The CS Foundation is focused on making a difference in India.

Origins – Shekar & John

 The CS Foundation came into being through a simple friendship & a shared compassion. Founders Shekar Swamy of India & John Christensen of the United States met decades ago in graduate school at Northwestern University. These two driven young fellows quickly bonded given their shared gratitude for life lessons learned on the poverty-stricken streets of India. They vowed that later in life, when they had obtained the means, they would do all they could to help improve the conditions in impoverished India.

Years later, each at the helm of successful marketing firms, Shekar & John were able bring their past vision into reality, founding the CS Foundation in 2003. They have made a pledge to make a difference in the lives of those in need by using their own funds as well as accepting the generosity of others.

As marketing experts, Shekar & John were aware of negative public perceptions towards non-profit organizations that routinely allocated large portions of donations towards “administrative costs”, leaving intended beneficiaries of donations with a fraction of the financial goodwill the donor expected to impart. Wary of and saddened by such questionable ethical practices, Shekar & John mandated that 100% of a donation, every penny, reach its intended recipient. As such, our founders pay all CS Foundation expenses.

While being very successful in the marketing industry & having the most positive of intentions, Shekar & John didn’t have much of a clue as to how to apply the donations to help the needy. Fortunately, Shekar’s sister, Bhooma Parthasarathy, possessing a Master’s Degree in Social Work, was the director of a non-profit organization called the Thirumalai Charity Trust.

Origins – Our Partners in India

Bringing the Rural Poor Together in Building Their Own Future…

The vast majority of all donations received by the CS Foundation are transferred to and managed by our trusted colleagues at the Thirumalai Charity Trust, called TCT by locals. Based in the town of Ranipet, it has operated in the Vellore District of Tamil Nadu province since 1983, serving a population of over 160,000 in this rural, largely impoverished region of southern India.

Under the expert guidance of “Miss” Bhooma, TCT has established an intimate alliance with these disadvantaged communities over several decades. Emphasizing the education & empowerment of women & children as the primary catalyst of community development, TCT has involved hundreds of local women as advocates of its variety of its medical & educational endeavors:

• Primary medical care at the Thirumalai Mission Hospital, including general medicine, surgery & emergency care.
• Secondary, community-level health care & education at dozens of health care centers & awareness camps immersed throughout the region.
• Education & health check-ups provided for thousands of primary & secondary level students.

Essential to the success of TCT’s – & our – efforts is its inclusion of women in its community-building activities, providing substantial benefits to all involved:

• Health Awareness & Leadership Training empower otherwise disenfranchised Women, opening pathways to enhance the lives of their family, a respected role in the community & abundant new job prospects.
• Empowered Women spread vast amounts of life-saving knowledge & foster trust between TCT & suspicious village folk, thus allowing for the basic health treatments & education so essential to the well-being of the community.
• TCT, with its army of Women Volunteers bridging the gap between it & the community, is thus better enabled to serve its beneficiaries with continual expansion & improvement of services.

We at the CS Foundation are sincerely honored & grateful for the opportunity to support a world-changing organization like the Thirumalai Charity Trust. For more detailed information about TCT & its endeavors, please visit Our Partners in India or visit their website.