What is AID Inc.?
Started in 1990 by graduate students at the University of Maryland, the Association for India's Development (AID) has been raising awareness and supporting many community development efforts in Indian villages. Over the years, AID's volunteer base has grown in number, size and maturity. In Pittsburgh, AID has been active since 1995.

AID Inc is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Our federal tax ID number is 04-3652609. Mail your tax-exempt contributions to AID-Pittsburgh, Mailbox #25, University Center, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213.

What is Community Service Hour (CSH)?
We meet almost every Sunday in Carnegie Mellon University to discuss and vote on AID projects, plan for AID Pittsburgh fund-raisers and discuss issues concerning India's Development. Please send email to pittsburgh@aidindia.org to subsribe to AID Pittsburgh mailing list. This mailing list receives about 2 emails per week (AID CSH agenda (with details of date/venue/directions etc) and AID CSH minutes) and announcement of AID Pittsburgh events.

How often do we meet?
We meet once a week in one of the local universities.

How are funds raised?
We organize fundraising events such as concerts, cricket telecasts, benefit dinners, movie screening, and other comunity events.

How are funds used?
We use the funds to support development projects from grass roots organizations that work in various areas of India.

How are projects selected?
The projects that are taken up for review are those that have been visited by some AID volunteer (unless we have already worked with the organization for another project earlier). The pre-funding project visit is accomplished by using the network of AID volunteers from all the chapters. Typically, AID volunteers visit one or two projects (not necessarily from their own chapter) when they go on personal trips to India. The project review is conducted in a few meetings of a local AID chapter and it may involve a few iterations of discussions with the organization that has sent the project proposal. At the end of the review phase, the volunteers vote on whether the project should be funded.

How are projects monitored?
One or two volunteers serve as the main coordinators of any given project. After sending the funds, the coordinators regularly interact with the organization that is implementing the project. Usually, the implementing organization sends a year-end report. The coordinators arrange for a post-funding project visit by themselves or another AID volunteer and prepare a visit report that they present at their chapter.

What is AID Volunteer Conference?
The Annual AID Volunteer Conference is an occasion when one AID chapter organizes a 3 day event spanning the memorial day long weekend that is full of invigorating sessions on development issues, talks by prominent people working at the grassroots, and workshops on various aspects of volunteering for AID (treasury, project coordination, fund-raising, etc). The expenses of hosting an AID Volunteer Conference are entirely borne by the attending volunteers in the form of "conference registration fees". The volunteers also pay for their travel expenses themselves.

Other FAQs?
Please visit the FAQ page of the main AID website