Desai Foundation Plans Expansion After Annual NYC Gala

The foundation is targeting a ninth state in India for its health programs following its recent fundraising event in New York City.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Philanthropy

Bold flat-color editorial illustration featuring a stack of geometric product packages, conveying the operational growth of a charitable foundation. — The Desai Foundation plans to expand its health and sanitary supply programs into a ninth Indian state following its recent annual fundraiser. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Desai Foundation recently hosted its 13th annual Diwali on the Hudson gala in New York City to support its health and menstrual equity initiatives in rural India. The event for over 400 supporters marked a push for new partnerships and expansion into a ninth Indian state.

Why it matters

Operating at scale in international markets often requires building local partnerships and securing sustained philanthropic support to fund operational infrastructure. For donors and impact-focused organizations, this gala serves as a case study in converting event-based fundraising into specific, long-term regional programs.

The organization has impacted 13 million lives across 33 current programs in eight states, reaching 2.1 million women through its Asani menstrual equity initiative. The group operates five women-run production units that have manufactured 13 million sanitary napkins to date.

The players

The Desai Foundation

A philanthropic organization managing 33 health and livelihood programs across eight states in India.

Girl Rising

A global advocacy organization focused on girls' education and gender equality that entered a new partnership with the foundation.

The details

The foundation scales its social impact through a model that combines local production with health outreach. Its Asani initiative utilizes five women-run units to manufacture sanitary supplies, while the broader organization coordinates 33 programs that have reached 716,000 people through anemia awareness and 193,000 through health camps. Current plans include expanding this operational footprint into a ninth state in India.

October 22, 2026: The Desai Foundation held its 13th annual gala at HK Hall in New York City.
October 26, 2026: The organization issued a formal press release regarding the event.

Market Landscape

The foundation's expansion into a ninth state follows the operational patterns established by the 2023-2030 National Health Mission's decentralized healthcare delivery model. This development marks a transition from localized pilots to a more structured, multi-state presence in rural health markets.

Organizations looking to replicate this model should focus on the efficacy of women-run production units as a dual-purpose strategy for local economic development and product distribution. Maintaining visibility at recurring industry events like the Diwali on the Hudson gala remains a standard method for securing growth capital.

The takeaway

The event highlights the importance of leveraging immersive donor experiences to sustain long-term operational growth. Leaders should track how the organization's shift into West Bengal affects its existing 33-program portfolio efficiency over the next fiscal cycle.