Where Will My Money Actually Go?
It is one of the most important questions a donor can ask. When you contribute to an organisation, you are not simply transferring money. You are placing your trust in someone else to use it for the purpose you intended.
Naturally, you want to know how much of your donation reaches the cause, who receives the support, what exactly the money pays for, what difference it will make, and whether you will hear what happened afterwards.
At Project Aarohan, we believe donors deserve clear answers to those questions. Because transparency should not begin with an annual report. It should begin with the donation itself.
Transparency Was Built Into Project Aarohan From the Beginning
Before establishing Project Aarohan, our founder spoke with potential donors about their experiences with charitable giving. One concern appeared repeatedly: people wanted to contribute, but they were often unsure about what happened after they donated.
How much of their contribution actually reached the stated cause? How much went towards administration? Who ultimately benefited? Did their contribution make the difference they hoped it would?
These were reasonable questions, and they helped shape one of Project Aarohan’s core operating principles: if someone trusts us with both their money and their intention, we should be able to explain clearly where that money goes.
Transparency, therefore, is not simply a reporting obligation for us. It is a promise.
We Keep Donations Separate From General Operating Expenses
Project Aarohan keeps donor contributions separate from the foundation’s routine operating and administrative expenses. The foundation’s general running expenses are funded separately by the foundation, which means donor contributions are not used to pay Project Aarohan’s general administrative costs.
There is, however, one important cost we believe donors should know about. Because funds are transferred from the United States to India, there are unavoidable international transfer expenses, including wire-transfer charges, currency-conversion costs and associated banking expenses.
Together, these costs currently amount to approximately 7–8% of a donation, although the exact percentage can vary depending on exchange rates and transfer conditions. We believe it is important to state this clearly rather than make a broader claim that could be misleading.
Project Aarohan does not deduct general administrative expenses from donor contributions. Apart from unavoidable international transfer and currency-conversion costs, donated funds are directed to the intended cause.
For us, transparency means explaining costs openly, even when those costs are unavoidable.
What Does That Look Like in Practice?
Consider a hypothetical $1,000 donation. If international transfer, banking and currency-conversion expenses total approximately 7–8%, roughly $70–$80 would cover those unavoidable costs, while approximately $920–$930 would reach India to be directed towards the donor’s intended educational cause.
This example is illustrative. Actual amounts may vary depending on exchange rates, bank charges and transfer conditions at the time of the transaction.
The important distinction is that Project Aarohan does not take an additional portion of the donation to cover its routine administrative expenses. This allows us to create a much clearer connection between a donor’s contribution and the educational support it makes possible.
From Donation to Impact
Our aim is to make the journey of a donation easy to understand.
Step 1: A donor contributes
A supporter makes a contribution towards an educational cause through Project Aarohan.
Step 2: Unavoidable transfer costs are accounted for
International wire-transfer, banking and currency-conversion costs are deducted. These currently amount to approximately 7–8%, although the amount can vary.
Step 3: The remaining funds reach India
After those transfer costs, the remaining contribution is sent to India.
Step 4: The donation supports the intended cause
Funds are directed towards the educational need for which the contribution was intended.
Step 5: The donor receives an update
We communicate how the contribution was used and the support it helped make possible.
The principle is straightforward: donors should not be left wondering what happened after they gave.
The Donation Is Only Half the Story
Financial transparency tells you where the money went. Human transparency helps you understand what it made possible.
After a donation is made, Project Aarohan provides donors with a short written update. Depending on the nature of the contribution, this can explain who received the support, the student’s educational circumstances or needs, what the contribution paid for, how the support is expected to help, and relevant progress or follow-up information.
Where appropriate and with the necessary consent, an update may also include a student story, photograph, school information or acknowledgment. These communications help donors see the person and purpose behind the transaction.
Behind every contribution is a student, and behind every expense is a purpose. We want donors to understand the difference their support has made rather than simply receive confirmation that a transaction was completed.
Transparency Should Never Come at the Cost of Dignity
There is another responsibility that matters just as much as donor transparency: student privacy.
A donor deserves to understand the impact of their contribution, but a student’s personal circumstances should never become a product of that donation. Stories, photographs and information must therefore be shared responsibly and with appropriate consent.
We want donors to understand the young people they are supporting through their ambitions, progress and potential—not simply through the challenges they have faced. For Project Aarohan, transparency and dignity are not competing principles. They have to exist together.
Beyond a Donation: Becoming Part of the Journey
Financial support can remove an immediate barrier, but education is a journey. Students can also benefit from encouragement, perspective and consistent guidance as they make decisions about their future.
That is why, where appropriate, Project Aarohan invites donors to explore participation in our mentorship programme. Mentorship gives supporters an opportunity to contribute something money alone cannot provide: their experience, perspective, encouragement and time.
Through mentorship, supporters may have an opportunity to encourage a student, understand their educational journey and see their confidence and capabilities develop over time. It creates a different kind of connection with the mission—not simply “I funded something,” but “I understand the journey I am helping support.”
All mentorship participation follows Project Aarohan’s student-safeguarding and communication guidelines so that the relationship remains appropriate, structured and focused on the student’s development.
Financial Support Opens Doors. Mentorship Helps Students Walk Through Them.
At Project Aarohan, we believe financial support and mentorship can reinforce each other. A scholarship can make education more accessible, while mentorship can help a student make the most of that opportunity. Financial support can address an immediate need, while a mentor can encourage a young person to think about what comes next.
This reflects a larger philosophy behind our work: lasting educational progress often requires both opportunity and encouragement.
That is why we want donors to see themselves not simply as sources of funding, but as partners in a student’s journey.
Trust Deserves Clarity
Every donation carries two things: money and intention. Someone may give because they believe education can change a young person’s possibilities. Someone may sponsor a student because they remember the opportunities education created in their own life. Someone else may contribute because they want the next generation to have choices they themselves did not have.
Whatever the motivation, that intention deserves respect. Clear financial practices, honest explanations of costs, meaningful donor updates and responsible communication about students are all ways of respecting that trust.
That is what transparency means to us. It is not simply about publishing numbers; it is about making the relationship between giving and impact visible.
Our Promise to Donors
We cannot promise that moving money internationally will have no cost, but we can promise to tell you that cost exists. We cannot responsibly share every detail of a student’s personal circumstances, but we can promise to help you understand what your contribution supported while protecting their dignity and privacy.
And while we cannot measure every long-term consequence of an educational opportunity today, we can keep you connected to the purpose behind your contribution.
Because trust should never require a donor to simply take our word for it. It should be supported by clarity, communication and accountability.
When you give through Project Aarohan, you do more than make a donation—you become part of a student’s journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 100% of my donation go directly to the cause?
Project Aarohan does not deduct general administrative expenses from donor contributions. However, funds transferred from the United States to India incur unavoidable international transfer, banking and currency-conversion costs. These currently amount to approximately 7–8%, although the exact amount can vary. Apart from these costs, donated funds are directed towards the intended cause.
Does Project Aarohan use donations for administrative expenses?
No. Project Aarohan’s routine running and general administrative expenses are funded separately by the foundation and are not deducted from donor contributions.
Why is approximately 7–8% deducted?
The approximately 7–8% represents costs associated with transferring funds internationally from the United States to India, including wire-transfer charges, currency conversion and associated banking expenses. Actual costs can vary depending on transfer and exchange conditions.
Will I know how my donation was used?
Yes. Project Aarohan provides donors with a short written update explaining who received the support, what the contribution helped pay for and how it is expected to help. Relevant progress or follow-up information may also be provided.
Will I receive information about the student I support?
Where appropriate, Project Aarohan may share information about a student’s educational circumstances, needs and progress. Stories, photographs and other personal information are shared responsibly and with appropriate consent, with student dignity and privacy remaining central.
Can donors become mentors?
Where appropriate, donors can explore opportunities to participate in Project Aarohan’s mentorship programme. Mentorship enables supporters to contribute their experience, perspective and encouragement alongside financial support. Participation follows the foundation’s student-safeguarding and communication guidelines.
Why is transparency important to Project Aarohan?
Project Aarohan believes donors are entrusting the organisation with both their money and their intentions. Transparency demonstrates respect for that trust by clearly explaining costs, showing how contributions are used and helping donors understand the educational impact they make possible.
