Hold a Hand — sponsor a child's schooling, meals and care, together
Hold one hand, together
A child's whole year can be a lot for one person. A Saathi Circle lets friends, family, colleagues or a housing society carry it together. Each of you gives your own share, and you all see the same progress.
Saathi Circles open soon. Leave your email and we'll tell you the day you can start one.
How a Saathi Circle works
Start a circle and name it
The person who starts it is the circle lead. Give it a name your group will recognise, like "Andheri Book Club Saathis".
Choose one child's needs
Pick a child from the Hold a Hand listing and choose the needs your circle will carry: the whole year, or a few items.
Invite people with a private link
Share the link on WhatsApp or email. The circle page is private: only invited members who sign in can see it.
Each member pays their own share
One time or every month. Everyone pays Saath Foundation directly and gets their own receipt. No one collects money for anyone else.
Follow progress together
Your circle sees one progress bar, which needs are covered, and every update from our team, all at the same time.
Shared progress. Private amounts.
Everyone in the circle sees: the combined progress ("₹18,400 to go for the year"), which needs are covered, and every update from our team.
Only you and Saath Foundation see: how much you give, how often, and your receipts. There are no leaderboards and no "who hasn't paid" lists.
If someone stops: the circle sees only "One share has ended. ₹600 a month is now open." Never who left.
What the circle lead does, and doesn't do
- The lead names the circle, chooses the needs, invites members and can name a co-lead.
- The lead never handles money, can't see members' amounts, and can't move anyone's gift to a different need or child.
Can our circle meet the child?
Circle members can come to a Saath Milan together, under the same rules as every Saathi. Being in a circle never gives anyone direct contact with the child. Individual visits go through Meet Your Saathi, at a venue Saath Foundation hires for that event, after 12 months of sponsorship and one Saath Milan.
Please keep updates inside the circle
Our updates use a first or chosen name only, and never a school, a neighbourhood or an identifying photo. Even so, please don't forward them outside your circle or post them online.
Members living abroad
A circle can include friends outside India. If a member isn't an Indian citizen, their share comes through our FCRA route and is recorded separately, as the law requires. Indian tax deductions don't apply to gifts through the FCRA route.
A yearly summary for your circle
Once a year, every member gets a short summary of what the circle funded together, by category. Your own Rupee Trail shows the vendors paid from your own share.
Questions about Saathi Circles
Does each member get an 80G receipt?
Yes. Every member pays Saath Foundation directly and gets their own receipt. Gifts from Indian citizens are eligible for deduction under 80G (now Section 133 of the Income-tax Act, 2025), old tax regime only.
How much does each person give?
Each member chooses their own amount, from ₹100. The progress bar shows what's left for the group.
Can a workplace start a circle?
Yes, as a group of colleagues, each paying personally. If your company wants to give from its CSR budget, see our CSR page.
Is this adoption?
No. A Saathi Circle sponsors a child's listed needs. It gives no legal rights over the child.