Lego Prize in 2018, Laudato Si’ Award in 2017, World Food Prize in 2015, WISE Prize for Education in 2011, Hilton Humanitarian Award in 2008, and Gates Award for Global Health in 2004. For a more comprehensive list, please see the following: https://www.brac.net/recognition.

 

Updated: 06/28/2020

Al-Zahoor Welfare Foundation is a Nourish Bangladesh vetted non-profit that offers Gift Aid for charitable donations made by UK citizens (Al-Zahoor Welfare Foundation is registered with HMRC). Any donations made here will be directly transferred to Al-Zahoor Welfare Foundation. Nourish Bangladesh does not receive the funds donated here.

 

Who is Al-Zahoor Welfare Foundation?

Al-Zahoor Welfare Foundation (AZWF) is a small family-run charity based in the UK. They began in January 2017 when a group of siblings conceived the idea of donating their family-owned land and property in Bangladesh to a charity in memory of their late father, Zahurul Haque Choudhury. They now have a number of welfare projects in Bangladesh, including a school and orphanage in the village of Noldaria, Moulvibazar as well as rice and fish farms to help feed the children and create jobs for the local poor. Besides other projects in the area and elsewhere in Bangladesh, they are also regularly involved in the Rohingya Refugee Camps, where they helped set up 90 shelters and 50 water-wells and continue to support other initiatives such as during Ramadan and Eid. They have engaged in Covid-19 related relief efforts since the beginning of the pandemic, and is actively responding to the floods as of July 2020. AZWF is a secular, non-government, non-political organization that operates in accordance with Islamic guidelines to ensure the proper distribution of Zakat funds and reliance on ethical funding sources.

Highlights

As a small NGO, Al-Zahoor Welfare Foundation provides donors in the UK a direct and highly effective channel for charity work in Bangladesh. AZWF can internally absorb any relevant overhead costs and has promised that 100% of a donor’s money will reach the poor. AZWF is also a good candidate for any donors interested in appropriate distribution of their Zakat funds. With funding from Nourish Bangladesh, AZWF will focus their relief efforts in the Satkhira district, which is one of the areas severely affected by the floods this summer and therefore most in need of help in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

Responses to Vetting Questions

These responses are based on our correspondences with Mr. Shabs Chouhudry at Al-Zahoor Welfare Foundation (AZWF), and our independent research of information available on their official website. In particular, we focus on AZWF's general activities and their plans for using the funds donated through our fundraising campaign. We researched and asked the same set of standard questions to the other NGOs we vetted as well.

Question: With our donation, what is the geographical spread of the relief recipient (e.g. Dhaka city, rural Mymensingh, etc.)?
Response: We work mainly in Moulvibazar town and surrounding local rural areas. We also have Covid Relief programs operating in Nabiganj, Netrokona and Brahmanbaria rural areas. However, based on our understanding of the situation, right now there is a greater need in the Satkhira district which is severely affected by the floods and not as well served. So we will use your donations towards relief efforts in Satkhira.

Question: With our donation, which groups will be helped (e.g. LGBTQ community, Transgender community, street children, Garo indigenous population, sex workers, gypsy community)?
Response: Our relief programs are open to all needy people, regardless of the group type, ethnicity and affiliation..

Question: With our donation, will you reach out to the Rohingyas?
Response: It is currently not possible for us to do so as the Rohingya camp we operate in is in strict lockdown. However, if lockdown there eases then we are also intending to distribute Covid relief packages to the Rohingya. 
 
Question: Can you give us a price breakdown of how much money is spent towards food relief (e.g. with 1000 taka we offer lentils, rice, onions, and potato for a family of 4 for two weeks) or how much cash is handed to each household (e.g. 1800 taka for each adult in a household)?
Response: We are currently working on developing three type of food packages that is suitable for the needs of flood affected individuals in Satkhira. The packages consist of basic dry food (rice, lentils, etc.) that will feed a family of four for either one week, for two weeks, or for a month. We will be sharing the details and cost shortly. We also distribute cash directly to impacted families for Covid relief. The cash distribution differs depending on the size and situation of the household but is approximately 2500 taka per person in the household.
 
Question: We prefer our donations be used for cash transfers or food relief. Nonetheless, what type of other services, if any, other than food relief or cash transfer will be provided with our donations?
Response: We provide a variety of other relief services as per our website: www.al-zahoor.org. However, for all donations to the specific Covid Program, we will be distributing food packages or cash donations only.

Question: Can you ensure our donation money is spent only on food relief or cash transfer? If not, can you provide a list of services our fund will be used for?
Response: As per above, we will only be providing food packages and cash with the donation money. Depending on how the situation progresses we may also provide help towards medical costs in the future.
 
Question: Are you able to customize your food relief or cash transfer efforts based on what we want the donation to be used for?
Response: It may be possible to customize the food package depending on your request. 
 
Question: Do you have any mechanism to ensure transparency of exactly where our money is going?
Response: Yes - we keep full records of each person helped including names and addresses and full records of all our donations and how it was spent. But this will be very difficult if not impossible in some cases, especially in flood-affected areas where people have lost their homes. However, we can still record names and basic contact details for relief recipients. We also take photos and videos of our work to aid transparency in our projects.
 
Question: Can you give us an estimate of what percentage of our donation is used up in overhead cost i.e. if we donate £1000, what fraction of that will go directly to the poor?

Response: As we are a small family run charity, our admin costs are low and are paid by the family and directors of the charity do not take any salary or expenses; thus, we aim for a 100% donation policy and further maximize this by using local volunteers on the ground for packaging and distribution. The only costs we cannot avoid is the payment fees that Stripe and PayPal charge if donations are made via our website or credit card. However, if a donation is made directly to our charity bank account then these costs are avoided.
 
Question: Is your organization secular or religiously-affiliated? Does this affect who you serve?
Response: We are a secular organization that is guided by Islamic principles. This does not affect who we serve and our doors are open to all needy and destitute people and we do not discriminate in any form.
 
Question: Can you give us a very brief history of your relevant past efforts that makes you uniquely suited to carry out relief efforts in the face of Covid-19?
Response: We have been operating in Bangladesh for the last four years and our projects including housing, water, food and education programs in the Rohingya camps, Iftar packages during Ramadan, Fitr Food packages, regular Zakat cash distribution to the most needy, widows and orphans as well operating medical and eye camps in rural areas and relief projects for flooding and winter. We also run an Academy and Orphanage that provides food, shelter and education in MolviBazar. To date, we have distributed over 1500 Covid food parcels and £5000 in Covid Cash donations.
 
Question: Do you have any mechanism in place to ensure that you are aware of which households are getting help from the government, so as to avoid overlapping coverage with government efforts?
Response: AZWF official carry out checks to ensure relief is going to the right people and assess if help is already being provided from elsewhere including the government. In cases where we feel that help from elsewhere is not enough then we will consider also helping with our efforts.
 
Question: Do you have any results from non-profit assessment organizations (i.e. Givewell)?
Response: N/A.

 

Updated: 07/26/2020

JAAGO Foundation UK is a Nourish Bangladesh vetted non-profit that offers Gift Aid for charitable donations made by UK citizens (JAAGO Foundation UK is registered with HMRC). Any donations made here will be directly transferred to JAAGO Foundation UK. Nourish Bangladesh does not receive the funds donated here.

 

Who is JAAGO Foundation?

JAAGO Foundation is an NGO based in Dhaka, Bangladesh whose mission is to create a Bangladesh free of exploitation, discrimination and violence; and to enable it to reach its ultimate socioeconomic potential through education and youth development. Since 2007 they have gone from serving 17 students in a small room to 3,500 students across Bangladesh. In addition to their education support project, they also run Volunteer for Bangladesh, which provides a platform for 35,000 Bangladeshi youth to get involved in volunteerism. Jaago undergoes regular independent audits and has professional accountants ensuring effective usage of funds. Their Covid-19 response strategy includes both food relief and educational programs.

Highlights

JAAGO has a very specific and clearly identified relief program, which can feed a family of four for £8.10 per week. They have guaranteed that 100% of the funds we donate will reach the poor, i.e. there is zero overhead cost for their Covid-19 efforts. They have a fairly wide reach in Bangladesh, with previous experience through their established network of schools, along with volunteers currently active in 32 districts.

Responses to Vetting Questions

These responses are based on our correspondences with Ms. Swarupa Haque, Communication Manager, Founders Office, at JAAGO Foundation, and our independent research of information available on their official website. In particular, we focus on JAAGO's general activities and their plans for using the funds donated through our fundraising campaign. We researched and asked the same set of standard questions to the other NGOs we vetted as well.

Question: With our donation, what is the geographical spread of the relief recipient (e.g. Dhaka city, rural Mymensingh, etc.)?
Response: We will reach out to Dhaka City (Rayer Bazar & Karail), Chittagong City, Rajshahi City, rural Gaibandha, rural Madaripur, rural Bandarban, rural Habiganj, rural Dinajpur, rural Rangpur and rural Cox’s Bazar (Teknaf).

Question: With our donation, which groups will be helped (e.g. LGBTQ community, Transgender community, street children, Garo indigenous population, sex workers, gypsy community)?
Response: We help underprivileged families and children in different slums in the above-mentioned areas.

Question: With our donation, will you reach out to the Rohingyas?
Response: Unfortunately, we are unable to reach the Rohingyas at this moment.  
 
Question: Can you give us a price breakdown of how much money is spent towards food relief (e.g. with 1000 taka we offer lentils, rice, onions, and potato for a family of 4 for two weeks) or how much cash is handed to each household (e.g. 1800 taka for each adult in a household)?
Response: We spend 850 Taka (roughly £8.10) on food for one family of four per week which includes rice (5 kg), atta/flour (2 kg), pulse/dal (1 kg), potato (2 kg), Oil (1 liter), salt (1 kg), common medicine (e.g. Tylenol, oral saline), soap (2 bars), and one bag.
 
Question: We prefer our donations be used for cash transfers or food relief. Nonetheless, what type of other services, if any, other than food relief or cash transfer will be provided with our donations?
Response: The donation will be used for Covid-19 food relief only, and we are distributing dry food instead of transferring cash.

Question: Can you ensure our donation money is spent only on food relief or cash transfer? If not, can you provide a list of services our fund will be used for?
Response: Yes.
 
Question: Are you able to customize your food relief or cash transfer efforts based on what we want the donation to be used for?
Response: We have been distributing the same food package for a long time, and it will be a bit difficult for us to customize the package at this moment. 
 
Question: Do you have any mechanism to ensure transparency of exactly where our money is going?
Response: We will send photos from the distribution sites once the process is complete.
 
Question: Can you give us an estimate of what percentage of our donation is used up in overhead cost i.e. if we donate £1000, what fraction of that will go directly to the poor?

Response: A hundred percent of the donation will go directly to the poor for Covid response.
 
Question: Is your organization secular or religiously-affiliated? Does this affect who you serve?
Response: We are a secular organization, and we ensure promotion of diversity in every sphere of our work and engagement.
 
Question: Can you give us a very brief history of your relevant past efforts that makes you uniquely suited to carry out relief efforts in the face of Covid-19?
Response: JAAGO started responding to the pandemic before it hit Bangladesh. As one of the first organizations to have addressed the Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh, we have been distributing masks and arranging awareness programs since February. We started to distribute food and hygiene products to the underprivileged community beginning in March. We aim to reach out to 30,000 families. JAAGO Foundation is also strictly maintaining social distancing and taking appropriate safety measures. We provide gloves, masks, and PPE to ensure the safety of our employees and volunteers. Distribution locations have strict hygiene protocols, and individuals who are receiving the packages have to wait in designated spots.
 
Question: Do you have any mechanism in place to ensure that you are aware of which households are getting help from the government, so as to avoid overlapping coverage with government efforts?
Response: We are collaborating with local governmental offices (UNO and Chairman) to ensure that there will be no overlapping. We are also collecting information from individuals who are receiving relief packages to ensure no overlapping coverage.
 
Question: Do you have any results from non-profit assessment organizations (i.e. Givewell)?
Response: We have not been taking part in the assessments so far, however, the NGO Bureau will assess the impact and outcome of this Covid-19 food relief program.

 

Updated: 06/28/2020