South Asia Against AIDS Foundation

[Guest guest]

Dear Group:

Please post this message to the group. I would like to introduce myself. My

name is Asha Sekhri, and I am the President and Founder of a 1 year old 501c3

foundation in the U.S. called South Asia Against AIDS Foundation (SAAAIDS)

Our NGO Investment Fund

SAAAIDS recognizes that the havoc wreaked in South Asia by HIV/AIDS has

worsened, despite genuine concern from the developed world. We feel that the

key to the solution is matching good investments with good investors. Many

NGOs cannot begin, maintain or expand their stellar HIV/AIDS programs in South

Asia because they do not have access to funding. Similarly, many concerned

individuals are unable to invest in HIV/AIDS programs in South Asia because they

lack a trustworthy vehicle. The result has been a low level of actual

generalized response to HIV/AIDS in South Asia.

Venture Philanthropists, Social Entrepreneurs

In light of this, SAAAIDS is leading the effort to establish a unique

philanthropic fund - the NGO Investment Fund - led by a group of people who

command community respect and trust, as well as possess the vision, skills and

commitment necessary to successfully promote good investments to individuals who

recognize the responsibilities of planetary citizenship and who are eager to

invest in HIV/AIDS initiatives in South Asia that have a social investment

return.

We are not traditional philanthropists who make grants. Instead, we are venture

philanthropists, or social entrepreneurs, who apply sound business practices

that normally drive venture capital and investment firms to our investments in

grassroots NGOs whose proposed programs will effectively improve their

communities' HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and loss services. These NGOS may

otherwise not be able to obtain access to necessary funding, due to their small

size, to begin, maintain or expand their programs and meet their communities'

needs

Our National Board of Directors and Country Panels are all volunteers and are

made up of entrepreneurs, academics, intellectuals, philanthropists and other

professionals who guide SAAAIDS in its activities and ensure that all proper

procedures are being followed. A Country Director heads each Country Panel

located in South Asia and oversees monitoring the reliability and progress of

our initiatives, as well as reporting back to the National Board.

Like all good investors, we look before we leap. We have an extensive due

diligence process to ensure that every dollar invested in an NGO will make a

difference. The key to our success is the extremely close collaboration between

our Board of Directors, our Country Panels and the NGOs in which we invest. We

are prepared to do whatever it takes to make our investments successful. Before

and during our investment, we visit the NGO and evaluate its management team,

facilities, strategic plans and financial statements. We give the NGO the

support it needs to craft an effective program, everything from recommending

program adjustments, to securing office equipment, to helping hire new staff, to

bringing in new funders, to analyzing budgets.

We also carefully track our investments by holding the NGOs in which we invest

accountable. They are expected to set and achieve specific goals for their

communities. Their results against goals are measured and disseminated every

year so that our foundation and the international community can learn from them.

Measures of evaluation include improvements in sexual education and health

within NGO investment communities, as well as gradual reductions in the number

of new HIV/AIDS infections and in the number of those infected who have no

access to medical treatment within NGO investment communities.

Other measures of evaluation we utilize to track our effectiveness include

growth in: operating revenue, the strength of our National Board and Country

Panels, the number of SAAAIDS' supporters, supporter feedback and website usage.

Make Every Dollar Go to Our Investments

We are currently expanding our National Board of Directors and Country Panels.

These individuals form a powerful corps who will utilize their resources to

underwrite all of our management/administrative expenses. If we can accomplish

this, every dollar we receive goes to the NGOs we support, not to us.

The Long Haul: When we find an NGO that is effective, we stick with it. Our

goal is to support nearly seventy-five percent of the NGOs we fund for more than

five years. We would rather have effective organizations fighting HIV/AIDS in

South Asia than make unwise investments. First time investments range from

$5,000 to $10,000 and are made on a year-to-year basis.

2000 Accomplishments: During 2000, SAAAIDS obtained its 501©(3) status and

began actively encouraging worthy NGOs in South Asia to apply for funding for

their HIV/AIDS programs. We have developed a good number of investment

opportunities that need funding.

2001 Objectives

During 2001, SAAAIDS is actively:

Continuing to look for and develop effective NGO investments, as well as

relationships with the international community;

Building its powerful National Board of Directors and Country Panels;

Seeking $300,000 in donations in order to fund NGOs selected as recipients of

our NGO Investment Fund; and

Planning its gala this July in New York City that will provide an opportunity

for donors to help us reach this financial goal.

For more information, please go to: www.SAAAIDS.org (Best viewed through

Internet Explorer)

Asha Sekhri,

Asha@...