A child's illustration of a city--inclusion

How to build inclusive schools

Instead of creating separate solutions for children with disabilities, we must think of inclusion as a strand that can be woven into schools' existing models.
by Sonali Saini | 6 min read

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Latest

Community women teaching during a grassroots training programme_capacity building

Flipping the script on capacity building
The social sector needs to challenge the notion that capacity building flows in only one direction—by acknowledging that grassroots actors also shape the learning of those who come to 'train' them.
an abstract swirly painting in shades of blue, red, and pink-invisible disabilities

Removing barriers for persons with invisible disabilities  
From exclusionary criteria to underused schemes, persons with invisible disabilities face many barriers to accessing services, entitlements, and support.
Students seated in circle proudly display their colourful artwork_community engagement

Leading with empathy: Building trust in a conflict zone
To navigate community engagement in politically sensitive areas, development practitioners must ground their work in humility, empathy, and an ability to listen.
by Lopa Shah | 5 min read
an abstract image of a flower in bloom--scale

A playbook for scaling impact
From working with governments to building open tools, nonprofits have found diverse ways to scale impact. A new report offers lessons from those who’ve done it.
The image is an illustration of two young people with a pile of rocks on their backs. The two people are straining under the weight as two hands are shown adding more rocks._Nonprofit humour

Young people will solve…what?
How many expectations are too many expectations.
by Anjali Mishra | 2 min read

Bite-sized stories from the people closest to the action.




A day in the life of


Frontline workers and first responders share their insights from working at the grassroots.


Women in a village standing in a group and talking_mental health stigma
From self to society: Navigating silence and stigma around mental health
A day in the life of a community health worker in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, who tackles mental health stigma through trust and support—in her own life and for the people she serves.
a teacher coach observing a class in session--government school teachers

Observing classrooms, building capacities
A day in the life of an educator, who uses a technology-enabled approach to coach government school teachers in Palghar, Maharashtra.
Women microentreprenuers sitting in an office working
Sales and sisterhood: What drives a small-scale business in Pune
A day in the lives of two women microentrepreneurs, who combine their marketing and product design skills to craft a winning formula for their social enterprise.


Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

Silhouetted birds perched on bare tree_leadership failure
Building team culture isn’t optional
A nonprofit co-founder reflects on how scaling rapidly unintentionally alienated employees, which led to cracks in organisational culture.
Aerial shot of women protestors sitting_well-being
Preparing for a marathon, not a sprint 
Dalit civil rights activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan on why failure is an opportunity to build power, how systems of oppression affect well-being, and what healing looks like for individuals and communities.
Barbed wire_nonprofits
Why don’t nonprofits talk about their failures?
A number of risks, both real and perceived, stop nonprofits from talking about failure. Here's how various stakeholders can work together to overcome them.


Conversations with visionaries on their life's work, and their efforts to challenge the status quo in our country.

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Insights and analysis of specific sectors in the development arena—what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change.

See all coverage by topic:
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Livelihoods
  • Rights
  • Water & Sanitation

  • Between care and custom: Health decision-making in families
    Care decisions are shaped by socio-economic factors and cultural practices. Health interventions must go beyond medical advice to offer meaningful support.

    Beyond welfare, towards rights
    Social sector work must move from service delivery to enabling people to claim their rights.

    Why many marginalised students can’t access scholarships
    From exclusionary processes to biases, various structural barriers prevent scholarships from reaching marginalised students. Here’s how this can change.


    Flipping the script on capacity building
    The social sector needs to challenge the notion that capacity building flows in only one direction—by acknowledging that grassroots actors also shape the learning of those who come to 'train' them.

    Removing barriers for persons with invisible disabilities  
    From exclusionary criteria to underused schemes, persons with invisible disabilities face many barriers to accessing services, entitlements, and support.

    A playbook for scaling impact
    From working with governments to building open tools, nonprofits have found diverse ways to scale impact. A new report offers lessons from those who’ve done it.

    Skills and functions that are core to growing programmes and organisations.

    See all coverage by topic:
  • Board & Governance
  • Fundraising & Communications
  • Leadership & Talent
  • Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Programme
  • Technology

  • Nonprofits need more than a programme lens
    Product thinking ensures that organisations develop tech tools keeping real users in mind. Product managers can help bridge this gap.

    What does community leadership look like? 
    Three women from Nizamuddin reflect on leading the same nonprofit that shaped their childhood, highlighting the power and challenges of community-led leadership.

    The digital wall: How caste shapes access to technology in India
    The promise of Digital India will remain unfulfilled as long as deep caste-based disparities in internet access, mobile ownership, and digital skills persist.