Give
Give directly to a student in need
SEEDbridge does not collect your money. We meet students and families who need support, and check each need with care. You pay the school, college or shop directly, or give the item, and we list every gift in a public record.
How it works
- We find the need. A family asks us for help, or a school refers a student.
- Two volunteers check it, and a trustee approves it.
- We list it here without names: what is needed, roughly where, and the cost.
- You pledge using the form on this page. No payment is taken here.
- You pay the school, college, official portal or shop directly, using the details we send you, or you give the item.
- We check the receipt or hand over the item, and add it to the record of gifts. We email you a link to your entry.
- Meet the student, if you both wish. We arrange it with the family's agreement, with a parent or guardian and a volunteer present.
Stay safe. SEEDbridge will never ask you to pay into a person's own bank account, a volunteer's account, or by UPI to an individual. Payments go only to a school, college, training centre, official portal, hospital or shop, against a bill in the student's name. If anyone asks otherwise, stop and email contact@seedbridge.org.
- Needs open now
- 0
- Gifts recorded
- 0
- Value given
- Rs 0
Tax: we help you get an 80G receipt wherever the law allows (see the questions below). Indian citizens paying from an Indian bank account only.
Adopt a student or a school
Stay with one student, one school or one group of young people for a year or more, and see the difference over time.
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Adopt a student
Cover one student's costs for a full year, or until they finish Class 12 or their course.
- Fees, books, uniform and footwear
- Travel to school or college
- Exam fees and special coaching
- A laptop or tools when the course needs them
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Adopt a school
Work with one government school for a year or more, on a plan agreed with the headmaster.
- A digital classroom and a library
- Clean water, toilets and new classrooms
- Special coaching and merit scholarships
- Sports, health camps and educational trips
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Back a group of young job-seekers
Help a group of young people who are looking for work, such as recent graduates or school leavers, to get their first job.
- A skill course or certificate
- Coaching for government job exams
- Spoken English and interview practice
- Travel to interviews and a first month's hostel
Verified needs
No needs are listed right now. Our volunteers are starting to meet schools and families in Tenkasi District, and checked needs will appear here. You can already give items, or adopt a student or a school, using the form below.
Pay for a course, exam or fee
Choose what you would like to pay for, and we will find a student who needs it. You pay the school, college, training centre, official portal or provider directly, and the receipt is in the student's name. We check every course provider before you pay. Open a topic to see ideas.
School and college
8 ways
- School fees at an aided or private schoolPaid to the school against a fee receipt.
- College, polytechnic or ITI fees
- Hostel and mess feesPaid to the hostel or college.
- Tuition for board examsAt a centre we have checked.
- Special coaching classes at a government schoolExtra classes before Class 10 and 12 board exams, or catch-up classes in reading, writing and maths. Paid to the teachers or a coaching centre we have checked.
- A merit scholarship in your name, or in memory of someone you loveFor high-scoring students from low-income families in government schools, paid as fees to the school or college. You choose the name; we find the students.
- College fees for a student who has won a seat in medicine, nursing or allied healthPaid to the college.
- Open schooling feesFor young people who left school and want to finish Class 10 or 12 through NIOS.
Safe travel to school and college
4 ways
- A shared van or auto for students from one villagePooled for children from the same village or hamlet, and paid monthly to a transport operator we have checked: valid permit, insurance and a verified driver.
- Evening drop after tuition or study sessionsSo that girls in particular can stay for evening classes.
- Transport for students with disabilitiesWith an escort where needed.
- Solar street lights on the road to schoolWith the panchayat's permission, where students walk after dark.
Exams and admissions
5 ways
- Entrance exam application feesPaid on the official exam portal.
- Counselling registration and admission fees
- Government job exam feesFor example TNPSC, SSC, railway and bank exams.
- Coaching for competitive examsAt a centre we have checked, or books and test series.
- Travel and stay for an exam, counselling or interviewWhen it is in another town.
Skills, courses and certificates
4 ways
- Enrol a young person in a skill courseComputers, accounting, tailoring, beauty care, nursing assistant, electrician, solar technician, AC or mobile repair.
- Certificate exam fees for online coursesSWAYAM and NPTEL courses are free to study; the certificate exam has a fee.
- Spoken English and interview skills courses
- Driving training and licence feesAt a recognised driving school, for young people seeking driving jobs.
Internships, apprenticeships and first jobs
4 ways
- Hostel for the first month of an internship or apprenticeship away from homePaid to the hostel.
- Tools or a starter kit to begin workA sewing machine, or an electrician, plumber or mechanic tool kit.
- Work clothes and safety shoes
- Travel until the first salaryAgreed with us case by case.
Health and access
4 ways
- Spectacles after an eye testPaid to the optician.
- Hearing aids, wheelchairs and other assistive devicesFrom a qualified provider.
- Medical bills that keep a student out of schoolPaid to the hospital or pharmacy.
- Eye and dental check-up camps at a schoolPaid to the hospital that runs the camp.
Keeping girls in school
3 ways
- Hostel fees for girls studying far from home
- Hygiene kits and sanitary pads
- Self-defence trainingRun by a trained instructor at a school or Learning Hub.
Health for the whole village
8 ways
- A monthly health campA registered doctor and nurse from a hospital or clinic, once or twice a month. Paid to the hospital or clinic that runs it.
- Doctor visits on request for elders and bedridden patientsThrough a registered clinic.
- A doctor-consultation cornerA tablet, internet and a quiet space at the Learning Hub, so families can consult doctors online through government services.
- Basic health equipment for campsBlood pressure monitor, glucometer, weighing scale and thermometer, used by the visiting nurse.
- Medicines prescribed at a campPaid to the pharmacy.
- Cataract surgery for grandparentsPaid to the eye hospital.
- Transport to hospitalFor patients who need to reach a government hospital for treatment.
- Nutrition kits for adolescent girls and expecting mothersAs advised by the camp doctor.
Study instead of work
4 ways
- A monthly family support kit while the student stays in schoolGroceries from a local shop, for a family under pressure to send a child to work after Class 8 or 10. Paid to the shop.
- Training or tools for a parent to earn moreSo the family's income rises without taking a child out of school.
- A short paid course in the school holidaysComputers, spoken English or a trade, for students aged 14 or older. Paid to the training centre.
- School and exam costs for a student at risk of dropping outPaid to the school or on the official portal.
A living for the family
7 ways
- A sewing machine and tailoring training for a mother
- A tailoring class for women in a villageSewing machines and a trainer for a group of women, so they can earn from home. Paid to the trainer and the supplier.
- A starter kit for a small businessFor example a tea stall, vegetable cart, or mobile repair kit. Paid to the supplier.
- Equipment for a women's self-help group enterprise
- Farm tools and trainingAs recommended by the local agriculture office or Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
- Goats or a milch animal for a woman's livelihoodOnly with training, insurance and a vet check. Paid to the seller.
- Reading, writing and phone-banking classes for parents
When a family is going through a hard time
2 ways
- A year's school or college costs for a student who has lost a parent
- Fees when the family's earner is ill or out of workSo that a crisis at home does not end a student's education.
After floods or cyclones
3 ways
- Replacing books, uniforms and school bags
- Replacing lost certificatesOfficial fees and travel to the taluk or district office.
- Study kits for children in relief camps
Clean water, toilets and school facilities
6 ways
- Give to a government school through Namma School Namma Ooru PalliThe Tamil Nadu government's own portal for gifts to government schools, with an 80G certificate: nammaschool.tnschools.gov.in. We can help you choose a school and a need in Tenkasi District.
- A digital classroom for a government schoolA smart TV or projector, a laptop and speakers, to show free lessons from DIKSHA. Through Namma School Namma Ooru Palli or with the headmaster's approval.
- A new classroom, library room or student amenitiesSuch as a dining area, a bicycle shed or drinking water points, for a government school through Namma School Namma Ooru Palli.
- Water filters for schools and Learning Hubs
- Repairs to toilets, handwashing points and classroomsFor government schools, through Namma School Namma Ooru Palli or with the headmaster's approval.
- Sanitary pad vending and disposal machines for girls' toilets
Digital access
3 ways
- Mobile data or broadband for online classesRecharged directly with the provider.
- Printing and photocopying for applications and study
- Laptop or phone repairs
For a whole class, school or village
10 ways
- Stationery kits for every student in a class or school
- A bicycle bankBicycles shared by students in a village.
- A career guidance day or a scholarship campHall, printing and travel for speakers, paid to each provider.
- Books and furniture for a school library or Learning Hub
- A village library or reading roomBooks, shelves, lights and a daily newspaper, in a space the panchayat or the community offers.
- A playground for a school or villageSports and simple play equipment, with the school's or panchayat's permission.
- Trees and a kitchen garden at a schoolSaplings, fencing, water and tools, looked after by the students.
- An educational trip or workplace visitFor a class to visit a science centre, a museum, a factory or a farm, with teachers and safe transport.
- Newspapers and children's magazines for a school or Learning HubA year's subscription, paid to the newsagent or publisher.
- A reading or quiz club for a yearBooks, quiz materials and small prizes, paid to each shop.
Give items
Please tell us what you would like to give before buying, so we give only what is needed. We will tell you where to deliver in Tenkasi District, or arrange collection.
For school
7 ways
- Notebooks, pens, pencils and geometry boxesNew only.
- School bags
- Footwear and socksAsk us for sizes first.
- UniformsAsk us for sizes and colours first.
- Water bottles and lunch boxes
- Raincoats and umbrellasMost useful before the monsoon.
- Scientific calculatorsFor Classes 11 and 12.
Studying at home
4 ways
- Solar study lampsFor homes with frequent power cuts.
- Small folding study tables
- Tamil–English dictionaries
- Exam guides and question papersCurrent syllabus only.
Getting to school safely
3 ways
- BicyclesFor students who live 3 km or more from school. New, or in good working order.
- Bicycle locks, lights and repair kits
- Torches and reflective bandsFor walking on dark village roads.
Learning Hub and village library
6 ways
- Story books in Tamil and English
- Reference and competitive exam booksFor TNPSC, bank and railway exams. Current editions.
- Laptops and tabletsWorking, less than five years old, with your data wiped and a charger.
- Projector or large screenFor group lessons.
- Whiteboards, floor mats, fans and LED lights
- Solar panels and batteriesInstalled by a qualified technician.
Skills and first jobs
3 ways
- Working smartphonesFor job-seekers and college students. Data wiped, with a charger.
- Clothes for job interviewsNew or in very good condition.
- Tool kits for ITI and electrician trainees
Sports, science and art
5 ways
- Sports equipmentCricket, football, volleyball, skipping ropes.
- Travel and kit for district and state competitions
- Chess and carrom boards
- Science kits and models
- Art and craft supplies
Health and care
4 ways
- Sanitary padsFor schools and Learning Hubs.
- First-aid kits
- Mosquito netsFor homes and hostels.
- Food for evening study sessionsArranged with us first, for food safety.
Please do not send cash, used clothes (except interview clothes in very good condition), outdated guides, or broken electronics.
Give time, skills or an internship
Some of the most valuable gifts cost nothing. Everyone who works with students agrees to our child safeguarding code.
Your time and skills
5 ways
- Mentor a studentAn hour a month, online or in person.
- Give a career talkAt a school or college, or online.
- Take mock interviews or review CVs
- Teach a skillSpoken English, computers, maths, art, music or a sport.
- Write, translate or check guides for this website
Your workplace and network
5 ways
- Offer an internship, apprenticeship or jobAt your company, office, shop or farm.
- Offer safe part-time or holiday work to a studentOnly for students aged 14 or older, in work that is not hazardous, outside school hours and never at night, with a parent's consent. We check the workplace first.
- Host a workplace visit for students
- Introduce us to your company's CSR team or a foundation
- Spread the wordShare our verified needs with friends and family.
Give on a special day
Mark a birthday, a wedding anniversary, a festival, an exam result in your own family, or the memory of someone you love, by meeting a student's need. If you wish, the record of gifts can show "In memory of..." or "For ...'s birthday" next to the gift.
What you get back
- The bill or receiptFrom the school, college, provider or shop.
- An entry in our record of giftsWe email you a link to it.
- News from the studentIf the family agrees: a photo of the handover, a thank-you note, and a short update at the end of the term.
- A meetingIf you both wish, arranged by us.
Pledge
Tell us what you would like to give
Fields marked * are required. A trustee replies by email.
Our promises
- Every need is checked by two people before it is listed.
- Volunteers never collect cash or payments.
- Children's names, schools and photos are never published. We share them with a donor only when the family agrees to meet.
- Meetings with students under 18 always include a parent or guardian and a volunteer.
- Every gift is listed publicly, and published entries are never edited.
Other ways to help
Frequently asked questions
Why do I pay the school or shop directly?
So that every rupee reaches the student, and you can see it. Your money goes straight to the school, college, official portal or shop, against a bill in the student's name, with nothing held or deducted on the way. We find and check the need, and record the result publicly.
Can I get a tax receipt or 80G deduction?
We will help wherever the law allows. For government schools in Tamil Nadu, you can give through the state's own Namma School Namma Ooru Palli portal, which issues an 80G certificate, and we will help you choose a school and a need. Some schools, colleges and the trusts that run them are also approved under section 80G: where the institution can accept your gift as a donation, we will help you arrange it that way so that they issue you an 80G receipt. When gifts made through SEEDbridge itself can carry an 80G receipt, we will tell donors who have pledged first. Payments of a student's fees or bills straight to a school or shop do not usually qualify on their own, so please check with your tax adviser. You always receive the bill or receipt.
Can I meet the student?
Yes, if the student and their family agree. We arrange the meeting: at the school, the Learning Hub or the family's village, with a parent or guardian and a SEEDbridge volunteer present, or on a video call. You are welcome to see the school, the bicycle or the books your gift paid for. If the family agrees, we can share contact details after the meeting. For students under 18, contact always stays with the parent or guardian, and we never arrange one-to-one meetings with a child.
Can people living outside India give?
For now, only Indian citizens paying from their own Indian bank account, including Indians living abroad. We do not accept foreign donations.
How do I know my gift reached the student?
You get the receipt from the school, college or shop yourself. A trustee also checks it, or hands over the item, before the gift is added to our public record of gifts. We then email you a link to your own entry.
How do you decide which needs to list?
Families ask us for help, or a headmaster or teacher tells us about a student. Two volunteers check the need and the cost, respectfully and with the family's agreement, and a trustee approves it before it is listed. If a need concerns a relative of a volunteer or trustee, the trustees are always told first.