Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the relationship between TCF (Pakistan) and TCF-USA?  

TCF (Pakistan) is registered as a non-profit organization in Pakistan whereas TCF-USA is a US non-profit incorporated under Illinois law and recognized as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code.  TCF-USA has its own independent by laws and Board of Directors.  

While most of the donations received are for education of Pakistani children through TCF programs, TCF-USA has the discretion to make grants to other educational charities as well.

Q. What is the source of funding for TCF?  

Most of the funding for TCF programs (60%) is received from individual donors, corporations and foundations in Pakistan.   TCF also receives donations from thousands of individuals all over the world – Pakistani expatriates and generous non-Pakistani supporters (individual and foundation donors) in the USA, the UK, UAE, Canada and other countries. Independent organizations such as TCF-USA assist with outreach and fundraising for TCF programs. 

TCF-USA receives contributions from a broad segment of the general public in the US. 

Q.  Is it safe for me to donate to TCF-USA?  How can I be sure my donation is going to the right place?   

TCF-USA was founded in 2002 and adopted the ‘Best Practices Guidelines’ set by the US Treasury Department for charities that send money to overseas causes. Transparency is very important to us as well as to our donors, and we continue to abide by Treasury Department guidelines. Our financials are also available on the website.

TCF has an open-door policy for school visits in Pakistan. US Ambassadors in Pakistan and other representatives from the US State Department have visited several TCF schools.     

Both TCF and TCF-USA have received letters of support from present and former legislators in Congress, lauding TCF efforts to help improve education in Pakistan.

Q.  What portion of my donation goes towards education programs?

Approximately 90% of every donation goes towards education programs in Pakistan. A small portion of the donation is spent onadministration, marketing and fund raising expenses. TCF-USA has received high ratings for organization and fund raising efficiency, because our fundraising and administrative expenses are kept to a minimum.

Q. Where are the schools located and what is the geographical distribution of TCF schools?

Our schools are located in urban slums and low-income rural areas of Pakistan, where people neither have the means nor the access to quality education.

This table shows the geographical distribution of the schools by region:

Q. What are the admissions criteria for children at TCF schools?  

Any child of appropriate school age is eligible for admission to TCF schools. There are no financial, ethnic or other criteria.  The school principal meets with the family to determine how much tuition fee can be comfortably paid, based on the family income and number of persons in the household.   

The primary criterion is need:  the aim is to provide quality education to children who would otherwise grow up without any education.  The schools are established in communities where either:

• no schools exist,
• there aren’t enough schools or,
•  the schools are not affordable.

Q.  Are TCF schools free?  Does TCF charge for tuition, books and uniforms?

TCF asks each family to pay what they can afford, based on family income and number of persons in the household. The school principal meets with the family to determine how much tuition fee can be comfortably paid. Paying a nominal amount gives the family a sense of pride and ownership in the school and the child’s education.    

Tuition Fees: TCF charges a nominal monthly tuition fee on a sliding scale, between Rs. 10 to Rs. 250 per month (approx. 18 cents to $3.00 per month).       

Uniforms and Books: Families are offered easy payment terms for uniforms and books. Those who cannot afford to pay, get uniforms and books at no cost.

Actual Cost of Education: The actual cost of education is slightly over $10/month for each child, or $120 per year. The tuition fees collected from families is only 5% of the actual costs. The 95% “deficit” is made up by donor contributions.    

Q. What is the hiring process and required qualifications for teachers?

Teachers are selected strictly on merit. The job openings are advertised in local newspapers and qualified applicants are invited for a personal interview.  The interview is conducted by a panel and the selected candidates receive a formal appointment letter.

At the primary school level, the minimum qualification is matriculation (10^th grade). Please note, this is the minimum and TCF has many primary school teachers with a Bachelor and Master’s degrees.  All secondary school teachers (and all school Principals, plus all English language teachers) must have at least a baccalaureate degree.

Q.   What is the extent of teacher training, both pre-service and annual professional development? 

TCF provides 120 hours of pre-service training to all teachers before they start in the classrooms. Additionally, all TCF teachers receive 80 hours of in-service professional development every year. There are 2 main teacher training centers, one in Karachi and the other in Mansehra. Master Trainers coordinate the regional training programs from these 2 centers. Most of the teacher training is conducted at selected schools which serve as regional training centers, or ‘hub schools’. The idea is to bring the training close to the teachers, rather than putting the burden of travel on them. 

Q. How is the curriculum designed?

Using the government prescribed national curriculum as the basic minimum, in-house professional educators at TCF modify and enhance the curriculum to meet the demands of modern day education. Activities such as debates, essay writing contests, art, poetry and sports competition are included in the curriculum to help develop the complete student. 

For more questions, please write to:  contact@tcfusa.org