Legal

Grievance Redressal

How to raise a complaint with Akshara Spoorthi Foundation, who handles it, and how long we take to respond.

Last updated: 1 April 2025

If something we did was wrong, we would like to hear about it from you rather than from someone else.

How to raise a grievanceLink to the section How to raise a grievance

Write to grievance@aksharaspoorthi.org with what happened, when, who was involved, and what outcome you are looking for. You may also write to the Grievance Officer at our registered office, or telephone the number on our contact page during office hours.

Grievances may be raised anonymously. An anonymous grievance is investigated on the same basis as any other; the only difference is that we cannot report the outcome back to you.

Who handles itLink to the section Who handles it

| Stage | Handled by | Response time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Acknowledgement | Grievance Officer | 2 working days |
| Investigation and response | Grievance Officer / relevant manager | 15 working days |
| Appeal | Managing Trustee | 30 days from appeal |
| Board review | Board of Trustees | Next scheduled meeting |

A grievance about the Grievance Officer, or about a trustee, goes directly to the Board and is handled by a trustee with no involvement in the matter.

Safeguarding concerns are differentLink to the section Safeguarding concerns are different

A concern about the safety or welfare of a child does not go through this process. It goes immediately to the Child Protection Focal Point at safeguarding@aksharaspoorthi.org, and where it discloses a sexual offence against a child it is reported to the police as required by Section 19 of the POCSO Act, 2012. See the Child Protection Policy.

Protection from retaliationLink to the section Protection from retaliation

Nobody who raises a grievance in good faith — staff, volunteer, beneficiary, parent, teacher, donor or member of the public — will suffer any adverse consequence for doing so. Retaliation is itself a disciplinary offence.

If you are still not satisfiedLink to the section If you are still not satisfied

You may approach the relevant regulator: the Charity Commissioner, the Income Tax Department for matters concerning 80G or Form 10BD, the Ministry of Home Affairs for FCRA matters, or the Data Protection Board of India for personal data matters. We will provide any documentation you need to do so.