OUR mission
Our aim is simple. By 2025, we want to help 1,00,000 students from marginalized backgrounds to receive public and private scholarships. Millions of deserving students across the country give up on their dreams because of their poor financial situation. We aim to support these students by making scholarships easily accessible to all.
Our vision forward
One of the most important ways to improve access to higher education is by providing scholarships to needy students.
We plan to support students in bridging the gap by
- Guiding them in availing public and private scholarships and accessing mentors and augmenters who can add value
- Enabling government institutions to improve last mile delivery of their educational programs
- Dedicatedly building a strong network to expand reach and increase efficiency of coverage
- Creating and sustaining a scalable eco-system that works towards this vision.
Welcome to the Youth Dreamers Foundation (YDF) – a New Delhi-based NGO dedicated to empowering deserving students through scholarships. Founded by Saurabh Mehrotra and Manish Sharma, YDF collaborates with the Government, HNIs (High Net Worth Individuals), and CSR initiatives to provide financial assistance to students in need.
The journey of YDF began when Manish Sharma, an engineer with grassroots-level experience, and Saurabh, who completed his MBA through scholarships, recognized the importance of supporting vulnerable students. In December 2016, they launched their first scholarship program in collaboration with HCL Foundation. Since then, YDF has helped over 18,000 students receive scholarships worth INR 126.6 million.
At YDF, we work closely with CSR partners and HNIs to design, launch, and execute new scholarship schemes tailored to their areas of interest and requirements. Additionally, we operate District Scholarship Hubs and Scholarship Support Programs to assist students in discovering, applying for, and availing financial aid from existing public and private scholarship schemes.
To expand our reach, we have formed partnerships with scholarship scheme providers like Foundation for Excellence, Magma Fincorp, IndusInd, and Vahini. We directly recommend deserving candidates to these organizations. Moreover, we have established strong relationships with the Minority Affairs, Social Justice and Welfare Department of Bihar, Tribal Development Department in Maharashtra, and even have a partnership agreement with Patna University.
Our commitment to empowering students and bridging the educational opportunity gap drives our ongoing efforts. By providing scholarships and facilitating access to existing scholarship schemes, we aim to create a brighter future for deserving students across India.
JOIN US
You can help a deserving child pursue his or her dreams by giving them the gift of a scholarship.
Your money will directly go towards sponsoring a child’s education and giving them access to personalized coaching and mentoring. You can be the reason someone becomes the first doctor in their village. Donate Now.
Message from the Co-founders on this incredible mission
In a nation as diverse and vast as India, where education is deemed to be the key to unlocking a brighter future, it is disheartening to witness a significant enrollment gap among low-income and oppressed caste students. With approximately 200 million potential higher education seekers in our country, nearly a quarter cannot afford even a basic higher education of $120 per year.
As the YDF team, we are working tirelessly to change this narrative. We have been on a mission to empower marginalized students in Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. Over the last five years, we have successfully supported more than 18,200 students by helping them get scholarships for higher education.
But we’re not stopping there. We recognize the true scale of the problem, understand the need to put our heads down, and work even harder with much more creativity.
Join us in our mission to unleash the potential of India’s youth. Together, let’s make education accessible and empower the next generation of leaders, innovators, and change-makers.
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