Skip to main content

Volna Global

Together, ripples become waves.

From Los Angeles to villages in India, Indonesia and Thailand, Volna Global works alongside communities to turn local needs into lasting opportunity — through education, practical skills, inclusion and small, well-placed microgrants.

Our mission

Volna Global exists to empower communities through holistic development, education and sustainable opportunities that create lasting impact for individuals, families and communities for generations to come.

Our vision: A world where every person has the opportunity, support and resources to thrive.

A woman in an orange scarf smiles as children in India welcome her with a marigold garland.

Accountable. Hands-on. Built to last.

Nonprofit experience, each member of our leadership
15+ years
Every investment follows the same listen-to-follow-up process
5 steps
Followed up and evaluated — step five of our process
Every grant
42-2628557 · Based in Los Angeles, California
EIN

Our work

What does Volna Global do?

  • A young girl in India colours a picture during a lesson, other children working on the floor behind her.

    Children & youth

    No Child Left Behind

    A child with dreams needs the opportunity to pursue them.

    • School fees and uniforms
    • Books, backpacks, and school supplies
    • Transportation to school or educational programs
    Learn more: No Child Left Behind
  • An older man in a khaki uniform and a knitted cap sits on his cargo tricycle on a street in India.

    Individuals · Families · Aspiring entrepreneurs

    Break the Cycle of Poverty Through Micro-Grants

    A small opportunity can become the beginning of something much bigger.

    • Tools and equipment to begin a trade or expand a small business
    • Materials and supplies for locally needed trades
    • Training or certifications for employment
    Learn more: Break the Cycle of Poverty Through Micro-Grants
  • Women in bright saris sit on plastic chairs in a hall in India, listening to a woman leading a workshop at the front.

    Individuals & families experiencing poverty

    A Path Forward

    Sometimes the first step toward a different future is seeing that one is possible.

    • Life-skills education
    • Budgeting and financial literacy
    • Job readiness and workplace skills
    Learn more: A Path Forward
  • A man in a yellow shirt sits in a hand-cranked tricycle wheelchair on a village street in India.

    Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

    Every Ability, Every Opportunity

    Opportunity should be accessible to everyone.

    • Wheelchairs and mobility equipment
    • Communication devices
    • Adaptive learning tools
    Learn more: Every Ability, Every Opportunity
  • A raised garden bed full of leafy greens and flowering plants.

    Families & communities

    From Food Today to Food for Tomorrow

    Help a community grow what it needs to thrive.

    • Seeds and planting materials
    • Community garden supplies
    • Sustainable gardening education
    Learn more: From Food Today to Food for Tomorrow
  • An open shelter with a thatched roof in a village in India, with a hammock and a woven basket underneath.

    Families · Children · Elders · Communities

    A Better Place to Call Home

    Sometimes changing a life begins with changing the place someone comes home to.

    • Repairs to damaged or deteriorating homes
    • Roofing and weather-protection materials
    • Mattresses, bedding, and sleeping essentials
    Learn more: A Better Place to Call Home
  • Samantha Jimenez, founder of Volna Global, meditates on a mat in front of a carved sandstone temple.

    Children · Teens · Adults · Families

    Mindfulness & Wellness

    Learning how to pause can change how we move through life.

    • Yoga and mindful movement classes
    • Breathwork and meditation practices
    • Journaling classes
    Learn more: Mindfulness & Wellness
  • An older woman in India rests under a blanket on a woven cot in her home.

    Children · Families · Elders · Communities

    Weather the Elements

    The right essentials can make difficult conditions a little easier to face.

    • Warm blankets and bedding
    • Coats, sweaters, and weather-appropriate clothing
    • Mosquito nets and other environmental protection
    Learn more: Weather the Elements
  • Children's paintings of hearts, butterflies and the word “Love” laid out on a table to dry.

    Children · Teens · Adults · Communities

    Creative Expression & The Arts

    Every person has something to express. Every creative spark has room to grow.

    • Art supplies and materials
    • Drawing and painting classes
    • Music and dance classes
    Learn more: Creative Expression & The Arts

Coming soon · Elders

A Place at the Table

We are developing a community-based sponsorship initiative connecting elders with caring families who can provide meals, companionship, and connection.

An older woman in a green dress sits on a cot in her home in India.

Our approach

How does Volna Global decide what to fund?

We don’t simply hand out money.

  1. 1

    Listen

    We learn about the community and understand its needs.

  2. 2

    Identify

    With local people and partners, we find individuals and projects with real potential.

  3. 3

    Assess

    We look at the local economy, skills and resources, and whether an idea can truly succeed.

  4. 4

    Invest

    We fund an idea when we believe it can create meaningful, lasting impact.

  5. 5

    Follow up

    We stay connected and measure what the investment achieved.

If a village already has many barbers, funding one more barbershop won’t build a livelihood. So we ask what is missing, which skills are in demand, and what can realistically earn an income — then invest there.

Give

Start a Ripple

One microgrant of $500–$1,000 can start a livelihood. Every gift is invested with local partners and followed up to see what it achieved.

How often
Choose an amount
Pay with

Secure payment. Volna Global is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 42-2628557). Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. By giving you agree to our terms and privacy policy.

Behind the work

The people & resources that make our work possible

Meaningful work takes people, time, and the right resources.

Your support helps provide:

  • Staff and program compensation
  • Laptops, software, and communication tools
  • Travel and transportation expenses
  • Program and fieldwork supplies
  • Insurance and organizational coverage
  • Training and professional development
  • Printing and administrative supplies
  • Website and outreach expenses
  • Essential operating expenses
  • Resources for program planning and coordination

Help strengthen the work behind every ripple.

Why Volna

What makes Volna Global different?

  • Needs first

    Every project starts from what a community actually needs, not a one-size-fits-all program.

  • Youth build it

    Young people create, improve and maintain projects — not as recipients, but as contributors.

  • Made to last

    We leave behind something useful that keeps working after our support ends.

  • Everyone included

    We open doors for people who are often left out, including people of all abilities.

Portrait of Samantha Jimenez, founder of Volna Global, smiling.Samantha Jimenez standing on the steps of a Hindu temple.

Leadership

Who leads Volna Global?

Samantha JimenezFounder

Samantha Jimenez has worked alongside people with developmental and intellectual disabilities since she was 12 — from Best Buddies in high school to care homes at Peppermint Ridge in Corona, California, and later as a Volunteer and Activities Director creating yoga, art, gardening and cooking programs for more than 100 adults.

A yoga teacher who also explored natural building and sustainable living, she travelled to India in 2018 to volunteer. That journey brought community, education, accessibility, generosity and sustainability together into one vision: Volna Global.

“When we come together with open hearts and a shared purpose, even the smallest ripple can create a wave of change.”
Read Samantha’s story

From the field

The people and places behind our work

Where we work

Where does Volna Global work?

Meaningful change can begin in our own community. From our home base, we connect local work with communities abroad.

In India we are currently active in North, West and South West Delhi, in Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) and in Amritsar (Punjab).

A woman with a backpack walks hand in hand with village children along a country road in India.
  1. Los Angeles, CaliforniaHome base
  2. IndiaStarting now
  3. IndonesiaStarting now
  4. ThailandStarting now

Get involved

How can I get involved?

  • Bring a community project

    Know a need, a skill in demand or a person with real potential? Tell us about your community.

    Share a project
  • Partner with us

    Local organizations, schools and foundations: we build with people who know the ground.

    Become a partner
  • Get involved

    Volunteers and young people who want to create, improve and maintain real projects.

    Join a project

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is Volna Global?

Volna Global (volnaglobal.org) is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 42-2628557) based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2026. It helps communities build lasting opportunity through education for children, life skills, inclusion for people with disabilities, microgrants, community gardens, home repairs, mindfulness and wellness, protection from harsh weather, and the arts.

What programs does Volna Global run?

Volna Global runs nine programs: No Child Left Behind (school fees, supplies and transport for children), Break the Cycle of Poverty Through Micro-Grants, A Path Forward (life skills and job readiness), Every Ability, Every Opportunity (wheelchairs, communication devices and adaptive tools for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities), From Food Today to Food for Tomorrow (community gardens), A Better Place to Call Home (home repairs), Mindfulness & Wellness, Weather the Elements (blankets, clothing and protective essentials) and Creative Expression & The Arts. A Place at the Table, connecting elders with caring families, is in development.

Where does Volna Global work?

Volna Global works in its home community in Los Angeles and, to begin with, in India, Indonesia and Thailand. In India it is currently active in North, West and South West Delhi, in Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) and in Amritsar (Punjab).

What is a Volna Global microgrant?

A Volna Global microgrant is $500 to $1,000 given to an individual where a small investment can create meaningful, sustainable change. Grants are chosen with local partners after looking at what the community needs and which skills are in demand, and every grant is followed up.

How does Volna Global decide what to fund?

Volna Global follows five steps: listen to the community, identify people and projects with real potential together with local partners, assess whether the idea can succeed in the local economy, invest, and follow up to measure what the investment achieved.

How does Volna Global support people with disabilities?

Volna Global provides wheelchairs and mobility equipment, communication devices, learning tools, adaptive equipment and skill-building programs so that people with developmental and intellectual disabilities can learn, take part and excel in their communities.

How can I get involved with Volna Global?

You can propose a community project, partner with Volna Global as an organization, or volunteer — young people are encouraged to help create and maintain projects. Use the contact form on this page to get in touch.

Is Volna Global a registered organization?

Yes. Volna Global is incorporated and has a US Employer Identification Number (EIN 42-2628557). It is based in Los Angeles, California.

Who founded Volna Global?

Volna Global was founded in 2026 by Samantha Jimenez, who spent 23 years working alongside people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Southern California and has taught yoga for more than a decade. After volunteering in India in 2018, she brought community, education, accessibility, generosity and sustainability together into one organization.

Is Volna Global a 501(c)(3) organization?

Yes. The IRS has recognized Volna Global as a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 42-2628557). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Can I apply for a Volna Global microgrant?

Volna Global does not take open applications. Microgrants are identified together with local partners in the communities where we work. If you have a community project or need, tell us about it through the contact form and choose “I have a community project”.

What is the difference between a microgrant and a microloan?

A microgrant is a gift that does not have to be repaid; a microloan has to be paid back, usually with interest. Volna Global gives microgrants of $500 to $1,000 and follows up on each one.

Can I volunteer with Volna Global in Los Angeles?

Yes. Volunteers, especially young people, help create and maintain projects in Los Angeles such as community gardens, arts activities and wellness classes. Use the contact form and choose “I want to get involved”.

Stay in touch

Follow our first projects as they happen

Stories from India, Indonesia and Thailand, a few times a year. No spam; unsubscribe any time.

Sign-ups are handled by EmailOctopus. See our privacy policy.

Contact

Tell us about your community

Every project starts with listening. Write to us — we read every message and reply within a few working days.

What are you contacting us about?

We only use this to reply to you.

If you are under 18, please ask a parent or guardian before writing to us.