Celebrating 18 Years of Global Impact and Gratitude
As Yoga Gives Back (YGB) marks its 18th Anniversary Gala on Sunday, November 16th at the Sofitel Beverly Hills, we are deeply honored to present our first-ever “Partnership Award” to the Guru Krupa Foundation (GKF) for its extraordinary commitment and support in empowering underserved youth in India through education and opportunity.
Here’s the official press release announcing this recognition: https://yogagivesback.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/YGB-Partnership-Award-Reease.docx
A Partnership Rooted in Compassion and Action
Since 2021, the Guru Krupa Foundation has been a vital partner in expanding the reach and impact of YGB’s Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) program. What began with a grant supporting 50 underserved girls at Shaktidhama in Mysore—providing access to higher education and a safe home—has now blossomed into a transformative collaboration changing hundreds of lives across Karnataka.
This year, GKF’s generous grant supports 143 disadvantaged boys and girls in Chamarajanagar, offering them life-changing YGB SHE scholarships. These scholarships have not only opened doors to education but also created ripple effects of empowerment—uplifting families, strengthening communities, and inspiring graduates to “pay it forward” by helping others.
Continuing their commitment, Guru Krupa Foundation has expanded their support with a new $39,000 grant to fund 156 additional students for the upcoming year, ensuring that the cycle of opportunity and gratitude continues to grow.
About Guru Krupa Foundation
Founded by Mukund Padmanabhan, the Guru Krupa Foundation is a private charitable foundation based in New York with a mission to advance social, educational, cultural, spiritual, and environmental causes. For over 15 years, GKF has distributed more than 80 grants annually to organizations across India and the United States.
GKF’s philanthropic efforts span generations—supporting after-school programs, non-profit schools, orphanages, food banks, vocational training centers, and old-age homes. The Foundation also provides scholarships for higher education and funds cultural, spiritual, and environmental projects, including initiatives to preserve Hindu traditions and rejuvenate water bodies across India.
Honoring a Visionary Leader
We are honored that Mukund Padmanabhan, Founder and President of Guru Krupa Foundation, will personally accept the YGB Partnership Award at our 18th Anniversary Gala.
Mukund’s remarkable career includes his role as a partner and researcher at Renaissance Technologies, one of the world’s leading hedge funds. He holds degrees from IIT Kharagpur (B.Tech) and UCLA (M.S., Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering) and has been recognized with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kharagpur and the Professional Achievement Award from UCLA’s Samueli School of Engineering. He also serves on the Dean’s Executive Council at UCLA Engineering.
In his words:
“The SHE scholarships have benefited both boys and girls and given them a means to break out of the cycle of poverty — a life-transforming opportunity that too few disadvantaged children get in India. None of this would be possible without the commitment of the founders and management of both YGB and Deenabandhu. My sincere gratitude goes to them for setting such a good example of serving the needy. May their efforts and success increase going forward.”
— Mukund Padmanabhan, Founder and President, Guru Krupa Foundation
Celebrating 18 Years of Empowerment
As Yoga Gives Back celebrates 18 years of service, this award reflects our deepest gratitude for Guru Krupa Foundation’s partnership, generosity, and belief in the transformative power of education. Together, we are empowering the next generation of leaders in India—creating sustainable change through education, compassion, and community. Join us in celebration at the 18th Annual Yoga Gives Back Global Gala at Sofitel, Beverly Hills.
Become a Partner in Change
If your organization is inspired to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to join us as a Corporate Partner or Event Sponsor.
Learn more about partnership opportunities here!
