Funders

China Athletics Worlds

January 25, 2019

The social sector must recognise and talk about failure

With pressure to show returns on philanthropic capital, there's little room to discuss failure. In order to mitigate huge organisational and programmatic risk, a culture of admitting failure needs to be built.

by Rohini Nilekani | 3 min read

A man holding an agarbatti

November 06, 2018

How to fund capacity building well

Funding programmes without providing enough internal support to a nonprofit can be counterproductive. Knowing when and in which specific areas to support organisational development, is essential.

by Dhvani Doshi | 4 min read

shutterstock image of protests

July 27, 2018

25 powerful ways funders can support social movements

Social movements are generally focused on moving systems, structures, and institutions toward justice and equity—and funding them is imperative. A must-read for anyone who wants to financially support social movements.

by Solomé Lemma | 5 min read

Men carrying snow

June 21, 2018

Put people first; development will follow

Many funders tend to focus more on documentation and capacity building. But to be a real partner to a nonprofit you must support its people–the founder as well the staff.

by Nimesh Sumati | 4 min read

women in Dharavi programme implementation

March 14, 2018

Test and prepare before you implement

The best designed programmes sometimes falter on the ground because they skip an important stage: testing, and the preparatory work needed to get implementation right.

by Shireen Jejeebhoy | 5 min read

collage to represent organisational capacity

March 01, 2018

Why funders must invest in organisational capacity

Just as they do in their businesses, philanthropists must be willing to invest in people and processes to help build successful nonprofits.

by Amit Chandra, Archana Chandra | 4 min read

Mountain climbers Founder transition

February 08, 2018

A founder’s guide to transition

It’s not easy to hand over the reins of the organisation you’ve built and nurtured to someone else, however suitable they may be for the job. Here are some learnings from having been there and done that.

by Pooja Warier Hamilton | 6 min read

Trellis and birds drawing

February 01, 2018

Impact is not limited to big philanthropy

In the absence of an ecosystem to guide them, small and first-time givers are often unsure of when, how and how much to give. Taking that first step is important because every bit counts.

by Rati Forbes | 5 min read

Scrabble letters spelling out the word money

October 19, 2017

Fundraising 101: Four steps you can take today

Everyone knows just how hard it is to raise money. There are, however, a few key essentials that one must learn and master in order to become successful at fundraising.

by Pooja Taparia | 5 min read

A drawing of a rainbow

October 18, 2017

Finding the right funder for your nonprofit

To raise money from a funder, it is critical to understand them–their priorities, behaviour and risk-appetite. This guide provides insights on the different kinds of funders and helps you identify those best suited for your organisation.

by John-Paul Hamilton | 4 min read

Playing blocks

October 17, 2017

Mergers and acquisitions: Is the nonprofit sector ready?

While nonprofit mergers and acquisitions are not a new idea globally, there has been almost no activity on this front in India. Can M&A be used to drive greater efficiency and impact in our sector?

by Keshav Kanoria, Varad Pande, Vismit Bansal | 4 min read

Bridgespan-Funding-Leadership-Report

September 19, 2017

Why funders must support leadership development in nonprofits

The Bridgespan Group conducted a data-led study on nonprofit leadership, and its findings were sobering. This article highlights what they learned about the role of funders, networks and incentives in long-term leadership development efforts.

by Pritha Venkatachalam, Danielle Berfond | 5 min read

building blocks

August 07, 2017

A simple approach to scale

To reach scale, you need to focus on how you will do it, and who will pay for it. Kevin Starr and Laura Hattendorf of Mulago break down your options for both.

by Stanford Social Innovation Review | 2 min read

Two young government girls studying

May 25, 2017

Working smartly with the government: a funder's perspective

Since private sector funders have only a minuscule proportion of the funds and reach that governments have, they must focus on co-creating solutions that leverage the latter’s infrastructure and last mile connect.

by Paresh Parasnis | 4 min read

Banyan tree

May 22, 2017

Why don’t the best nonprofits grow?

Are large organisations the most impactful? The answer is ‘we-don’t-know’. Paul Carttar talks about why it is important to generate hard evidence to understand which programmes merit investment.

by Harvard Business Review | 2 min read

Funders Illustration Meeting Table

May 08, 2017

Theory of change – it’s for funders too!

Funders can also use a theory of change to help plan, review and evaluate their own work. This article by NPC tells you why they should.

by New Philanthropy Capital | 1 min read

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