The American India Foundation is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India, and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. AIF's programming seeks to achieve gender equity through developing inclusive models that focus on and empower girls and women. Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a suggestion from Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee, AIF has impacted the lives of 5.6 million of India's poor. With offices in New York and California, twelve chapters across the U.S., and India operations headquartered in New Delhi, AIF is transforming lives across 24 states of India while addressing these issues on a regional, country, and international scale.