Draft:Smile Foundation
Indian non-profit development organisation
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Smile Foundation is an Indian non-profit development organisation based in New Delhi. It was founded in 2002 by Santanu Mishra, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), along with a group of corporate professionals who chose to dedicate themselves to social causes. The organisation works in four areas: education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment. It operates across 27 states of India, running over 400 projects that collectively reach nearly two million underprivileged children and families every year.[1] The organisation has been described as an example of venture philanthropy in India, adopting a social venture capital model focused on scalable grassroots impact.[2]
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Submission declined on 13 March 2026 by Athanelar (talk).
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Comment: Your sources need to provide significant, in-depth discussion about the organisation itself, and not merely report on its normal operations. Athanelar (talk) 21:01, 13 March 2026 (UTC)
- New Delhi, India
| Founded | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit organisation |
| Focus | Education, Healthcare, Livelihood, Women Empowerment |
| Location |
|
Key people | Santanu Mishra (Co-founder & Executive Trustee) |
| Website | www |
History
Smile Foundation was established in 2002 when Santanu Mishra and a group of colleagues with corporate backgrounds decided to work towards social development in India. Mishra, who had previously worked in the corporate sector for fifteen years before leaving in 2005, co-founded the organisation with the aim of applying venture capital principles to social development work.[3] The foundation started with a focus on child education and gradually expanded its scope to cover healthcare, livelihood support, and women empowerment over the following years.
The organisation holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2012 and is a member of the United Nations Global Compact. Its quadrennial report for 2020–2023 was noted by the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations at its 2025 resumed session.[4]
In November 2017, the 14th Dalai Lama delivered a talk on universal responsibility and compassion at an event hosted by Smile Foundation at the NCUI Auditorium in New Delhi. At the event, he acknowledged the foundation's work in education for underprivileged children and announced his intention to support its activities over the following five years.[5]
Programmes
Mission Education
Mission Education is the foundation's education programme for children who are out of school or at risk of dropping out. It runs learning centres that offer bridge courses, remedial classes, digital tools, and socio-emotional support. The programme works with parents and local bodies to address social and economic factors that cause children to leave school.[6]
Smile on Wheels
Smile on Wheels is a mobile healthcare programme that provides primary health services to people living in rural areas and urban slums. It was launched in 2006 and operates through mobile medical units, boat clinics, telemedicine units, mobile dental clinics, and static clinics.[7] The programme works alongside ASHA and ANM workers at the community level. Smile Foundation has developed telemedicine clinics at sub-centres under a public-private partnership model, with the aim of later transferring these clinics to government operation.[8] In 2026, Smile Foundation conducted an eye health awareness camp in Gya-Miru Village, Ladakh, in collaboration with the CDSL-Ladakh Team.[9]
Swabhiman
Swabhiman is a programme focused on adolescent girls and women from low-income communities, covering areas including gender sensitization, reproductive health, and livelihood skills development.[10]
Smile Twin e-Learning Programme
The Smile Twin e-Learning Programme provides computer training, spoken English, and soft skills to young people between the ages of 18 and 30, with the aim of improving employment prospects in sectors such as retail, hospitality, and business process outsourcing.[11]
Film and Cultural Initiatives
In 2010, Smile Foundation produced I Am Kalam, a Hindi-language film directed by Nila Madhab Panda, focused on the theme of child education and the Right to Education. The Wall Street Journal described the film as produced by "the education and health nonprofit Smile Foundation".[12] The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and travelled to more than 60 countries, winning around 40 awards in various categories.[13] The lead actor Harsh Mayar received the National Film Award for Best Child Artist in 2011.[14]
In 2018, a short film Delhi Dreams, made by fourteen underprivileged children from New Delhi under a Smile Foundation initiative, was screened at the 71st Cannes Film Festival at the British Pavilion, in collaboration with Films without Borders.[15]
In 2024, Santanu Mishra received two awards at the 34th Odisha State Films Awards. His documentary Manayun: My Wonderland received the Best Documentary award, and the film Torch received the Special Jury Award. Both films were selected for the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa.[16]
Smile Foundation organises the Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY), an annual film festival focused on children's cinema that began in 2013.[17] The 12th edition, held from 28 January to 3 February 2026 in New Delhi, was organised in partnership with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and the Delegation of the European Union to India. The festival featured over 150 films from more than 35 countries.[18] The Sunday Guardian described the 12th edition as a space where cinema serves as a tool for empathy and dialogue for young audiences.[19]
Academic Recognition
Smile Foundation has been examined in academic research for its organisational model and leadership development practices. A 2017 study published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, conducted by researchers Pritha Venkatachalam and Danielle Berfond, featured Smile Foundation as an exemplar organisation in a study of leadership development among Indian nonprofits. The study noted the organisation's structured approach to building next-generation leaders, including a Project Approval Committee and internal leadership development work plans.[20]
Social Initiatives
Smile Foundation has collaborated with several organisations on education and healthcare projects. Deutsche Bank has supported an engineering scholarship programme for girls across colleges in Bengaluru, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Pune.[21] In Chennai, a mobile healthcare unit was established in collaboration with Athenahealth.[22]
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