Join us for an immersive concert of soul-stirring music, evocative visual storytelling, and profound reflection.
Saturday, September 12
5 p.m.
Clayton Performing Arts Center
Pellissippi State Community College
10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
AIM for Seva Founder
In thousands of rural villages across India, a child’s desire to learn is often met with daily obstacles – long, unsafe journeys, limited resources, and few support systems. All India Movement for Seva was created to change that reality. What began with one woman’s plea for a safe place for her children to stay near school became our founder’s vision of bringing education to the doorsteps of the children of rural India by building hostels near schools. From Swamiji’s vision was born the chatralaya or free student home.
A single chatralaya in 2001 has flourished into a far-reaching network of 91 spanning 17 states and 3,000 villages of rural India. These caring homes provide over 4,000 children in grades 4 through 12 each year with access to a formal education, lodging, nutritious meals, clothes and uniforms, academic support, extracurricular opportunities, and health care – all at no cost.
AIM for Seva began establishing its own educational institutions in 2005 – each rooted in value-based learning and strong academics. Today, our eight schools and one college, serving over 5,000 students annually beginning in kindergarten, are nurturing not only academic success but confidence, values and life skills. Our students are empowered to dream bigger and to pursue higher education, meaningful careers, and lives of purpose. At its heart, AIM for Seva ensures that where a child is born does not determine how far they can go.
Our vidyalaya residential school campuses embrace a well-rounded approach to nurturing and educating children in rural India. Dynamic academics, value-based learning, cultural enrichment, life skills, and compassionate care come together to help each child build the confidence, knowledge and character needed to thrive in school and in life.
Each campus comprises a K-12 English-medium school serving 1,500 students, a boys’ hostel and girls’ hostel, each housing 100 children, and staff quarters.
When you contribute to AIM for Seva, you’re supporting a holistic model of care that reaches children during their most formative years, creating the strongest foundation for lifelong success. You make education accessible, opportunity attainable, and futures full of promise. Your generosity creates a ripple effect – uplifting not just one child, but families and entire communities over time.
20 Million
lives touched
since 2000
3,000
villages reached across rural India
10,000
students per year
90% graduation
rate
80% of students
pursue higher education or secure employment
10,000
students per year
Dear Donors,
Welcome to AIM for Seva’s Knoxville chapter page. The Knoxville chapter was started in 2017, after we moved from Connecticut to Tennessee. Since then, the chapter has steadily grown, thanks to your generosity and support. Your donations help us provide access to quality education and holistic care to underprivileged children living in rural and tribal parts of India. Your donations to AIM for Seva help transform children’s lives, helping them grow up to become confident young men and women, and taking them from poverty to financial independence. In the words of AIM for Seva founder Pujya Swami ji Dayananda Saraswati, danam (charity) blesses both the receiver and the giver, and helps us to grow from consumers to contributors.
The AIM for Seva mission occupies a high priority in our lives, along with Purna Vidya School. Professionally, Ram is a senior research scientist (nuclear science and technology) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Uma is a senior clinical study manager at a pharmaceutical company.
Since its inception, the Knoxville chapter of AIM for Seva has supported on average 100-125 children’s education and holistic care every year. This is possible only because of your generous support and the tireless efforts of the volunteers. Together, we can further grow the Knoxville chapter and help many more children fulfill their dreams.
Gratefully yours,
Ram Venkataraman and Uma Balasubramanian, AIM for Seva Knoxville Chapter Coordinators
“Your donations to AIM for Seva help transform children’s lives, helping them grow up to become confident young men and women, and taking them from poverty to financial independence.”
— Ram Venkataraman and Uma Balasubramanian, AIM for Seva Knoxville Chapter Coordinators
Knoxville Chapter Coordinators
President
Treasurer
Joint Secretary
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AIM for Seva has consistently earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating.
Here are just a few ways your generosity can help, but every gift, large or small, contributes to life-changing outcomes.
Honor a loved one by funding a school or special project in their homeland and dedicating it in their name.
There are many options for contributing to AIM for Seva, allowing you to make the best choice for your life and financial goals.
Make a one-time contribution – or set up convenient recurring payments for a more significant impact in the lives of our children.
We can accept your personal or business check made payable to AIM for Seva and mailed to: PO Box 639, Saylorsburg, PA 18353.
Give seamlessly and easily through an ACH or wire transfer. Simply call our office at 570-402-1244 to make the necessary arrangements.
Make your one-time or ongoing contributions to AIM for Seva through your donor-advised charitable fund.
Check our matching gift company list to see if your employer offers a matching gift program. If your company is not listed, you can inquire as to whether they would consider matching your contribution, allowing your gift to have greater reach and impact.
A gift of long-term appreciated stocks and mutual funds can offer you not only income tax savings but also the advantage of reducing or eliminating capital gains taxes. For stock transfer instructions, please call 570-402-1244.
For those 70½ or older, a QCD can be made from a traditional IRA free of federal income tax, while receiving a charitable deduction for income tax purposes. Your contribution might also satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year.
Consider naming AIM for Seva in your will or living trust. Bequests, which can be a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate, help maintain the long-term financial health of our nonprofit organization.
If you’re looking to volunteer your time and talents to touch a child’s life in a more tangible and direct way, please email knoxville@aimforsevausa.org to learn about volunteer opportunities.
