Milaan Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to working at the intersection of youth, education, leadership, health, and mental health to cultivate opportunity, agency, and well-being in young people. We empower them with leadership skills, enabling them to become problem solvers who lead and transform their communities.
The Milaan Foundation was founded in the United States in 2015 after a group of supporters visited Milaan – Be The Change in India. After visiting the work on the ground and witnessing its transformative impact, they decided to amplify the initiative by building support in the United States and registering as a 501c3. Now, both entities work closely together and are led by founder Dhirendra Pratap Singh.
Milaan focuses on empowering young people between 10-18 years of age from under-resourced and underserved communities in India, Uganda, and the U.S.
Empowering girls in India helps combat systemic gender inequality, where over 40% of girls drop out of school before secondary education (UNESCO) and 27% are married before the age of 18 (UNICEF), perpetuating cycles of poverty and missed opportunities.
Supporting girls in Uganda tackles issues like a 34% child marriage rate (UNICEF), 25% teenage pregnancy rate (World Bank), and widespread school dropout due to gender-based violence and lack of access to education, ensuring a brighter future for girls and their communities.
Setting up holistic interventions in the U.S. In 2023, 4 in 10 U.S. where high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and 1 in 5 seriously considered suicide, underscoring a concerning mental health crisis.
To date, Milaan has worked with over 50,000 girls, reducing school dropout rates (40% to <15%) and child marriage rates (27% to <1%). We partnered with UC Berkeley, Michigan State University, and Kantar Group to conduct independent impact assessments of our programs in India.
This year, we will be working with over 50,000 girls in India and piloting the Girl Icon Program with over 1,000 girls in Uganda. We will pilot The Becoming Initiative with 100 youth in Michigan (Flint, Grand Rapids, and Detroit).
Our work is supported by various funding sources, including grants from international foundations such as Echidna Giving and the Obama Foundation, partnerships with corporations such as Belden Inc. and First Women’s Bank, and individual gifts as annual and monthly giving.
Milaan Foundation’s annual budget is 2 Million USD. Approximately 85% of all donations are allocated directly to program implementation and impact, with the remaining 15% used for operational costs, monitoring, and ensuring accountability.
Yes, in response to the evolving landscape and informed by local grassroots leaders working with youth, Milaan is leveraging its expertise in positive youth development and leadership programming to design a tailored initiative for the U.S. context, which will be piloted in 2025.
Donors can allocate contributions to specific programs or initiatives aligned with their interests. While unrestricted funding fosters growth and innovation, we also offer flexibility for restricted funding, providing detailed impact reports.
Donors are encouraged to stay connected through updates on program progress, newsletters, and impact reports, in addition to participating in events, volunteering, and engaging with our broader network of supporters. Your ongoing involvement helps amplify the impact of our work.
For queries regarding media stories or interviews, please contact us at hello@milaanfoundation.org.
For any further queries or additional information, please visit our ‘Contact Us’ page or email us at hello@milaanfoundation.org
You can write to Dhirendra Pratap Singh, our CEO, at ceo@milaanfoundation.org and Monica O’Reilly, our Development Officer, at give@milaanfoundation.org.
