Harvard Course Earns $15,000 Grant for Pratham

As part of a Harvard University sociology course that investigates the nature of philanthropy and nonprofit organizations and their influence on civil society, four freshmen helped direct a grant of $15,000 to Pratham.

The course, which considers different sociological approaches to charitable giving, culminates in a group project where students experience the dilemma donors face as they evaluate nonprofits. Avanti Nagral, Sara Atske, Meredith Clark and Grace Weghorst researched, assessed and presented Pratham to their peers, who then determined whether to award a grant.

According to Nagral, who learned about Pratham’s work from her time living in India, “We have chosen to specifically focus on systemic educational reform geared toward primary education in India. We love the work that Pratham does in the area, and its commitment to data-driven, low-cost and scalable solutions.”

Funding for the grant was provided by the Philanthropy Lab, whose mission is to ignite interest and participation in philanthropy by giving students the responsibility of directing money to charities in the context of full-credit undergraduate courses. Started in 2011, the organization and its donor partners have awarded over $6.5 million through courses at 22 universities across the US.

Professor Shai Dromi explained why Pratham was awarded the grant: “We have been deeply impressed with the work Pratham has been doing in providing quality education to the underprivileged children in India, and with the organization’s cost-effectiveness and demonstrated impact. It is our pleasure to provide funding that will support, and hopefully help expand, its mission.”

Learn more about Pratham’s low-cost literacy programs.