The TI India Foundation (TIIF) was started in 2003 as a way to coordinate charitable work supported by the company and its employees, particularly in the areas of education, health and environment.

TIIF's vision is "Compassion with a purpose and enabling a self-reliant community around us."

That purposeful compassion was recognized recently when the team that worked on TIIF's Children's Education Program in 2010 won the TI Founders Community Service Award.

TIIF teamed up with the Akshara Foundation, a Bangalore-based public charitable trust to identify and place children from poor families in seven "Balwadis."

Balwadis are pre-schools run in underprivileged areas that help children get introduced to learning from a young age. After completing a year or two in the balwadis, the children are ready to attend a regular elementary school.

In many cases, however, parents find it difficult to afford the school expenses, preferring to send their children to work. It takes a lot of persuading by the TIIF team to help the parents agree to send their children to school.

The team raises donations from TI employees to pay the children's school fees and other expenses and keeps a tab on their progress. The team enrolled 292 children into schools in 2010, and the target for this year is 500.

TI India Science & Technology Quiz
Another program TIIF is involved with is the TI India Science & Technology Quiz. TIIF started the quiz for high school students in Bangalore in 2003 to introduce an interest in science and a spirit of inquiry to young, impressionable minds.

The quiz is conducted in five major cities in India and has emerged as a popular and much-sought-after annual event for students.

"The depth of knowledge, understanding of scientific phenomena, and the presence of mind displayed by the contestants is indeed amazing," said Sylvia Subbaiah who started TIIF in 2003.

Caring for the elderly
Elder care is another of the foundation's priorities. Little Sisters of the Poor is an old-age home in Bangalore founded more than 100 years ago for elderly people who have been abandoned by their families. The home depends completely on public charity to cater to the needs of its 140 residents.

This was the first institution that TIIF associated with in 2003, and the bond with the home has become stronger ever since. TI employees spend time with the senior citizens conducting entertainment programs, donating provisions and celebrating World Elders Day and Christmas.

"The gratitude expressed by the elders for the little things we do for them gives us immense satisfaction and happiness," Subbaiah said.

HIV-positive patients get free dialysis
TIIF also has a longstanding association with Bangalore Kidney Foundation (BKF), a pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of renal diseases.

BKF provides affordable dialysis to the needy, facilitates accessible renal healthcare and creates awareness of kidney and related ailments.

At BKF's Rangadore Memorial Hospital, TIIF supports one free dialysis a day. TIIF has donated a dialysis machine to the hospital's HIV/AIDS ward and reimburses the cost of consumables and maintenance of the machine.

Blood donation
TIIF has relationships with other leading medical institutions in Bangalore like Rotary TTK Blood Bank, Manipal Hospital and Narayana Hridayalaya for conducting blood donation camps for TI employees.

These camps are held twice a year. In addition to the convenience of having the camps on the TI campus, donors get a special TTK card that entitles them to a unit of blood, should the need ever arise.

Drive to collect clothes, books
During the last week of every month, TIIF organizes a collection program to support the clothes and books requirement of non-profit organizations.

Clothes are given to partner organizations like Missionaries of Charity, Sri Rakum School for the Blind and RK Foundation. Children's books and educational aids are routed through Akshara Foundation, Shristi Foundation and Hippocampus to reach underprivileged children.

TIIF also collects old newspapers for donation to Association of People with Disability. This non-profit organization makes paper bags from these newspapers for saplings that it sells.

Helping the environment
TIIF is well aware of the role that trees play in maintaining the ecological balance, so it regularly organizes the planting of saplings by TI employees in different parts of Bangalore.

The foundation covers the cost of preparing the land, making pits, providing saplings, watering, applying manure, staking, monitoring and maintaining for two years.

Recently, a sapling plantation program was organized at the All India Radio station in Hoskote, 18 miles east of Bangalore.

Observing important occasions
TIIF observes important dates like World Environment Day and TI India Foundation Day by organizing awareness programs and sale of saplings and eco-friendly products on the TI India campus in Bangalore.