IIT Kharagpur
Foundation
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IIT Kharagpur Foundation (USA) NEWSLETTER

Volume: 1.13.2024

Dear Reader,

New Year's Resolutions: 
Making IITKGP a part of Charitable Giving Plans

Happy New Year again! Thank you for continuing to support the IITKGP Foundation through your generous donations and the gift of time. No gift has been small, every penny donated is being spent to support students and faculty through scholarships, chair professorships, R&D funding, service projects, and infrastructure modernization.

As the new year brings the spirit of change in the form of New Year's Resolutions, it's not just a time for personal transformations; it's a time for us as alumni to seriously think about giving back to our alma mater that has provided us the education and experiences to become who we are today. 

Here are 5 New Year's Resolutions for IITKGP Alumni that will help IIT Kharagpur improve its global standing!

1. Make charitable giving a habit. Imagine if each of the more than 15,000 US-based IITKGP alums receiving this newsletter committed to giving an average of $100 a month, we could raise nearly $17 million in 2024! Make a recurring monthly donation to IITKGPF! 

2. Pick one challenge at IITKGP to learn about and support throughout 2024:  Trying to understand and care about every issue in the world today is an impossibly tall order. Or, for that matter, understanding every challenge IIT Kharagpur as an institution faces could be overwhelming. In 2024, pick one issue to learn more about and find ways to ameliorate that challenge - whether that is hall modernization, a modern guest house for visiting alumni and faculty, a “gupshup'' center in your department, student or faculty support, or something else. Make a donation to IITKGPF to support the initiative of interest to you! 

3. Make fundraising your new hobby: Commit to making one of your plans for 2024 a fundraiser for IITKGPF supported initiatives at IITKGP. We can work with you to put together a small team of your classmates and, as a group, raise funds to support a specific or general initiative of interest to you. Contact Meenakshi for a conversation to move this forward. If you’re looking to expand your social group and make more friends in 2024, you can also join an alumni team and fundraise together for IITKGP - or, if you want to make it a group effort at work, we also have corporate fundraising options. 

4. Give back by convincing your employer to match your donations - it is part of their social responsibility: Speaking of the workplace, if you want to give back you can double the impact by convincing your employer to match your donation. Employee matching is the best way for employees to maximize their retirement savings, while employers get the benefits that come with investing in their team members' futures – namely, tax savings and reduced employee turnover. Contact Meenakshi to learn how other firms like Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, and many more are already doing this. 

5. Support innovation and entrepreneurship: Provide seed funding for new ventures on the IITKGP Campus. Your IIT wants to fund 75 new startups by students and/or faculty in 2024. Seed fund investing involves providing early-stage capital to startups in exchange for equity. Why seed fund investing matters for IITKGPians:

• Fostering Innovation: The IITKGP campus can be a hub of innovation and creativity by encouraging students and faculty to come up with groundbreaking ideas, and seed fund investing can help turn these ideas into real-world solutions.

• Reducing Financial Barriers: IITKGP students (and most faculty) lack the financial resources to kickstart their ventures. Seed funds can bridge this gap, allowing them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

• Skill Development: Participating in the seed fund process teaches students valuable entrepreneurial and business skills. They will learn to develop business plans, pitch their ideas, and manage funds effectively.

• Networking Opportunities: As alumni and also seed fund investors we can provide guidance, mentorship, and access to valuable networks. This can be a game-changer for IITKGP students and faculty who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey.