ABOUT US2024-07-03T13:25:55+00:00
Love Activates Us. Compassion Motivates Us. Service Leads Us. Transformation Drives Us. Mission Unites Us. 

WHO WE ARE

Love Activates Us. Compassion Motivates Us. Service Leads Us. Transformation Drives Us. Mission Unites Us. 

Dignity Freedom Network works to remember the forgotten faces, those society ignores. We think every life is worth restoring, and every person worth fighting for.

The heart of what we do is protect vulnerable women, children, and families from exploitation, help them reclaim their dignity and purpose, and restore freedom and opportunity in lives. Transformation comes through whole care for the whole community.

HOW WE WORK

Our work is with people from all across India. We work in large cities and in rural villages, with young children and new moms, with broken women, and fractured families.

There are many forms of exploitation that seek to ruin the futures of those most vulnerable. We make a promise that their tomorrow will be better than today through education, healthcare, and skills training. We call this whole care for the whole community.

We work with great hope and fierce intentionality that every human is worth fighting for.

FAQ

Donate Your Car2024-07-11T09:30:48+00:00

Donate your car! How fun! Have a old car that’s not worth much to you? It’s worth a great deal for the women and children of India. Please visit CARS: Built on Trust for more information.

https://careasy.org/nonprofit/dignity-freedom-network

Non-Cash Giving2024-07-11T09:29:53+00:00

Maximize your gift through non-cash giving like DAF, Stocks, IRAs, and Cryptocurrency.
We have a partnership with Freewill which makes it seamless and easy for you.

Where do I Find My Donor Portal?2024-06-27T12:57:13+00:00

You can manage your donor profile, payment methods, and donations through your Donor Portal.

How is DFN different from other sponsorship organizations?2019-05-21T19:58:47+00:00

Most sponsorship organizations do not run their own schools. They simply support partner schools with their dollars. Our partner in India operates their own network of schools which ensures the high quality and holistic development needed to transform communities. Your sponsorship includes not only education, but also medical and community support.

What if a project is fully funded?2023-08-08T15:59:21+00:00

 If a project you contributed to becomes fully funded, we will apply your gift where India needs it most.

What Is Promise?2022-06-23T19:48:28+00:00

Promise is a monthly giving initiative that helps women, children, and entire families break the chains of poverty and injustice. Members of Promise provide whole care for the whole community. It’s not a one-to-one relationship like child sponsorship, but its impact is wide. Promise changes thousands of lives for the most vulnerable in India.

How is Promise different from Child Sponsorship2022-06-23T19:49:20+00:00

While child sponsorship helps one child, Promise helps all of India. Members of Promise:

  • provide access to healthcare,
  • ensure a top-not education for children who are not sponsored,
  • prevent exploitation of vulnerable girls,
  • rescue girls who have been exploited, and
  • provide skills training so women can provide for their families.
What is my Promise commitment?2021-07-01T19:02:03+00:00

When you join Promise, you make a monthly commitment to provide whole care for the whole community. We count on your donation to provide continuous impact in India. Of course, we understand that circumstances change. To make a change in your monthly Promise commitment, email us. We’re always here to help!

What does my Promise membership include?2022-06-23T19:54:02+00:00

Your monthly Promise donation provides whole care for the whole community. You support all our initiatives in India:  community development, education, healthcare, and skills training.

As a member of Promise, you’ll also receive monthly reports on how you’re impacting the lives of vulnerable children, women, and families in India.

Can I host a Promise event?2021-07-01T19:02:15+00:00

Absolutely! Nothing will increase our work in India more than you getting your friends involved. You can host an event at your church, in your home, in your workplace, or even at your community fair. Your event can be 10 people or 100 people. We’ll give all the materials, promo pieces, and resources you’ll need to host a successful event. Email us for more information.

Do you have speakers from India that could come speak to my organization?2021-07-01T19:06:52+00:00

Yes we do! We’d love to share a list of potential speakers with you. Just email us and we’ll be in touch.

Does education really reduce a child’s risk of being exploited?2022-06-23T19:53:18+00:00

Absolutely 100% yes! India has the highest population of children in the world, as well as the largest number of children in poverty. Extreme poverty puts them at risk for exploitation and abuse. Education not only provides a safe place to grow up, but also the tools to rise above economic poverty. You are providing a quality education as well as a safe and loving environment that changes the trajectory of a child’s life forever.

What are the children in Good Shepherd Schools being taught?2019-06-20T19:45:24+00:00

Children study a preparatory, government-approved curriculum, with English as the primary language of instruction. Without the ability to speak and write English, underprivileged children have little chance to excel in Indian society. Students also receive a values-based education promoting the principles of freedom, equality, and human dignity for all. Our GSSs provide education to children regardless of their class, creed, or faith.

Are these stories and photos real?2021-07-01T19:04:50+00:00

Our stories are always real. We changed names and photos to protect the identity and preserve the dignity of those we serve.

What does my child sponsorship include?2019-05-21T19:45:07+00:00

Your sponsorship subsidizes tuition, uniforms, school supplies, nutrition supplements (where necessary), textbooks, teacher salaries, and administrative costs. You are enabling children to receive a top-quality, English-medium, values-based education, and launch India’s most at-risk children toward dignity, equality, safety, and security. Additionally, your sponsorship donation provides valuable health and economic resources to students’ families and the community.

What is my commitment?2024-06-27T12:54:35+00:00

Since the main goal of sponsorship is to free children by providing a complete education, our hope is that you will commit to sponsoring your child until he/she graduates. And then we hope you’ll consider taking on another deserving child!

Due to inflation, child sponsorship rates tend to increase every 5 or 6 years. When that happens, you will be charged at the new rate to meet the needs of the education, healthcare, and whole care your child receives. We will always notify you prior to making this change and give you the option to remain at your current rate.

To make a change in your monthly sponsorship, email us, or log into your Donor Portal.

How can I communicate with my child? Can I write my child?2024-06-27T12:55:32+00:00

YES! In fact, we encourage you to write notes of encouragement and send birthday greetings. You can email a personal note or a photo of a card you’ve written to childsponsorship@dfnusa.org, and we’ll send it to India for you. Rest assured! Your child will receive your letter, but it can take 2-3 months to get your message to the school. Communication is challenging in India, but our schools do their very best to make sure students write their sponsors at least once a year.

May I send gifts?2024-06-27T12:56:14+00:00

You may send an extra donation for the classroom, but not individual gifts or donations for your child. Not all children have sponsors who are able to send gifts, so imagine being the child who is left out.

Christmas is a good time of year to send an extra donation that will be used for class parties, as is the end of the school year. Please email us, and we’ll help you with that gift.

How are child sponsorship funds distributed?2023-11-07T10:45:51+00:00

Your child does not receive cash but rather the assurance that they have full access to community development programming in their area. Our proven model allows a one-to-one relationship between a sponsor and a student, while pooling the gifts of all sponsors who support children. Additionally, to give their education value, most students pay a subsidized school fee each year. Your continued gift of child sponsorship ensures long-term sustainability of your child’s education.

Does DFN share donors information with anyone?2021-07-06T15:41:53+00:00

We will not sell, rent, or trade our donors’ names, postal addresses, email addresses or phone numbers with any other entity. Read our privacy policy for more information.

Will my employer match my gift?2019-05-21T21:19:32+00:00

Many employers will match charitable gifts. Just contact your personnel department and follow their steps. This is an excellent way to double or even triple your impact.

How do I know my donation is being used responsibly?2024-06-27T13:00:25+00:00

At DFN, we are intentional with stewarding finances and other resources to best support the poor, marginalized, and outcasts of society across South Asia. We observe high standards of business and personal ethics when working alongside donors and partner organizations. We practice integrity in fulfilling our responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Please contact us for an audited 990.

In addition, we have certificates from the following:

ECFA — For security reasons, we are not listed on their site, but you can ask them about us and they will confirm our participation.

 

What is the breakdown of operating expenses?2021-06-21T17:30:17+00:00

Here’s a link to our most recent impact report MOST RECENT IMPACT REPORT.

For a more detailed financial report, please e-mail us. We’ll be happy to send you one!.

May I travel to India with DFN?2019-06-21T17:48:19+00:00

Certainly. We have two kinds of trips, Visions Trips and Purpose Trips.

What’s a Purpose Trip?2021-07-01T19:14:14+00:00

Purpose trips provide opportunities for growth and renewal to your life. With a small team of friends, you’ll experience the extraordinary country of India and the impact of your work.  You will be up close and personal with women, children, and leaders of DFN initiatives. You will go home forever impacted by the people and place of India.

We can work with your group to arrange your very own trip. Typically, trips are 7-10 people for 10 days including travel, for around $2800. A minimum of five participants is required.

Or, you can join a trip scheduled by another purpose group. Email us for more information.

What’s a Vision Trip?2019-05-21T21:23:19+00:00

The purpose of a vision trip is  to give leaders an overview of the scope of DFN’s work while experiencing India and her incredible people. You will see a great deal in a short period of time, including schools, human trafficking prevention work, healthcare, and economic development programs. This trip will inspire you to get involved! You will also discover opportunities to extend the impact of the work on the ground. Email us for more information.

What does a general donation to DFN support?2021-07-01T19:08:29+00:00

All general donations go towards furthering the mission of bringing dignity and freedom to the most marginalized people in South Asia. We believe holistic community transformation is the best way to change lives forever.

Can I host a child sponsorship event?2019-05-21T20:00:53+00:00

Absolutely! Nothing will increase our work in India more than you getting your friends involved. You can host an event at your church, in your home, in your workplace, or even at your community fair. Your event can be 10 people or 100 people. We’ll give all the materials, promo pieces, and resources you’ll need to host a successful event. Email us for more information.

Does the opportunity exist through DFN to provide funding for students all the way through college/trade school?2019-04-29T18:35:53+00:00

We definitely do. If this is something that interests you, please contact us at info@dalitnetwork.com.

Does DFN have “success stories” from graduates?2019-04-29T18:35:23+00:00

Absolutely! Pranitha is one of our recent graduates. She is now in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. Meet her here. If you want more stories visit our home page, blog, or drop us a line at info@sdalitnetwork.com.

What are the odds of bettering a Dalit child’s future with the education you provide?2019-04-29T18:34:49+00:00

Good Shepherd Schools’ main aim is to prepare students to enter “junior college” (grades 11-12) and then “university” (traditional Bachelor’s Degree higher education). Our research indicates that 90% of all Good Shepherd students take this path. Each school’s faculty and staff counsels students, guiding them in future careers according to their strengths, interests, and academic potential. Staff also researches opportunities in local colleges/universities and seeks both entrance and scholarships for the Dalit graduates.

For students who prefer a trade or technical profession (i.e., welding, automotive repair, sales, etc.), our schools help connect them with the appropriate information or experts to train them. Trade schools like ones in the US do not really exist in India. Most trades are “generational” and are learned through family connections and/or apprenticeships. According to our research, about 8% of graduates choose trade school/technical professions.

Why is an English-medium education so important?2019-04-29T18:34:30+00:00

Many village schools are taught in languages native to the area, but attaining university-level education requires students to know English. If a Dalit student does not learn English, he or she has little hope of rising above present circumstances. Attending a Good Shepherd School ensures students will know English, the language of commerce in India.

How are you different from other education or child sponsorship non-profits?2019-04-29T18:34:11+00:00

Besides our unique holistic community transformation model, Good Shepherd Schools provide a private English-medium education accredited and monitored by the Indian government. This allows our students to be able to take their education “to the bank” and apply to a training/intermediate school after finishing the 10th standard (the equivalent of a U.S. high school education).

What does DFN do?2019-04-29T18:33:53+00:00

We work to transform marginalized communities through education and opportunity. The heart of what we do is to build schools called Good Shepherd Schools (GSSs) and to sponsor kids. Through the schools, we also offer healthcare and economic empowerment initiatives for families, especially women. We also support women’s centers, especially for those who have been exploited, and a girls’ shelter for those most vulnerable to human trafficking. In addition, we help support a 40-bed hospital (currently under construction) and several AIDS clinics. For more about what we do, read this blog entry or download our Fact Sheet.

Why are we helping Dalits?2019-04-29T18:33:33+00:00

Modern slavery persists in almost every country, including the United States. It’s a global problem! In India, where human trafficking is mainly internal, most of those who are trafficked or in bonded labour are from Dalit, tribal or other poor and marginalized communities. Learn how and why Dalit people face hardship.

Who are the Dalits?2019-04-29T18:33:13+00:00

There 250 million Dalits in India, and they comprise the largest, most at-risk people group in the country. For more about Dalits, check out this blog entry.

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