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Donate books, from anywhere in India

Give your books a second reader

Pledge your books online, drop them off or courier them to us, and follow them all the way: Pledged, Received, Sorted, Distributed.

Pledge books What we can accept
Illustrative image: children read donated books together in a reading corner Illustrative image

How donating books works

  1. Pledge online

    Tell us roughly what you have. You'll get a pledge ID straight away.

  2. Drop off or courier

    Bring them to a drop-off point, or courier them at your own cost. Write your pledge ID on the box.

  3. Follow your books

    We'll update your pledge at every stage, by email or WhatsApp.

The four stages

Your pledge moves along this trail, and you hear from us at every step.

  1. Stage 1: pledged Illustration

    Pledged

    We have your pledge and your pledge ID.

  2. Stage 2: received Illustration

    Received

    Your box has reached us. We note how many items came in.

  3. Stage 3: sorted Illustration

    Sorted

    We've checked each item and sorted it by level and language.

  4. Stage 4: handed over Illustration

    Distributed

    Your books have gone to children at a partner home on 14 November.

We share updates by batch and place, never photos of individual children receiving books.

Books we can use

We can use

  • School textbooks from the last 5 years, for any class
  • Storybooks and picture books for children and teenagers
  • Dictionaries, atlases and reference books
  • Books in any language
  • Exam guides and past papers for Class 10 and 12
  • Clean, bound books with all their pages

Books we can't use

  • Used exercise books, notebooks or workbooks that have been written in
  • Books with torn, loose or missing pages
  • Books with water damage, mould or a strong smell
  • Books with heavy writing, highlighting or answers filled in
  • Film, gossip and adult magazines
  • Books meant for adults only
  • Newspapers

Children deserve books that feel new to them. Sorting takes our team's time, so items we can't use cost us twice.

If something reaches us that our children can't use, we give what others can use to a partner organisation and send the rest for recycling. We'll tell you in your pledge updates.

Illustrative image: a father and son drop off books at a collection table Illustrative image

Getting your books to us

Drop off, free

Bring your box to a drop-off point in your city. It costs nothing.

Courier, at your cost

From anywhere in India, you can courier your books to us. Courier charges are paid by you. Please don't send cash-on-delivery parcels. We can't accept them.

Home pickup

We can collect from your place. Choose pickup in the form, and we'll call you to fix a time.

Pack books flat in a sturdy box, and write your pledge ID clearly on the outside.

About tax deductions

Donated books don't qualify for an 80G deduction. The tax law gives deductions only for money gifts. If you'd like a receipt, you can add a money gift to your pledge. It's optional.

Add a money gift (optional)

A small amount helps us sort, transport and distribute books. Gifts from Indian citizens are eligible for deduction under 80G (now Section 133 of the Income-tax Act, 2025), old tax regime only.

Pledge your books

This takes about 2 minutes. You'll get a pledge ID when you finish.

So we know who to thank.

We'll send your pledge ID and updates here.

For WhatsApp updates if you'd like them, and needed for a pickup so we can call you.

How should we update you?
What kind of books? (tick all that apply)
Languages

A guess is fine. We'll count them when they arrive.

How will you send them?

Only if you chose pickup: house, street, area and city. We keep it locked and delete it with your other details.

So we know to look out for them. Within the next 30 days.

Before you pledge, please confirm:

Questions about donating books

Do I get an 80G receipt for books?

No. Only money gifts qualify. You can add an optional money gift to your pledge, and that gets a receipt.

Where do the books go?

To children we support in partner shelter homes and families across India. Your pledge update says whether your books went to a partner home or a Saath Foundation program, and when. It never names a place or a child.

Do children get to choose?

Where we can, yes. Sorted books are laid out by level so children can pick what they want to read.

What happens to books you can't use?

What others can use goes to a partner organisation, and the rest is recycled. We'll tell you in your pledge update.

There's no drop-off point in my city. Can I still donate?

Yes, by courier from anywhere in India, at your own cost. The courier address is on this page under "Getting your books to us".

Purani kitaabein daan kaise karein?

Pledge online, drop your books at a point in your city or courier them from anywhere in India, and track them with your pledge ID.

The books on your shelf could be someone's favourite next month.

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