Maximize the impact of your 2021 gift!

With so many ways to give this holiday season, we at the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF) are excited to share some of our best tips to make the most out of your generous 2021 gift. Maximize the impact of your support and ensure your #LoveWorks in 2022!

1. Give loved ones the gift of impact.

This holiday season, share the joy of giving with your loved ones by making a donation in their name. Your loved one will receive a special holiday eCard notifying them of this remarkable gift. You can choose between three beautiful eCard designs and include a personal note.

What a meaningful way to share the warmth and love of the season with anyone on your list. Visit https://nyf.news/holiday-ecard to make a holiday gift to NYF today!

2. Extended CARES Act Benefit

In 2021, an individual U.S. taxpayer can deduct up to $300 of charitable giving without itemizing! Similarly, married couples may deduct up to $600. This includes donations made by cash, check, credit card or debit card. However, it does not include securities, household items, or other property.

Click here to learn more..

3. Shop through AmazonSmile!

If you shop on Amazon.com, you’ve likely heard of AmazonSmile — a separate portal from Amazon’s main site. AmazonSmile mostly offers the same prices and items, but the benefit is that when you use AmazonSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of your purchase to a charity of your choice — at no cost to you.

To select Nepal Youth Foundation as your designated charity on AmazonSmile, click here. You should then be able to search and select Nepal Youth Foundation as your choice of charity. After that, your holiday purchases through AmazonSmile can benefit NYF!

You may want to bookmark AmazonSmile on your browser because only items purchased through AmazonSmile are eligible for donations.

4. Qualified Charitable Distribution

If you are over 70.5 years old and have an IRA, Required Minimum Distributions are back this year. Making a Qualified Charitable Distribution directly from your IRA to the nonprofit of your choice is one way to satisfy this legal requirement.

Click here to learn more and be sure to speak with your financial advisor to see if this option is a good fit for you!

5. Get your donations matched by your company!

Many workplaces have corporate giving programs through which they will “double” or “triple” the charitable contributions made by their employees. As a result of these programs, you can easily maximize the impact of your support.

78% of match-eligible donors are unaware that their company offers a matching gift program. If this sounds like you, we recommend asking your employer. Most times, all you have to do is submit a request after you’ve made your gift. Check out this list of the Top 20 Matching Gift Companies to see if your 2021 gift can be matched! Or, see below for companies that already make matching gifts to NYF!

6. Gifts of stock, IRA distributions, and Donor-Advised Fund grants

Gifts of stock, IRA distributions, and Donor Advised Fund grants are most definitely high-impact options for charitable giving. Ask your financial advisor about these tax-savvy options!

Click here for NYF’s stock donation form.

7. Federal employees may give through the Combined Federal Campaign.

If you are a state or government employee and would like to support NYF, please find us using our nonprofit code #84267. Your workplace donation will help make a transformational difference for children in Nepal!

8. Join NYF’s Legacy Circle by including a gift as part of your estate plan.

NYF’s Legacy Circle is a group of donors who planned gifts ensuring secure, long-term funding and loving support for children in Nepal for many years to come. Click here to learn more about how to join, or to expand your membership.

If you have any questions about how to make your 2021 gift, please contact our U.S. Executive Director, Eric, at 415-331-8585. You can also email eric@nepalyouthfoundation.org. NYF’s Federal Tax ID Number is 68-0224596

A letter of gratitude from Olga

Happy Holidays from NYF’s founder Olga Murray!

A Letter of Gratitude

Dear Friends,

As I enter my 97^th year, I am more and more aware of the kind of legacy I will leave behind. One of the greatest joys of my long life has been the satisfaction of working with the children in Nepal and witnessing, for over 35 years, the tremendous changes NYF has been able to make in the lives of our children.

I have been particularly close over the years to the children of Olgapuri Children’s Village (formerly J and K House), watching them transform from frightened, sometimes traumatized, little kids when they come to live with us to boisterous, funny, smart, and ambitious teenagers, to what they are now – healthy, well-adjusted, educated, gainfully employed parents of young children, and good citizens of Nepal.

Every year, when I am in Nepal, I invite dozens of former Olgapuri girls over for dinner – they range from kids who have just left Olgapuri to attend college and are a bit frightened about leaving the only home they remember – to girls who left 15 or more years ago, are pursuing careers, and are married with children. It is touching to watch them interact – the older ones providing wisdom, advice, sympathy, and support to their younger sisters, and all of them expressing so much affection and gratitude for each other, and appreciation for their upbringing.

One of the important satisfactions of parenthood, I believe, is raising children who love and support each other after they have left the nest.

On this score, Olgapuri kids get an A plus. They stay in close touch, reminisce often about their times growing up, celebrate their birthdays together, and if any of them is in trouble, their Olgapuri sisters gather around like the most caring of families. Whether it is a personal or medical issue, they are there for each other. Recently, one of them contracted Covid – it was a serious case and required a long hospitalization. She could not afford the medical cost, so the former K House sisters took up a collection and helped with the payment. Another former K House girl needed extensive financial help for chemotherapy treatments, and again – her K House sisters stepped in to help.

So I have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

And so have a lot of children in Nepal – the hundreds NYF has trained for work in the construction trades who are now gainfully employed, the thousands of children and families we helped during the pandemic with food, education, and counseling, and the many thousands of malnourished children who have been restored to blooming good health at our Nutritional Rehabilitation Homes.

None of this would have been possible without your help. It is hard for me to put into words the gratitude I feel to all of you, our loyal and generous donors, whose generosity throughout the years has made such a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of Nepali children.

With love and gratitude,

Olga

Updates from NYF President Som Paneru

Dear NYF Community,

I hope you are all continuing to stay safe and healthy. Earlier this month, the Nepal government made an announcement to ease COVID-19 restrictions. Among other things, this included the physical re-opening of schools and public spaces. This decision has several impacts on our programs at NYF, and I am delighted to share these new updates with all of you.

COVID-19 Updates & Response Programs

NYF’s COVID Isolation Center at our flagship Nutrition Rehabilitation Home (NRH) ran until September 16, 2021. Since its opening, we’ve admitted and treated more than 240 COVID-positive patients at our facilities. Following this recent government decision to re-open public spaces, NYF suspended isolation center services on September 17th to fully resume our regular NRH programming. We are continuing to produce Lito, our homemade “super” flour, at the NRH and are still distributing them to communities in need via the Lito for Life program. For more updates and information about our COVID-19 response, visit NYF’s COVID Timeline.

Education

Until now, schools and colleges nationwide have been closed. Out of the 643 scholarship students NYF currently supports, 70% have been attending online classes run by their schools and colleges. After this most recent decision, most NYF children will likely be able to return to in-person classes later this fall. Additionally, after a massive COVID-related delay, the long-awaited examinations for grade 12 students finally took place on September 15, 2021. About 40 NYF students took the exam.

Vocational Education & Career Counseling

As you may recall, most of our vocational training programs were put on hold earlier this year.  We are happy to announce that NYF has safely resumed some training programs in the electrical, welding, carpentry and plumbing trades. Effective last week, we have 4 vocational training satellite courses currently running. NYF is also preparing to complete 2 more Sustainable Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Trainings (SAAET) by the end of the year.

Nutrition Rehabilitation Homes (NRH) & Nutrition Camps

There are currently 8 children being treated at the NRH for malnourishment. We are expecting an increase in the number of admissions as we resume our regular services and programming. Our NYF nutrition staff is also busy strategizing how to safely conduct our regular nutrition camps this year.

New Life Center (NLC)

Due to travel restrictions brought about by COVID-19, patients had a difficult time traveling to the New Life Center in Kathmandu Valley to receive treatment. In order to increase access to supportive care for children living with HIV/AIDS in rural communities, NYF has redesigned the NLC program.

The aim of this redesign is to bring New Life Center resources to a larger population of children. To do so, we’ve moved beyond the “residential-treatment only” approach to an expanded “outreach and community-based” approach. According to the new plan, the NLC will cater residential services to approximately 20 children, while all the other services will be completed in rural communities via community outreach. These community outreach programs include awareness and advocacy, food and essentials delivery, financial support for caretakers, and tele-counseling services.

While this program will still be run from the NLC office in Kathmandu, we are excited to partner with a number of grassroots organizations — all doing incredible work in the communities we plan to serve.

Olgapuri Children’s Village

First and foremost, all 71 children (and house parents!) at Olgapuri remain safe and healthy. This year, nine students will soon be moving out after graduating high school. We are so proud of each graduate, and look forward to seeing them go on to do incredible things!

Thank you for your support.

Friends, we are deeply grateful for your continued love and support for the children, young adults, and families in our care. Thank you, also, to our staff on the ground in Nepal and for their incredible work. As always, if you have any questions about these updates or would like more information about our programs in general, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@nepalyouthfoundation.org.

With gratitude,

Som Paneru
NYF President

Volunteer Spotlight: Avipsa

In continued celebration of #NationalVolunteerWeek, NYF is excited to share another spotlight to honor one more wonderful volunteer! Today, we’re sharing our Q&A session with Avipsa, a Nepali-American high school student who has been volunteering remotely with the U.S. Office since the beginning of this year.

Let’s start with why you wanted to start volunteering for NYF. What was your calling?

I wanted to start volunteering with NYF because its purpose and values really resonated with me. Even as a Nepali person myself, I never really knew much about specific issues facing Nepali youth. Seeing that NYF dealt with many of these issues and how much it had accomplished, I knew that this was a place where I could truly make a difference and help Nepali youth receive the opportunities they deserved. It was also a way for me to connect to my own heritage and experience volunteering in the nonprofit sector. 

Can you share what you are currently doing for NYF?

Currently, I am volunteering to help with social media and website design. I have been helping with the Editorial Calendar, which focuses on social media posts every month. I am also helping to create and build tests for UserTesting to ensure that our website is appealing and accessible. I have done a little bit of outreach as well. 

What are you enjoying the most as a volunteer?

As a volunteer, I enjoy the creative freedom I have, as well as, access to multiple opportunities the most. I’ve been given a lot of freedom with themes for social media posts such as #FunFactFriday, which I came up with to educate the online audience more about Nepali culture. Before volunteering with NYF, I never heard about UserTesting and I didn’t know if I would be interested in doing it. NYF allowed me to try something new and it was actually a very informative experience. 

What’s something you learned through volunteering for NYF?

By volunteering for NYF, I have learned about the importance of social media in raising awareness and social issues that Nepali youth face. As NYF focuses on social issues such as child servitude, lack of education, nutrition rehabilitation, and more, I learned that just one post can educate so many. Social media is a great way to raise awareness and bring attention to serious topics. It provides an environment to advocate and make a difference in peoples’ lives. 

What are some of your goals for the future?

For my future in NYF, I hope to connect with more staff and hopefully, the youth! I also hope to recruit more volunteers as well. Personally, I would like to venture out into researching social issues facing Nepali youth and raising awareness about them. As someone who is very interested in psychology and mental health, my goal is to advocate for destigmatizing mental health and connecting with the Ankur Counseling Center for future research. As I grow further into my career, I hope to work in the field of psychology, psychiatry, or public health. 

Any advice for other high school students who want to help make a difference?

My advice for other high school students that want to help make a difference is simple: start somewhere. Whether it is your passion, your niche, or something you recently discovered, the only way to make a difference is through action. The day that I found NYF was the same day I reached out to volunteer. Even though I didn’t know everything about the nonprofit, I knew it was advocating for a cause that I was also passionate about. Starting somewhere can push you to find new opportunities and eventually, reach your goals. 

And lastly, can you share something fun about yourself?

When I visited Nepal in 2016, I went to multiple cities and locations. One of my favorite tourist attractions was Devi’s Falls in Pokhara. The waterfall was really extraordinary and mysterious as well. I found it really interesting that also goes through an underground tunnel. When I go back, I definitely want to visit there again!

We’re so deeply grateful to Avipsa for all the hard work she is doing to support our work! Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!

#GivingFeelsGood: Tips for Holiday Giving

Holiday giving feels good! With so many ways to give this holiday season, we at the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF) are excited to share some of our best tips and tricks to make the most out of your giving. We’ve included shareable graphics and links to more information with each holiday giving tip — so that when you’re ready to donate, giving feels good for you too.

1. The CARES Act

The CARES Act, passed earlier this year in response to COVID-19, allows individual taxpayers to deduct $300 of charitable giving from their taxes without itemizing. This includes donations made by cash, check, credit card or debit card, but does not include securities, household items, or other property.  Read more from the IRS here.

2. Gifts of Stock

Donating long-term and appreciated assets — like gifts of stock, bonds, or mutual funds — is perhaps the most effective way to increase your gift and tax deduction. This is because when you donate these appreciated assets, you’ll receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the gift, while avoiding any capital gains taxes. We’ve seen donors increase their tax deduction up to 20%!

3. Workplace Matching Gifts

Many workplaces have corporate giving programs through which they will “match” the charitable contributions made by their employees. Through these programs, you can easily double or triple the impact of your support.

78% of match-eligible donors are unaware that their company offers a matching gift program. If this sounds like you, we recommend asking your employer — most times, all you have to do is submit a request after you’ve made your gift. Check out this list of the Top 20 Matching Gift Companies!

4. IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions

If you are over the age of 70.5, you can make a tax-free charitable gift of up to $100,000 per year from your individual retirement account (IRA) —without paying income tax on the transaction!

The CARES Act also relaxed the income-based deduction limit on charitable gifts. Previously, the deduction was limited to 60% of AGI (adjustable gross income). This year, however, the deduction limit is 100% of AGI, which may be particularly beneficial if use your IRA to make larger charitable donations.

5. Year-End Gift

And lastly, one of the most important tips of this holiday season: To qualify for 2020 tax deductions, gifts have to be made on or before December 31, 2020. Check gifts can arrive after the 31st and still be counted for 2020 deductions as long as they are dated on or before Dec. 31st.

All of us at NYF wish you a happy holidays and joyful giving!

If you have any questions about any of these, we’ll be happy to help you. Please e-mail info@nepalyouthfoundation.org or call us at 415-331-8585.