Make A Difference
Empowering vulnerable children in India with 18 years of holistic support to break the cycle of poverty in a single generation.
About MAD: Make A Difference (MAD) works with children in India who have no one else — children in shelter homes, orphanages, and protection homes who have lost their families or whose families could not keep them safe.
MAD delivers an 18-year-long intervention to Children in Need of Care & Protection (CNCP) living in child care institutions in India, with the proven capability to enable them to break the cycle of poverty in a single generation.
Founded in 2006, MAD has pioneered a community-powered social protection system that mobilises the community to provide high-touch, highly scalable, age-appropriate progression mentoring — pairing children with trained volunteer mentors who commit a full year, showing up every week in a 2:5 volunteer-to-child ratio. The model covers education support, emotional wellbeing, life skills, career guidance, and — critically — aftercare that extends from age 18 through to 28, staying with young adults through employment, housing, and independence.
Without intervention, 92% of children in Indian shelter homes drop out of school by 18. With MAD, 96% pass their board exams. 90%+ continue into higher education (national average for shelter children: 8%). 91% are placed in jobs, college, or vocational training.
These outcomes are independently verified by 60 Decibels, which placed MAD in the top performance band across 115 Indian organisations (NPS: 94). 100% of surveyed beneficiaries reported improved quality of life.
MAD currently supports 8,200+ children across 20 Indian cities with 2,000+ trained volunteers. Cost per child: approximately $215/year ($18/month).
Vision: To end poverty in our lifetime.
Mission: Empower communities to take radical responsibility for their most vulnerable children and ensure they get the care and support needed to break the cycle of poverty permanently in a single generation.
Goal: Build a nationwide network of empowered communities that act as safety nets and springboards for children in need of care and protection. Through our proven Progression Mentoring Program, communities provide step-by-step guidance, empowering children to cross the life-changing empowerment threshold of $360 (INR 30,000) per month and leave poverty behind, permanently.
Activities: Progression Mentoring is MAD's award-winning 18-year-long, high-touch intervention model for children born into intergenerational poverty. It is a community-powered, volunteer-driven program for age-appropriate growth and development that enables young people in the community to self-organise to provide the required care, skill-building, and resources to the most vulnerable children around them.
One-on-one mentoring by young individuals, guiding children through critical life stages, has the highest success rate in healing from ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and bridging the gap left by struggling parents. While it typically takes 7 generations for a family to escape poverty in India, with personalised mentoring, it can be achieved in just one.
Program Delivery: MAD delivers Progression Mentoring through a Community Organising model, empowering young leaders to mobilise community members into active citizens. Community Organisers form chapters of 200 volunteers and children, each providing weekly mentoring to 200 vulnerable children from the age of 10 to 28 at no cost to the child. Along with mentoring, we raise funds to meet all expenses a child needs to thrive — including costs towards education, specialised training, clothing, and housing once they reach adulthood and must leave child care institutions.
Our service-based leadership development curriculum, led by Community Organisers (COs), guides chapter leaders in sourcing, recruiting, onboarding, managing, and retaining mentors.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty at Scale
The Challenge: India has the world's highest number of children in extreme poverty. 350,000 vulnerable children urgently need care and protection. Current systems reach less than 1% of those in need.
Our Solution — Scaling for Nationwide Impact: MAD is working towards doubling the number of children we support every year by enabling young people to set up and run healthy MAD chapters in their communities. Our World-Class Community Organiser Incubator creates the enabling environment for this to happen, and MADapp — our experiential leadership development tool — enables a young person to pick up high-value skills by setting up and running a MAD chapter.
Our Impact (measured over the past 6 years): → 90% of children reach college (vs. 15% national average) → 95% secure formal jobs within 6 months → Beneficiaries join the top 10% income bracket by age 28
The Opportunity: Partner with us to scale our proven model nationwide. Together, we can end intergenerational poverty in our lifetime.
Fundraisers
Official fundraiser
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time.
Imagine a world where every child, no matter their background, has the opportunity to thrive. For over 18 years, Make A Difference (MAD) has been working toward this vision in India, where 234 million people still live below the poverty line—among them, countless children who need protection and care. These children face unimaginable challenges, from limited access to education and mentorship to the constant threat of being caught in a cycle of poverty that extends across generations. But there is hope. Through our work, we empower children to rise above these challenges and realize their potential. Our programs are designed to break the cycle of poverty within a single generation, equipping vulnerable youth with the skills and confidence they need to build a future free from poverty. This isn’t just a mission—it’s a movement . With a dedicated network of over 2,000 volunteers, MAD reaches more than 3,000 children across 18 cities every year. Through skill development workshops, long-term mentorship, and a sense of community, we provide the tools and support these young people need to excel academically, socially, and professionally. And with 90% of our graduates securing jobs within six months, these efforts are already making a tangible impact. But we can’t do it alone. As we expand our reach, we need your support to continue empowering these young lives. By partnering with us, you’re not just donating; you’re investing in a future where every child has a chance to succeed. Why Support Make A Difference? Immediate Impact : Your donation supports essential programs that equip children with academic and life skills, creating a foundation for lifelong success. Long-Term Change : By breaking the cycle of poverty, we’re creating lasting impact that reverberates through families and communities. Community-Powered Action : Together, we can transform lives and mobilize entire communities to bring sustainable change. Join Us Every dollar you contribute to MAD makes a profound difference. Help us continue this journey to empower vulnerable children in India and foster a ripple effect of positive change. With your support, we can break down barriers and create opportunities that last a lifetime. Be the catalyst for change. Donate now and help us create a world where every child can shine. Let’s make a difference—together.
- Raised
- $9,248
- Next milestone
- $10,000
61 supporters
DonateOfficial fundraiser
Every Child Deserves a Childhood That Lasts
In India, nearly 370,000 children live in care institutions — shelter homes, orphanages, and protection homes. These are children who have lost their families or whose families could not keep them safe. Many come from households earning less than $2/day. Without intervention, 92% will drop out of school by 18, and most will remain trapped in intergenerational poverty. Make A Difference has spent 20 years proving this cycle can be broken in a single generation. MAD places trained volunteer mentors in the lives of children in care institutions — paired 2:5, every week, for an entire academic year. Beyond mentorship, MAD covers education support, emotional care, life skills, board exam preparation, college placements, and aftercare through employment and housing — from age 10 all the way to independent adulthood at 25+. The results, independently verified by 60 Decibels: → 96% board exam pass rate (vs. 8% national average for shelter children) → 90%+ continue into higher education after 18 → 91% placed in colleges, jobs, or vocational training → 100% of surveyed youth reported improved quality of life → Net Promoter Score: 94 (top band across 115 Indian organisations) This fundraiser covers the full cost of what it takes for 200 of our children to thrive this academic year: programme costs, school and college scholarships, learning materials, living stipends for young adults who have left shelters, and an emergency fund for crises no one can plan for. Cost per child: $225/year. $18.75/month. The academic year is starting now. These children need support from day one. Every dollar goes directly to children in care institutions across 20 Indian cities. MAD charges no administrative overhead to this campaign — your donation funds mentorship, education, scholarships, stipends, and emergency support.
- Raised
- $0
- Goal
- $45,000
Donors
- Manvi PanchalTo the fundraiser: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time.1
I have for MAD for three years, Inhave donated on the behalf of my friend who believes in this cause.
Raymond Finlayson To the fundraiser: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time.2Great work
kanimozhi Chan To the fundraiser: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time.2God bless you.
bhanu dutta To the fundraiser: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time.1samuel franklin To the fundraiser: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time.1Alex groban To the fundraiser: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time.1OwO
