Projects Overview
All projects funded by AID are initiated by grass-roots NGOs based in India. These organizations submit project proposals to our central database or directly to chapters in the US (visit http://www.aidprojects.org for more information). Each chapter's Overall Project Coordinator and volunteers regularly scan these proposals for promising projects. Interested volunteers then choose to coordinate a proposal and recommend the proper action to the chapter. Each project undergoes a stringent process of review and evaluation. The NGO's past work, achievements, mode of operation, finances required, and the cause being affected are a few of the aspects thoroughly examined. Once a project is deemed viable, sustainable, and worthy, the chapter approves it. Based on the recommendation of the project coordinator and a majority vote in the CSH, the chapter funds the project.
And our work doesn't end there! We place great value on dialogue between the NGOs and the chapters providing the funds; most proposals go through revisions based on this dialogue. After a project is approved, the individual project coordinators maintain regular contact with the people executing the project and receive periodic (usually quarterly) updates on the project's progress. The project coordinators and the chapter also participate actively in the project by giving feedback and suggestions to the NGO. Annual project site visits are also mandatory for each approved and funded project. Continued dialogue between AID and the NGOs enables us to learn from each experience and do a better job of evaluating future project proposals.
