Maharashtra Foundation, established as a charitable organization under the laws of the United States, is committed to the basic humanitarian principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution namely freedom, equality, secularism and human rights. The brainchild of late Shri Yeshwant Kanitkar and his friends, Maharashtra Foundation was founded in 1978 in Rochester, New York by 10 Marathi families, motivated by saints like Dnyaneshwar, Namdeo and Tukaram and social reformers like Lokmanya Tilak, Agarkar, Maharshi Karve, Mahatma Phule, and Dr Ambedkar.
The Foundation began with a very simple idea of helping needy people in Maharashtra – a state in western India. Over the years with the help of over a thousand generous donors we have sent funds to numerous Indian charities not just in Maharashtra but also in the states of Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan and in the USA.
Our board is made up of volunteers elected from the annual members and see themselves as catalysts of change promoting low cost, high return programs at grass root levels and includes professionals in the fields of medicine, administration, finance, business and engineering.
The Board of Directors is elected as per the timelines and criteria mentioned in Maharashtra Foundation’s Constitution and Bylaws.