The Akshaya Patra Foundation, the world’s largest NGO-run midday meal program, recently partnered with OneCause, an online community aimed at socially conscious shoppers who support causes of their choice while shopping online.

Those interested in helping Akshaya Patra can make their online purchases through OneCause and pick Akshaya Patra as the cause to be benefited. OneCause helps Akshaya Patra by contributing a certain percentage of every purchase made to the shopper’s designated charity. OneCause is partnered with hundreds of well-known merchants, including Amazon, Apple, Macys, Nordstrom, Target  and offers buyers special coupons and savings opportunities. Up to 20 percent of the total cost of each purchase goes directly to Akshaya Patra, at no extra cost to the consumer.  

“This partnership comes at the perfect time, as people are starting to shop for Father’s Day and graduation gifts,” said Seema Joshi, Akshaya Patra’s Grassroots Development Director. “This is an easy way for people to help raise much needed funds for Akshaya Patra children while fulfilling their social commitments.”  To learn more about this opportunity to support Akshaya Patra visit www.foodforeducation.org and get started today.

Akshaya Patra’s vision is that no child shall be deprived of education because of hunger. A public-private partnership, Akshaya Patra is currently feeding over one million children from 17 kitchens located in seven states in India. Akshaya Patra’s kitchens are specially designed by engineers to leverage technology. The organization sources its food stocks from local markets, thereby reducing costs associated with transportation and food spoilage while supporting the local economy. Started modestly in 2000 feeding 1,500 children in Bangalore, the foundation has grown to become the largest, and certainly most innovative, school lunch program in the world. Akshaya Patra is a great example of what a non-profit organization can achieve-- a cost effective, scalable solution with high quality service delivery. After reaching its goal of feeding one million children each school day, Akshaya Patra’s next milestone is to serve 5 million children daily by 2020.

An AC Nielsen Impact Study of the program in 2006 showed improved school enrollment, retention rates and classroom performance.  Additionally, Akshaya Patra is the winner of many awards and accolades. Heralded by President Barack Obama in a letter as “an imaginative approach that has the potential to serve as a model for other countries,” Akshaya Patra was also a winner in the 2008 American Express Members Project. Out of 1,190 submissions and three rounds of voting, Akshaya Patra was awarded $100,000 in funding from American Express. Akshaya Patra was also featured at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2007 and 2008. Harvard Business School developed a case study in 2007 for its MBA curriculum on Akshaya Patra's model for precise time management.

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