Together For India

GIF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on giving people around the world the opportunity to save lives and make a real difference. GIF inspires global philanthropy and changes the way people give by providing secure and transparent giving options to both individual and corporate donors. GIF showcases the work of credible non-profit organizations in India and empowers donors to choose which organizations to support – it is simple, smart, and powerful. Contributions are tax-deductible and within limits established by the law.

GIF is an all volunteer 501(c)3 organization that supports credible programs and organizations in India. GIF will not take any administrative fee for all funds raised. 100% of the funds raised will go directly to on-the-ground programs in support of the COVID-19 disaster in India.

No. GIF is not affiliated with any religious institutions.

GIF decided to use the gofundme platform as it provides an easy and efficient method for payments, while also providing multiple ways to amplify our campaign in a short period of time which is paramount to the immediate crisis in India.

U.S. donors will be provided with a tax receipt.

U.S. donors will receive a summary of how their funds were used and its impact.

You can still donate to GIF since this program will make a meaningful difference in the fight against COVID. And as a US-donor, you can also donate to India-based fundraising campaigns on Give India, Milaap, Ketto, and DonateKart. However, you will not receive a tax exemption for these donations.

Please email Dr. Amita Vyas for any specific questions.

India is implementing the world’s largest vaccination program. According to the latest government guidelines, all adults (ages 18+) are eligible to get vaccinated. The Central Government will continue providing free vaccinations for essential and priority populations (i.e., healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs), and people above 45 years). Additionally, vaccine manufacturers can release 50% of the vaccine stocks directly to Indian states and in the open market. Many states have also announced free vaccines for all people above ages 18 years.

Beneficiaries will be vaccinated through three delivery models:

1. Setting up camps at workplaces and/or communities
2. Providing mobile vaccination vans that will visit communities and areas of implementation
3. Mobilizing beneficiaries to get vaccinated at nearby government facilities

For each of the above models, we are partnering with an expert NGO or service provider. Here is a short list of selected, vetted, and credible implementation partners (to be confirmed soon):

Nonprofit organizations:

1. Sambhav Foundation (a Labournet initiative)
2. Transform Rural India Foundation
3. Jan Sahas

Service providers:

1. Vaccine on Wheels
2. Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions Private Limited
3. Portea
4. Pharmeasy
5. 1 MG
6. Connect & Heal
7. Mantra4Change

Additionally, we are mapping NGOs in our pan-India network who can spread awareness, mobilize communities in different locations, and work with the expert organization(s) above to complete the vaccination process for beneficiary communities.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Samhita/CGF has engaged multiple stakeholders from private, public, philanthropic, and social sectors to facilitate priority healthcare and economic revival needs for diverse individuals, community groups, and micro/nano enterprises.

In the second wave, some of the groups that Samhita/CGF and its partners have been supporting since 2020 need urgent vaccination to revive their lives and livelihoods – farmers, street vendors, women self-help groups, differently abled traders, small retailers, carpenters, construction workers, sanitation workers, blue collar factory workers, etc.

Samhita/CGF understands that collaboration will drive accelerated efforts towards breaking the coronavirus chain with an urgent and mass vaccination drive. In India, there are multiple challenges and variables that could prove a barrier to the rapid vaccination that is required. Some of them include shortage of vaccines, vaccine hesitancy, timely delivery of vaccines, etc. While vaccine availability is not in complete control of entities like us, Samhita/CGF is focused on working with our partners to address vaccine access, vaccine hesitancy, vaccination registration process, and timely implementation.

1. Enable the private sector to step up for low-income groups that are most vulnerable because of the nature of their work, which requires traveling to and from work, they live in COVID-19 hotspots districts, states, etc.
2. Drive concrete efforts towards rapid and large-scale vaccination in cluster mode – camps and vans- thereby, aiming to reduce the burden on public health systems
3. Monitor and track the execution, communication, and impact across locations and beneficiary cohorts
4. Drive down administrative costs due to collective negotiation that Samhita/CGF will facilitate on behalf of all partner funders
5. Amplify the good work done by the companies, foundations, and other contributors across social media and our networks

Currently, our partners are working with the Central/State government vaccination centers and procuring vaccines directly from them. All partners are also in active communication with manufacturers, however, there are no confirmations on supply from there.

The program will have the addition of mask distribution and nutrition packages to accompany vaccinations. We have partners who are actively working on vaccine awareness and sensitization among communities, supporting citizens through the vaccine registration process, and providing access to health and social security schemes of the government.

Mobilization under our programs is carried out through partners that have close connections with the community:

• Local district/block administration, healthcare staff such as Anganwadi workers, Auxiliary nurse midwife (ANMs), etc.
• Local NGOs who have dedicated community outreach systems in place

Yes, our partners in a few states are actively working with local/state governments to access vaccines, vaccinators, and local infrastructure.

On one particular day, 100-150 people can be vaccinated through our vaccination program.

Samhita/CGF is actively working in Maharashtra on a program to vaccinate 37,000 citizens below the poverty line in the next five months.

No, organizations and/or citizens cannot choose the vaccines if they are procured from the Central or state government model. Alternatively, programs involving direct procurement from manufacturers could be explored.

Recently, there were news reports on vaccine shortages in the media. The shortage had also led to a pause in vaccine drives in certain states and specific geographies. Through multiple anecdotal communications and news reports, it is expected that this shortage will be resolved by the Government of India (GoI) and state government to some extent by mid-May and early June. However, there is still a lack of clarity on the availability of vaccines to the private sector. The proportion of vaccines that may be made available by the two vaccine manufacturers for private consumption would be less initially as per the CEOs of these organizations.

Our potential implementation partners will be undertaking programs on vaccine availability in government/private centers they are partnered with or on their ability to procure from the open market at negotiated prices.

As per the latest announcements, Covishield will be made available to the Central and state Government at INR 300 per dose (INR 150 per dose for Central Government was for the initial contract for starting the vaccination production) and private players at INR 600 per dose.

Covaxin procurement prices for Central and state Governments are INR 400 per dose and for private players INR 1,200 per dose. The situation on pricing strategy is evolving rapidly and is subject to change depending on the revised government guidelines or price changes by the manufacturers.

Furthermore, a few states have announced their free vaccination programs for specific age groups and communities. Such announcements are dynamic and evolving on a day-to-day basis. At the present, 24 states have announced free vaccines for all eligible age groups (ages 18+):

Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra.