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• We may distribute funds to Shree Patan Jain Mandal, India and any other Jain organizations. This is for supporting the welfare, care and growth of the community of Patan and other Jains. Any submissions received from the community of Patan and other Jains will be carefully reviewed and selected by a formal process to affirm that resources are needed. The application process will be structured and will be documented for scalability and transparency. As part of the distribution of funds the beneficiaries will provide periodic documentation of the utilization of these funds to confirm they are used for their intended purpose. We will utilize good documentation and bookkeeping practices to keep records of any grants, loans or other distributions we make. This includes the recipient organization Shree Patan Jain Mandal, India and any other Jain organizations.
• We advise our contributors at the time of contribution that we have the ultimate authority to use their contributions at our discretion for purposes consistent with our exempt purpose either verbally or in writing.
  We shall collect the financial background along with the purpose of the recipient organizations and maintain records of this information.
• We shall confirm the recipient organizations financial status, its tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code and confirm their ability to accomplish the purpose for which the resources are provided both verbally and in writing.
  We will periodically require reporting to our organization including auditing grantees and site visits by our organization’s members to assure compliance that grant funds are being used appropriately.

Shree Patan Jain Mandal, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The foreign organization’s only relation is that it shares a similar purpose, to support the welfare, care and growth of Patan Jains. Shree Patan Jain Mandal, India will only be utilizing the distributions for its primary organization.

• The Corporation believes that supporting other existing organizations maximizes the beneficial effects of its philanthropic efforts by avoiding duplication of efforts.
• Shree Patan Jain Mandal of India (“SPJMI”) is a charitable entity based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, and operates independently of the Corporation. SPJMI’s mission focuses on enhancing the quality of life for the Jain community and residents of Patan by undertaking various initiatives, including educational support, affordable housing projects, and improving healthcare accessibility. The Corporation commits to providing financial support in the form of grants and gifts to carefully selected individuals and organizations. This selection process is carried out by the Board of Directors, who review applications and conduct thorough evaluations before disbursing funds, a process that takes place in Illinois. The Corporation’s core objective is to gather resources to assist the Jain population and the Village of Patan, leveraging funds from its annual fundraising event, revenues generated by the Corporation, and direct contributions. About 40% of the Corporation’s collective efforts are dedicated to the meticulous review, vetting, and distribution of these financial aids to deserving recipients.
• The Corporation will consider organizations, foreign or domestic, dedicated to improving the welfare, care and growth of Jains and the Patan community. In general, an organization seeking funding from the Corporation will be required to submit an application. This application may include the following information:
  • Name, address, phone number, contact person of the organization.
  • Brief history of the organization.
  • Description of the organization’s program activities and goals.
  • Names of the organization’s board of directors.
  • A copy of the IRS determination letter certifying the organization’s tax-exempt status (if applicable).
  • A copy of the organization’s most recent independent audit.
  • A current financial statement.
  • Cost of proposed project.
  • The desired timing of the donation, grant, or loan from the Corporation.
  • A list of other sources of support and the amounts and types of their donations.
  • An explanation of whether this is an ongoing activity or a one-time project.
  • The measurement method by which success or failures of the project will be gauged.
• All requests will be considered, vetted and a determination made, by the Board of Directors. To assure that the Corporation resources are used for its exempt purpose, the Corporation obligates the recipients of its grants, loans and other distributions to:
  • Use the funds only for the purpose which the funds were made;
  • Provide periodic and final written reports concerning the use of funds awarded;
  • To be clear from the OFAC List of Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Person; and
  • Acknowledge the Corporation’s ability to withhold and/or recover issued grant funding in the event such funding is misused and/or any appearance of misuse is displayed by the recipient.
• The Board of Directors will retain all of the obtained information for whatever period of time is required by law, from time to time.

• Services are available only to members of SPJM of the USA. To qualify as a member, the individual or his/her parent or grandparent must be from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and he/she must be a US citizen, permanent resident, or lawful nonimmigrant. Applications are reviewed by a committee and weighed based on financial need and urgency of need. Applications for scholarship or educational support programs are reviewed by a committee and are based on grades, extracurricular activities and an essay.
• The Educational Award program will award scholarships and interest-free loans. The purpose is to encourage students in the Jain community to further their college education. The program will be publicized to our members and members of the Jain community. Awards are primarily for need-based applicants but a few merit-only awardees will be selected on an objective and non-discriminatory basis. The Program is for undergraduate college-bound students who are members of PJM. Applicants need to be US citizens, Permanent Residents
• or Lawful nonimmigrants. Principal repayment on interest-free loan will be on a defined repayment plan, which will be established at the time of loan disbursement. Loan applicants will be required to submit a Promissory Note duly signed by them, their parent/Guardian, and the Guarantor. PJM intends to award 8 loans of up to $2,500 each and 8 scholarships of up to $1,000 each, subject to the number of applicants and funds available.
• Recipients of both merit and need based awards will be required to volunteer with Shri Patan Jain Mandal of USA a minimum of 20 hours for each award year. Recipients will be eligible to renew their application one time and will be required to submit additional merit or need information to support the grant.
• We will pay the amount of scholarship or loan award directly to the college/university to which the applicant has been accepted for each year the award is granted, up to 2 years. After an initial review of applications, additional information (copy of last two years tax returns & Financial Award Letter) will be requested from selected need-based applicants. These documents must be furnished by the due date. No additional oversight will be required. Knowingly and willfully making any false or fraudulent statement during the process will disqualify the applicant.
• At the present time, the Corporation intends to make scholarships available to deserving individuals. To qualify, an individual must:
  • Identify as Jain and/or be affiliated with the Patan community;
  • Be enrolled or been accepted to an educational program; and
  • Submit an application.
• The Corporation’s application may include the following information:
  • Name, address, phone number.
  • Personal statement.
  • GPA (if merit based)
  • Income tax information (if needs based)
  • All candidates will be considered, vetted and a determination made by the Board of Directors.
• To assure that the Corporation resources are used for its exempt purpose, it will require periodic progress reports regarding each recipient of the Corporation scholarship above $1,000, at least once a year, to determine whether the grantee is actively participating in the education program selected by the applicant and has performed the study, practice and undertaken those other educational activities which the funds was intended to finance.
• In the event that such reports are unfavorable to the grantee, or there are other indications that the grants are not being used as intended, the Corporation will investigate and take corrective action.
• The Corporation will keep accurate records relating to all scholarships made to individuals, including, inter alia:
  • Information obtained to evaluate grantees
  • Identification of grantees
  • The amount and purpose of each scholarship grant, and
  • Follow-up information, including required annual reports and investigation of jeopardized grants.
• In the future, it is possible that the Corporation will make educational loans to individuals, as this would be allowable in the Corporation’s corporate purposes. If such determination is made, a program to accomplish such objectives would be created at that time.

The organization plans to manage its U.S. operations, covering legal, accounting, and fundraising expenses, with the goal of maximizing grants and donations in alignment with its nonprofit mission.

Elections for committee members and directors are typically held annually to ensure consistent leadership renewal and to align with our governance policies. However, the specific frequency can be adjusted as needed to best serve the organization’s mission and comply with our bylaws.

For those interested in getting involved with our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, there are several pathways to engagement. You can volunteer your time and skills, serve on a committee, or even join our Board of Directors if there are openings and you meet the criteria. Additionally, donating or participating in fundraising events are valuable ways to support our mission. We encourage potential volunteers and donors to visit our website or contact us directly to learn more about current needs and opportunities for involvement. Our organization thrives on the diverse talents and generosity of our community members, and we welcome your interest in contributing to our cause.

The Corporation has adopted a conflict of interest policy. The purpose of this policy is to protect Shri Patan Jain Mandal of USA NFP’s (hereinafter, the “Corporation”) interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an Officer or Director of the Corporation. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit charitable organizations. See this link for the detailed policy.