Donation FAQ

Q: Who is funding MSF’s projects?

Our funds are raised through private contributors – A vast majority of whom are people like you. MSF is an independent organisation that relies solely on our donors for funding, your support is absolutely crucial to MSF’s ability to provide medical assistance to millions of people throughout the world. Private support is essential to our ability to operate independently and to respond at a moment’s notice to the most urgent emergencies, often in countries and regions that are otherwise forgotten. The funding we receive from our donors allows us to remain independent of outside agendas and in-line with our principles of neutrality, transparency and accountability. We receive 89% of our funding form private donors, 9% from institutional donors and 2% from other sources.

Q: How will MSF India use these donations?

MSF India uses its resources in three main activities.

Running medical programmes that provide general healthcare and hospital-level care in areas where people have difficulties accessing medical treatment; and the diagnosis and treatment of neglected diseases like kala azar and drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Advocacy initiatives to lower drug prices, stimulate research and development of new treatments, and overcome trade and other barriers to accessing treatments.
As an organization that undertakes implementation without any external support; we also invest in organizational development as well as, capacity building for our staff in projects and institutional office which is important to improve the quality of medical care for the patients.

Q: How important are private donors to MSF?

As an independent organisation that relies solely on our donors for funding, your support is absolutely crucial to Médecins Sans Frontières’ ability to provide medical assistance to millions of people throughout the world. Whether it’s assisting casualties of war, those in danger from deadly epidemics or in great need after a flood or earthquake, victims of sexual violence or someone excluded from health care; the funding we receive from our donors helps us stay true to our principles of Neutrality, Transparency And accountability.

Q: Does MSF INDIA receive government funding?

We do not receive any direct funding from the Indian government. This means we are independent, and is in line with our principles of neutrality and impartiality. MSF India works with full cooperation and appreciation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, state and district authorities. Also, the government extends its support by providing us certain tax and duty exemptions.

Q: Are you taking money from corporates – does that impact your programme selection?

Raising private funds ensures our financial independence, enabling us to operate independently. This way, we can ensure that our actions are directly focused on the ones who need the most – according to our independent evaluation on the ground. That’s why we are very careful of the origin of funds we raised.

Yes, we accept money from corporates, but only if there is no potential ‘conflict of interest’. For instance, MSF India does not accept money from pharmaceutical and extraction industries (such as oil, natural gas, gold and diamonds), alcohol and tobacco companies, arms manufacturers or industries that hire child labour. MSF India does not accept contributions from corporations/industries and their respective corporate foundations whose core activities may be in direct conflict with the goals of the medical humanitarian work of our organisation, or in any way limit MSF India’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance.

Q: Do you fund other organisations?

MSF is an implementing organisation, we provide direct and free medical care. We don’t fund other organisations.

Q: Who audits your books?

Ray & Ray Chartered Accountants

Q: What methods does MSF use for Fundraising?

We raise funds through several different channels and activities such as:

Direct Marketing (Face to Face fundraising, telemarketing and direct mailing)
Online , you can visit our website www.msfsouthasia.org for details.
Fundraising events

Q: How can I help MSF India?

You can help MSF India in a number of ways:

Work with us (visit our recruitment section on www.msfsouthasia.org for more details)
Volunteer at our office in New Delhi (in our recruitment, fundraising or communications department)
Donate to our cause – become a voluntary fundraiser, or organize/sponsor a charity event for us.

Q: Can I donate supplies as in-kind donations?

MSF is unable to accept donations of supplies. Because the key to saving lives in an emergency is speed, it is our practice to have pre-prepared, specialized kits and other materials that are ready to go in the event of an emergency. MSF buys and prepares these kits in advance and therefore cannot accept in-kind gifts such as medical equipment, drugs, food or other materials for its operations.

You can contact our donor service officer (donorservice@new-delhi.msf.org) for supporting the cost of production of any merchandise required by our team in the branch office.

Q: How can I be sure that my donation will be used properly?

MSF is transparent about its costs. You are free to check our accounts by visiting our website. Accounts and programmes are audited regularly and strict guidelines on finances are maintained according to MSF International global standards at all times.

Q: What information do donors receive from MSF?

We send communications material (eg: email newsletters and donor magazines) every quarter to our donors.

These provide updates on program activities and share with you success stories from the projects which your donations support.

Q: Does MSF partner with third parties or agencies to raise funds?

Donations from individuals are the mainstay of MSF’s fundraising efforts. To enable us do this, we send direct appeals and updates by post and email. We also use other avenues like face-to-face marketing and telemarketing to reach out to individuals. MSF partners with third party agencies to support us in our work. Each representative from the agencies we work with will carry with them:

An identification card stating clearly that s/he is a MSF representative. The card will also carry the MSF brand logo and contact details for our office.
Relevant MSF literature.

For more information on MSF, or to confirm the identity of the representative, or for any other information, please contact the MSF India office. The representatives are not authorised to ask for or accept any cash donations for MSF. Only a cheque or demand draft made out to MSF India will be accepted by them.

Q: What is the legal status of MSF India’s branch office?

MSF India is a section 25 company.

Q: What payment methods can I use?

Cheque, credit card, debit card, internet banking and demand draft.

Q: Can I earmark my donation for a specific project?

We appreciate that some supporters may have a particular interest in a specific country or programme. In certain circumstances it is possible to have your gift directed toward a specific country or programme. However, by not restricting your contribution for a specific emergency or project, you will enable us to allocate our resources more efficiently and use your money where it is most needed.

Q: Can I visit the project site?

Our projects operate in very sensitive areas, and we take the privacy of our patients very seriously. Therefore it is not possible to visit our projects in person. However, detailed information about our projects, including photographs and first-person accounts by staff and patients, can be found on our website.

Q: Why does MSF India not give the names of its patients to donors?

We believe we should respect the dignity and right to privacy of all our patients according to medical ethics. Rather than supporting individual patients, the funds we raise are disbursed to the programmes we support.

Q: Is my donation tax deductible? Will I get a tax exemption certificate and tax receipt for my donation?

Under the Income Tax Act 80G, 50 percent of your donation amount is tax exempted. You will get a tax exemption certificate from MSF India. For a single donation, your tax receipt should arrive in about 45 days. Monthly tax receipts are sent together towards the end of February. Please keep your address details updated so we can ensure you receive your tax receipt.

Q: What is the PAN number of MSF India?

Pan no. for MSF India is AAICM4703B

Q: Is MSF India an international organisation?

MSF is an international medical humanitarian organisation. MSF India is registered as a section 25 company in India. It has operations in more than 70 countries around the world.

Q: May I see your annual report to see how you raise and disburse funds?

Our annual report is available on www.msfsouthasia.org. A printed copy can be sent on request

Q: Is there any advantage of donating online?

Yes. Online donation is fast, easy and convenient, and it can minimize our administrative work. Moreover, using the online medium as a primary resource to donate is far more cost effective than channels such as field offices or call centers.

Q: How can I start a monthly donation?

To make a regular monthly contribution to MSF India, please click here to download the form. You are requested to fill the form with the necessary details and send the same back via post to Donor Care Office, MSF India

MSF India
AISF Building, First floor,
Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar -IV,
New-Delhi-110024, India.

to initiate the process. You can also contact us on our Donor Helpline – +91-11-49010002 or +91-9650807984 (Monday – Friday / 9am – 5:30pm) or write to us at donorservice@new-delhi.msf.org.

Q: How safe is my personal information with MSF India?

We are committed to protecting your personal information with us. We respect and value every one of our supporters. As per our privacy policy, we don’t share your details externally. We do want to share the reality of our work with you. When you give us your details, you agree to receiving information about our work, and your support. For more details, please do read our Privacy Policy.

Q: What if my address or phone number changes?

You can always email us at donorservice@new-delhi.msf.org . This e-mail address is protected from spambots.

Q: Whom do I contact if I have a question or problem making an online donation?

You can contact us on our Donor Helpline – +91-11-49010002 or +91-9650807984 (Monday – Friday / 9am – 5:30pm) or write to

MSF India

AISF Building, First floor,

Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar -IV,

New-Delhi-110024, India.

Q: Is the Online Payment Gateway secure?

Our Donation form page uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): a security protocol that provides communications privacy over the Internet. This encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet. While on a secure page, such as our giving form, the lock icon on the bottom of your web browser becomes locked, as opposed to un-locked, or open, when you are just ‘surfing’.

While we use SSL encryption to protect sensitive information online, we also do everything in our power to protect user-information off-line. All of your information, not just the sensitive information like a credit card number, is restricted. Only the employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, our donation officers) are granted access to personally identifiable information. Furthermore, all employees who handle membership information are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices. And they are well aware of the importance we place on privacy, and what they can do to ensure our supporters’ information is protected.

Q: When do I get my donation receipt?

In the case of an online donation, you will receive an email confirmation within a few minutes of donating and within 15 days, you will also receive a tax receipt on the email address provided .

For donations made by cheque / DD, you will receive a receipt by post within 45 days of your donation. The electronic copy of the donation receipt is the same as what will be sent by post and can be used for claiming tax benefits.

Q: Can I get a refund for my donation?

As part of our commitment to honoring and respecting the financial contributions that people make to MSF India, we recognise the importance of donations and ensure transparency and fairness in regard to the management of refunds. Please click here to read MSF India’s refund policy which outlines the circumstances under which MSF India will refund a donation.