Founded in 1977 and incorporated as a non-profit by 1978, TANA is one of the oldest and largest Indo-American national-level organizations, boasting over 32,000 members across The USA and Canada. Consistent with its charter, the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) is an organization formed to perpetuate, integrate, and assimilate the cultural heritage of the Telugu-speaking people of the North American continent into the mainstream of the cultural heritage of North America.

In particular, TANA's goals include:

1. Organizing periodical Telugu literary, educational and cultural conferences throughout the continent;

2. Promoting the understanding of Telugu literature, art, culture, music, dance, and drama among the children of Telugu speaking people in North America and their American friends;

3. Working with local and regional Telugu associations throughout North America to organize standardized educational courses;

4. Working with Universities and educational institutions in North America on the development of concentrated studies in Telugu literature, history, and other subjects;

5. Promoting the circulation and distribution of Telugu books in public libraries;

6. Serving as a cultural ambassador by exchanging cultural, literacy and artistic ideas via participating in Telugu cultural performances across the globe and by inviting distinguished Telugu Scholars, artists, artisans, statesmen to North America for lectures and seminars.

7. Carrying on all such lawful activities which a non-profit Corporation, organized for literary, cultural, and educational purposes within the meaning of Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as it may from time to time be amended, may be empowered.

TANA publishes and distributes to its members a bilingual TANA Patrika, and biennially holds the national “North America Telugu Conference” as well as the “TANA Youth Conference.”

TANA, through its TANA Foundation, has been serving Indian and American communities for over 30 years. Amongst its many notable achievements, TANA has recently raised through its Operation Envision program over $332,000 to restore sight to the blind and visually impaired in Andhra Pradesh, India, has partnered with the Child Aid Foundation to help assuage child poverty in India and throughout the world, and has made pursuit of a university education possible for countless Indian students, through its Adopt a Child program and numerous other scholarships. TANA regularly donates substantial amounts of time and aid to food pantries throughout North America, and its Backpack Program has been providing backpacks to urban schools in North America for over five years. TANA is also very active in humanitarian aid, having taken a notable role in providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, for instance, in North America, as well as providing aid to victims of international tragedies, like the victims of the Tsunami in India.