Jethwa Charitable Foundation (JF) is a grant-making organization registered in India as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013 and recognized under 80G, 12A and NGO Darpan. Drawing primarily on donations from its promoters and founders, the foundation combines financial assistance with technical and digital support to strengthen the work of government and non-government organizations.
Role of Jethwa Charitable Foundation in the funding ecosystem
JF positions itself as both a funder and a capacity-building partner. It provides human, financial and intellectual resources to partner organizations, including software tools and knowledge products. The foundation supports humanitarian and development programs focused on underprivileged communities, especially children and women living in slums and other vulnerable settings, and aligns its portfolio with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.
Its grants and donations cover a wide range of thematic areas: emergency relief and disaster response, food security and nutrition, education, health and well-being, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, basic shelter and housing, and sustainable energy solutions such as small solar kits. JF also directly supports local schools and community initiatives, for example by sponsoring a teacher’s salary, donating school supplies, sports equipment, bedding, folding shelters and other essential items.
Supported publics and types of interventions
The foundation works with partner NGOs, public institutions and community leaders to reach people at the “bottom of the pyramid”. It backs projects that improve basic living standards, promote girls’ education, empower women, and enhance safety and dignity for slum residents and other marginalized groups. In addition to direct material aid, JF promotes innovative, portable housing solutions and sanitation improvements, and encourages volunteering among students and professionals.
Alongside funding, JF develops and offers digital platforms and apps designed to strengthen organizational governance, lower operating costs and improve program effectiveness. It also plans mobile web portals that make government schemes accessible in local languages. By documenting and sharing best practices in leadership and community development, the foundation seeks to amplify impact beyond its immediate grantees.
Mission, governance and impact
Guided by a Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) approach, JF’s mission is to accelerate progress toward the SDGs by increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of government and non-government programs through innovation and digital technology. Governance is anchored in a small group of founders and promoters with long experience in international development and local public service, who directly engage with communities to understand needs and shape funding priorities.
Although relatively new, having been registered in 2023, Jethwa Charitable Foundation has already implemented a portfolio of small-scale but diverse interventions in and around Bhuj, Kutch (Gujarat), demonstrating its role as a flexible, discretionary funding provider focused on vulnerable communities.