Members of the Goonj Community!
Goonj was born 25 years ago with the humble ambition to provide India's most disadvantaged people with one of the most fundamental human needs: clothing.
From the very beginning, Goonj was different. They did not seek the support of large INGOs, because they believed that theirs was a challenge for the people of India to solve, and an organization that was of, by and for the people of India would have the greatest chance of lasting success. Goonj did not fundraise, because they did not agree with the hierarchy that put "donors" at the top and "beneficiaries" at the bottom of the ladder. They did not seek to offer "charity," because they felt it robbed people of their dignity.
Instead, clothing was used as a form of "currency" to pay people for public work projects that raise the standard of living in rural villages and urban enclaves across India.
Today, Goonj has more than 1,200 staff and countless volunteers, working across 31 states and territories of India. Their work impacts the lives of millions of Indian people every year.
Goonj has also earned a global reputation for their unique approach to social impact work — and are being asked to share the Goonj philosophy around the world.
This foundation was created by a growing community of friends of Goonj to help this beloved organization grow their reach and impact across India — and to share the India-born "Goonj Way" with a growing list of NGOs, Social Entrepreneurs and academics!
We enthusiastically and respectfully invite you to join us on this important journey!
Namaste,
Friends of Goonj
OUR CHARTER
The Goonj Foundation invests
in two strategic areas.
Critical funding to scale Goonj’s work
across India.
Ensuring academics, civil society leaders and social entrepreneurs around the world understand how the Goonj philosophy
can improve the outcomes of
social impact work.
Goonj at Work Around the World
2015 Ramon Magsaysay Award - Acceptance Speech by Anshu Gupta
Redefining Philanthropy
Anshu Gupta | National Geographic
Saving the Lives of Women
with a Piece of Cloth
Anshu GUPTA
穿針引線 Needles and Machines
The Man Who Transformed The Culture of Giving
Circular social innovation
in India
Mindset over matter:
Forbes India
Ordinary people,
extraordinary power
JOIN US
Make a difference.
At Goonj, everyone has an important contribution to make — through their wisdom, their talents, their labor or their financial resources.
If you have an interest in contributing your talents, time or resources to the work of Goonj and the Goonj Foundation, please reach out through the link below.