Looking out for a charity to donate? Or offer your services as a volunteer? One deserving organisation that is grappling with a serious shortage of resources - material and human - is the Mumbai-headquartered National Association for the Blind.

Set up in 1952, NAB has evolved from combating the issue of prevention and cure of blindness in India to rehabilitation of the blind and offering them services like talking books and cyber cafes.

It is one of the oldest non-government organisations with 19 state branches. It isn't easy for NAB as 1.8 per cent of India's total population is blind or visually impaired in some way - that's close to 20 million needy people. But with its meagre resources, NAB can reach out to barely 15 lakh (1.5 million).

Who decides policies at NAB? The think-tank comprises a 15-member management committee whose priority is clear - prevent and cure blindness; provide for basic education for the visually impaired and train them in rural areas.

All its services are direct to the blind in their homes. If a blind child goes to school, NAB will provide an integrated teacher to interface between the child, the parent and the school.

NAB was built largely as a volunteer organisation. But with a gargantuan task at hand, and to enhance its service abilities, it is gradually veering towards paid staff.

"Paid staff are hard to come by and even volunteering is going to die," rues Rajendra T Vyas, founder director of NAB and visually impaired himself. This doesn't mean NAB does not need volunteers. It does.

Raising resources continues to be a challenge. With a Rs 4 crore-and-odd budget, it is virtually struggling to make both ends meet. So it encourages both general and project-based donations.

While the former gets you a 80G exemption, where 50 per cent of the amount can be deducted from income, the five project-based donations offer full tax exemption under section 35AC.

These include projects like the talking book (where text-books are available as audio cassettes you can listen to), the Braille press, education, prevention and cure.

You have to specify the project you prefer. The money will be used for education, rehabilitation and employment of the blind all over the country.

NAB's accounts are audited by Sorab & Associates and all cheques should be drawn in favour of National Association of the Blind at 11-12 Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road, Worli Seaface, Mumbai- 400025.