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Wish Foundation offers scholarships and free vision care
Founder-Director Dr. S. Narasinga Rao encouraged community members to support the organization's charitable initiatives through donations.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 01, Jul 2026
- 02:30 EDT
- 28
The Arizona-based Indian American nonprofit Wish Foundation / Courtesy photo
The Arizona-based Indian American nonprofit Wish Foundation is encouraging community members to support its education and community service initiatives through Arizona's Qualified Charitable Organization tax credit program while highlighting its ongoing work providing scholarships, prescription eyeglasses and assistance to economically disadvantaged residents.
Founded on May 17, 2017, by Indian American community members led by Dr. and Mrs. Shobha and Narasinga Rao, Dr. and Savitri and Bhaskara Udupa, Dr. and Kala and M. Rajagopalan, Sandhya Seshadri and Balaji Rangaswamy, Rajeshwari and Jayasimha Sastry, Dr. and Jayasri and Govind Iyer, and other volunteers, the organization serves communities across Arizona through education and charitable programs.
The foundation said it has established a scholarship endowment supported by donations from Indian American contributors in Arizona and other states, as well as donors in India. According to the organization, the principal of the endowment remains untouched, with only investment earnings used to fund scholarships and other charitable activities.
Wish Foundation awards scholarships to nine or 10 students during both the fall and spring semesters each year. The recipients are enrolled at Maricopa Community Colleges and are recommended by the colleges after financial need and academic performance are verified.
The nonprofit also partners with the Tempe school district to provide free prescription eyeglasses to children from low-income families. It previously offered the same assistance to elementary school students in Phoenix's Wilson School District No. 7. In addition, the foundation has distributed school supplies and reusable water bottles and, over the past two years, supported Andersen Junior High School with science laboratory supplies.
Beyond education initiatives, the organization said it has provided free prescription eyeglasses to people experiencing homelessness and distributed free meals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it also worked with other organizations to provide food to first responders in hospitals.
Wish Foundation said all clerical and administrative work is carried out by volunteers and that donated funds are directed toward charitable programs rather than administrative costs.
The organization also noted that the Arizona Department of Revenue has approved it as a Qualified Charitable Organization, allowing eligible taxpayers to claim a dollar-for-dollar Arizona income tax credit for donations made to the nonprofit using Form 321.
For tax year 2026, eligible individuals may claim up to $506 for single, head of household or married filing separately, or up to $1,009 for married couples filing jointly. Under Arizona law, donations made during 2026 or between Jan. 1, 2027, and April 15, 2027, may be claimed on a 2026 Arizona income tax return.
Founder-Director Dr. S. Narasinga Rao encouraged community members to support the organization's charitable initiatives through donations.
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