American India Foundation (AIF) Raises $1.7M at Virtual NY Gala

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thurs., Sept. 23, hundreds of American India Foundation supporters joined together to virtually celebrate the organization's 2021 New York Gala. Despite the fundraising challenges of virtual events during these challenging times, AIF successfully raised over $1.7M. These funds allow AIF to continue their work by rebuilding lives in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic by bridging the digital divide in education, decreasing maternal and infant mortality rates, reskilling and upskilling vulnerable populations to ensure economic security.

This year's Gala celebrated honoree, FIS Chairman and CEO Gary Norcross, the hard work AIF has done in the face of COVID-19, and AIF's Entre-Prerana program, the groundbreaking work to help 1 million street vendors build their businesses and lift entire families out of poverty.

"It's incredibly humbling to partner with an organization that has transformed the lives of millions of young people in India ‒ by supporting and challenging them to build impactful careers. Thank you AIF for your vision and passion focused on lifting these underserved citizens," said FIS Chairman and CEO Gary Norcross

Gala highlights include:

• Journalist Reena Ninan and MSNBC's Ali Velshi serving as Co-Hosts
• Two special performances by Grammy Award winning Ricky Kej and friends
• A group of Tri-State Board members offering to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $110,000

"After a difficult year in which both India and the United States were heavily affected by COVID-19, it was a breath of fresh air to join with so many and celebrate AIF's work during this time and honor FIS' Gary Norcross. Many thanks to our sponsors, AIF's National Board of Directors. The Tri-State Board, and the wildly talented Ricky Kej. The support tonight will allow AIF to positively affect thousands of Indians rebuild their lives," says AIF's CEO, Nishant Pandey. 

Those who missed the event can watch the recording here: https://e.givesmart.com/events/mME/page/presentation/

About the American India Foundation 

The American India Foundation is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development, with a particular emphasis on empowering girls and women to achieve gender equity. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs and government to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a request from Prime Minister Vajpayee, AIF has impacted the lives of 9.2 million of India's poor in 27 states. 

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SOURCE American India Foundation