Sh*t nonprofits say: Part XIII

Oh, you follow a reimbursement policy too?

by India Development Review | 2 min read

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Philanthropy & CSR

Philanthropists must support nonprofit media platforms in India

Here’s how philanthropy can help build an alternative media ecosystem that centres community-driven narratives and publishes perspectives from the margins.

by Pratyaksha Jha, Ami Misra | 5 min read

What would it take for low-income urban housing to succeed?

Treating land as a market commodity has proven to be detrimental to urban housing for low-income groups. Could housing societies built on publicly owned land be the answer?

by Shirish B Patel | 6 min read

A roast of our (and your) leadership

My manager recently went to a leadership retreat and all I did when she was away was write this post.

by Srishti Gupta | 2 min read

Climate Emergency

SUPPORTED BY REI

Power to the people: Centring human rights in renewable energy development

The renewable energy sector can scale sustainably when local communities are prioritised. Here’s what different stakeholders can do to make it happen.

by India Development Review | 7 min read

Climate Emergency

How will Delhi’s homeless people survive future heatwaves?

Delhi’s climate policy makers can learn from their counterparts in other Indian states about centering the urban poor as they battle rising global temperatures.

by અનુજ બહેલ, Sarika Nair | 6 min read

Did you know that IDR is a free learning and media platform and we are determined to never go behind a paywall? So, if you like what you’re reading and find value in our articles, please support us by making a donation.

Ground Up

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

Freedom denied: Why workers in Pune are pushed into bonded labour

by Akash Shivaji Tanpure

Pune district, Maharashtra

photo

Who is paying the extra fee for the Vidyajyoti scheme in Tripura?

by Anupam Sharma

West Tripura district, Tripura

Water & Sanitation

photo

The missing water tanker and the absent Rohingya women

South East Delhi district, Delhi

photo

Wisdom walks: Odisha’s elders pass on traditional knowledge to the youth

by Sarat Chandra Dehury

Dhenkanal district, Odisha

A day in the life of

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

Water & Sanitation

“My life has always been intertwined with the struggle for water”

A day in the life of an activist in Mumbai, who advocates for universal water access in the face of discriminatory policies.

by Pravin Borkar | 7 min read

Ecosystem Development

Chulha to LPG: How a fieldworker is fuelling change

A day in the life of a fieldworker in Delhi, who helps marginalised communities in Bhalswa colony combat household air pollution by encouraging the use of clean cooking fuels.

by Rama | 9 min read

SUPPORTED BY HUF

A young woman’s journey from a nonprofit to a corporate

A day in the life of a sales executive in rural Uttar Pradesh who isn't deterred by the challenges she faces as the only woman in the role, and perseveres to achieve her targets.

by Pratibha Singh | 7 min read

Failure Files

Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

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.

by India Development Review | 10 min read

Leadership & Talent

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.

by Rachita Vora, Tanaya Jagtiani | 7 min read

Leadership & Talent

The road to recovery

In Part II of a conversation with Dream a Dream CEO Suchetha Bhat and co-founder Vishal Talreja learn about what it took to rebuild an organisation in crisis, and why it needed a new kind of leadership.

by India Development Review | 15 min read

IDR Interviews

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

"If we have Right to Education, Right to Information, Right to Employment, Right to Food, Forest Right Act, then why not Right to Health?"

Dr Narendra Gupta

2 min read

"There isn’t some book where it’s written what you need to do to sustain a movement. When you go among people and actually work, that is when one gets to learn, and one’s own values are determined."

8 min read

"The women’s movement cannot operate in a silo; it is an integral part of other social movements such as human rights, sexual identities and sexual orientation, people in same-sex relationship, social transformation, and against caste-based violence."

9 min read

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Sectors

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:

Water & Sanitation

Dried statice, a common gift in Nagaland-dried wildflowers

Photo essay: Women drive the dry flower business in Nagaland

Nagaland’s women entrepreneurs have turned their flower drying tradition into a sustainable source of livelihoods. However, they still struggle for government support.

by Keletsino Mejura, Thejavor Kintso | 7 min read

a piece of fabric with a colourful, geometric design--water collaboration

Ecosystem Development

SUPPORTED BY HUF

Setting the course for water collaboration

There is a clear and urgent need for partnerships between multiple stakeholders and actors to ensure water security. A few principles and approaches can make collaborative action effective.

by Anantika Singh, Rishu Garg | 4 min read

a small plant growing in dry soil--alternatives

Why we need development alternatives

Ashish Kothari, environmentalist and a founder of Kalpavriksh, highlights the importance of indigenous knowledge, collective action, and sustainable conservation as alternatives to mainstream development models.

by Saba Kohli Dave, Shreya Adhikari | 9 min read

Themes

Approaches and ideas that cut across sectors and counter the dominant narratives around us.

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Advocacy & Government

Climate Emergency

Diversity & Inclusion

Ecosystem Development

Philanthropy & CSR

Social Business

a tied-up bundle of newspapers on a bicycle carrier--nonprofit media

Philanthropy & CSR

Philanthropists must support nonprofit media platforms in India

Here’s how philanthropy can help build an alternative media ecosystem that centres community-driven narratives and publishes perspectives from the margins.

by Pratyaksha Jha, Ami Misra | 5 min read

a slum in delhi--low-income housing

What would it take for low-income urban housing to succeed?

Treating land as a market commodity has proven to be detrimental to urban housing for low-income groups. Could housing societies built on publicly owned land be the answer?

by Shirish B Patel | 6 min read

six women in saris dancing-renewable energy

Climate Emergency

SUPPORTED BY REI

Power to the people: Centring human rights in renewable energy development

The renewable energy sector can scale sustainably when local communities are prioritised. Here’s what different stakeholders can do to make it happen.

by India Development Review | 7 min read

Expertise

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

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Board & Governance

Fundraising & Communications

Leadership & Talent

Monitoring & Evaluation

Sustainable development goals logo_SDGs

Monitoring & Evaluation

Examining the state of evidence for Sustainable Development Goals

Having crossed the halfway point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, here are five key reflections on the state of evidence for all 17 SDGs.

by Zafeer Ravat, Dr Martin Bruder | 4 min read

A young girl staring up at the sky-programme

SUPPORTED BY RNP

Making social change viable for young people

A programme with a narrative that empowers and inspires young people and a design that embeds their needs within it is key to engaging today's youth.

by Srishti Gupta, રાજિકા સેઠ | 6 min read

two electricity towers standing in a field of wheat-DPI

SUPPORTED BY TECH4DEV

IDR Explains | Digital public infrastructure (DPI)

In just nine minutes and four questions, get an introduction to DPI in India—what it means, how it’s used, who governs it, and some challenges it faces.

by India Development Review | 9 min read