At its 4th Annual New England Gala, the American India Foundation (AIF) broke its prior record set in 2008 and 2009 and raised $800,000, making it the most successful AIF gala in its history in the New England region.

This year’s AIF gala honored Paul B. Kazarian, Chairman and Founder of Japonica Partners and the Charles & Agnes Kazarian Foundation for his role in philanthropic leadership in India, and Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria, and Subra Suresh, Director of the National Science Foundation and the Dean of MIT’s School of Engineering were recognized for reaching the pinnacle of Academic and Research Excellence.

Held at Boston’s landmark Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, the Annual Bow Ties and Bangles Gala black tie event attracted more than 400 guests, including many CEOs, media and entertainment personalities, as well as community leaders across the public and private sector, who enjoyed an exquisite evening featuring great entertainment by Satish, the firebird trumpeter and Sa Dance Company and fine dining by Masala Art.

Mr. Kazarian, who established The Charles & Agnes Kazarian Foundation to empower great aspirations in the whole human family, was presented with the AIF Philanthropic Leadership Award by Brian Pereira, CEO, President, and Director of AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Shivan Subramaniam, Chairman and CEO of FM Global.

During his acceptance speech, he announced AIF’s selection as one of the two best diaspora philanthropic organizations worldwide after six months of intense research by J-InterSect, serving as a global benchmark with high value add best practices, especially for an emerging economy.  In fact, the research concluded that AIF achieved approximately ten times (also known as a “10x NPB multiplier”) more positive social impact from donor contributions than its average peer.   

“AIF shares our passion for improving performance at the nexus of the commercial and social sectors,” remarked Mr. Kazarian, “and they also share our passion for the ‘three highs’:  high value-add, high return on resources, and high impact.” In recognition of these accomplishments, The Charles & Agnes Kazarian Foundation will invest US$1.8 million in its Knowledge Partnership with AIF, as part of a US$10 million Knowledge Partnership initiative.  Both organizations are committed to empowering families in the critical areas of education, livelihoods, and public health – the three pillars of AIF.

Dr. Sanjay Sinho, CEO of AIF, added, “We are humbled by this gracious recognition by J-Intersect and the Charles & Agnes Kazarian Foundation. Their findings reaffirm our strong belief in the commitment we have made to our donors in the US: making the greatest possible impact and producing the highest value in the lives of the hundreds of thousands impoverished and marginalized peoples in India through the use of their donations.”

The event highlighted AIF’s Learning and Migration Program (LAMP), which has helped more than 237,000 children of migrant workers access continuous primary education in migration-prone geographies of five states of India, including the slums of Bihar. 

Mr. Pereira attested to the significant growth AIF is bringing across the subcontinent through programs like LAMP. “Despite this remarkable progress made by India in the last two decades, a large segment of the population has not caught up with the wave of educational and economic progress. This is where AIF comes in.  AIF programs go a long way in helping thousands of little girls and their mothers pursue a dream of a better life.”

Victor J. Menezes, AIF co-Chairman and Senior Advisor for New Silk Route Partners, Brian Pereira, and Sunita Pereira, Associate Program Director of the Neonatal Program at Tufts, were the Chairs of this year’s Gala. Raj Sharma and Venkat Srinivasan, AIF Trustees, are the main anchors and leaders of  the New England chapter of AIF  .

Check out these links for photos of the gala

http://carlislevideo.smugmug.com/Indian-Events/2010/AIF/The American India Foundation (AIF) is the largest diaspora philanthropy organization focused on India that is based out of the United States. Since its inception in 2001, AIF has benefited more than 1.5 million people through its innovative programs and partnership with Indian non-governmental organizations. President Bill Clinton serves as its Honorary Chair; Nobel Economist Dr. Amartya Sen chairs AIF’s U.S. Advisory Council.

http://carlislevideo.smugmug.com/Indian-Events/2010/AIF/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zUAk7s4440

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/specials/bill_brett/latest?pg=3