The Forever Plate Sustainability Fund Give once. Feed children for generations.

Your gift is invested, never spent. Every year, the proceeds put hot school meals in front of children in India. This year, next year, and every year after that.

2.35M+
children fed every school day
24,000+
schools served across India
5B
meals served since 2000

The vessel that never empties

In the Mahabharata, the akshaya patra was a divine vessel with one extraordinary quality: it could never run out of food. For 25 years, Akshaya Patra has worked to make that ancient promise real for millions of schoolchildren across India.

The Forever Plate Sustainability Fund is that promise in financial form. Your gift becomes permanent principal in a charitable endowment. The principal is never touched. Only its annual proceeds are used, and they fund hot, nutritious school meals in perpetuity.

A vessel that never empties. A plate that is always full.

Ornate golden vessel filled with rice, engraved with traditional motifs and set with gems

How It Works

One gift. Three simple movements.

1

You give once

Make a one-time gift of $1,000, or any multiple of $1,000. Your gift becomes permanent principal in the fund.

2

Your gift is invested

The principal is invested and never spent. It remains at work, year after year, as a lasting philanthropic asset.

3

The proceeds feed children

Each year, the annual proceeds fund hot school meals for children in India. Not once. Every year, in perpetuity.

Your $1,000 At Work

460 to 580 meals

every year, forever, from a single $1,000 gift

Based on a projected 4 to 5 percent annual return and Akshaya Patra's cost of about 9 cents per meal. Illustrative figures for presentation purposes. Returns are not guaranteed.

$20
feeds one child for a full school year: 232 meals
approximate contribution of one hot, nutritious school meal
Forever
your principal is never spent, so the meals never stop

Choose Your Forever

What your gift serves, every single year

Your one-time giftMeals funded each yearWhat that means
$1,000About 460 to 580Roughly 2 children fed for a full school year, every year
$5,000About 2,300 to 2,900Roughly 10 to 12 children fed for a full school year, every year
$10,000About 4,600 to 5,800Roughly 20 to 25 children fed for a full school year, every year
$25,000About 11,600 to 14,500Roughly 50 to 62 children fed for a full school year, every year

Gifts are accepted in multiples of $1,000. Illustrative figures for presentation purposes.

Why Donors Choose This Fund

One gift, working three ways

Financial

  • Tax-smart charitable legacy
  • Permanent philanthropic principal
  • Stewarded for long-term impact

Economic

  • One gift creates recurring meals
  • Invested for enduring leverage
  • Annual proceeds support feeding

Social

  • Helps children stay in school
  • Supports nutrition and learning
  • Creates lasting community impact
Akshaya Patra centralized kitchen with rows of steel cauldrons and staff preparing school meals at scale

Questions, Answered

About the fund

Is my gift spent right away?

No. Your gift becomes permanent principal in the Forever Plate Sustainability Fund. The principal is invested and never spent. Only the annual proceeds are used to fund school meals, which is what allows one gift to feed children in perpetuity.

How many meals does my gift actually fund each year?

With a projected 4 to 5 percent annual return and a cost of about 9 cents per hot meal, every $1,000 generates roughly 460 to 580 meals per year. These are illustrative figures for presentation purposes, and returns are not guaranteed.

Can I give more than $1,000?

Yes. The fund accepts one-time gifts of $1,000 and any multiple of $1,000. Every additional $1,000 adds roughly 460 to 580 more meals per year, forever.

Is my gift tax-deductible?

Akshaya Patra Foundation USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We do not provide tax, legal, or financial advice, so please consult your own advisors about your specific situation.

Who manages the invested funds?

The fund is professionally managed as a charitable endowment on behalf of Akshaya Patra Foundation USA. Full management details appear in the disclosure at the bottom of this page.

How is this different from a regular donation?

A regular donation is put to work right away and feeds children now. A Forever Plate gift is invested so it feeds children every year without ever needing to be given again. Both matter. This fund exists so that school meals never depend on any single year's fundraising.

Not ready for a $1,000 gift today?

Every gift feeds a child. Just $20 provides 232 meals, a full school year of lunches for one child. Give any amount and your impact starts immediately.

Make a gift of any size →

Or stay close to the fund

Get updates on the Forever Plate Sustainability Fund and the children it feeds.

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