About
Karina's
Backpack Project Story
Karina’s Backpack Project (KBP), fiscally sponsored by the Joy of Sharing Foundation, was founded by Karina Tarsadia in 2018 to celebrate the back to school experience and equip young students with the necessary supplies to begin the school year. Karina was inspired to create the Backpack Project after having the opportunity to do service trips in places like India, Cambodia, and Africa through her family’s Foundation, the Tarsadia Foundation. She observed poverty on these trips as well as an incredible community spirit which ignited a spark in her to bring the community together and give back locally. With the emphasis her family placed on education and putting her best foot forward, she created the Backpack Project to help other young students feel equipped with the materials they needed to put their best foot forward in school.
In the first year of KBP in 2019, Karina’s effort helped provide 5,500 backpacks with school supplies, groceries, haircuts and food to students and their families. In 2020, due to COVID-19, Karina and her team shifted the strategy to work directly with partners and schools and distribute 15,000 backpacks. In 2020, KBP also started a Holiday program adopting families and kids and provided gifts to 1000 children to bring joy during the holiday season!
Karina received the Outstanding Youth Award at the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) National Philanthropy Day event in 2020 for her work. Karina’s Backpack Project (KBP) has partnered with Dreams for Schools (DFS) to have DFS be the official implementation partner of the project. DFS’ Executive Director, Nithin Jilla, has mentored Karina since she began the project and helped connect her to the community. With this partnership with DFS, Karina hopes to work more closely with school and community partners that DFS has close relationships both locally and regionally.
In 2021, KBP aims to increase the number of students who will be impacted by their work by providing backpacks for 15,000 students in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
Karina received the Outstanding Youth Award at the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) National Philanthropy Day event in 2020 for her work. Karina’s Backpack Project (KBP) has partnered with Dreams for Schools (DFS) to have DFS be the official implementation partner of the project. DFS’ Executive Director, Nithin Jilla, has mentored Karina since she began the project and helped connect her to the community. With this partnership with DFS, Karina hopes to work more closely with school and community partners that DFS has close relationships both locally and regionally.
In 2021, KBP aims to increase the number of students who will be impacted by their work by providing backpacks for 15,000 students in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
Karina's
Nithin Jilla
Nithin has mentored Karina since she came up with the idea for her project in late 2018 and wanted to set it in motion. Nithin works with Karina to help mentor and guide the project forward to help Karina connect to the community. When Nithin was in HS, he had great mentors and his class started a service project to help students in Kenya. His experiences early on helped him understand that he loves being in the service of others and making a difference. Nithin hopes to inspire Karina and pay it forward by mentoring her on her own goals.
Urvashi Patel
Urvashi is Karina’s Mom and number one supporter! She has worked alongside and supported Karina in her idea from beginning to end over the years. Urvashi is passionate about giving back and education and wants to encourage her daughter to be service oriented and give back in the ways she can.
ABOUT
Dreams for Schools
Karina’s Backpack Project (KBP) has partnered with Dreams for Schools (DFS) to have DFS be the official implementation partner of the project. DFS’ Executive Director, Nithin Jilla, has mentored Karina since she began the project and helped connect her to the community. DFS is a STEAM education non-profit organization working to advance education equity by bridging gaps in STEAM education.
ABOUT
Joy of Sharing Foundation
Joy of Sharing Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of Karina's Backpack Project and was established in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (TAX ID 37-1697719) to help support the community. Joy of Sharing Foundation operates out of a community center, which serves as the local hub for all programs and services of the foundation.