Gaurav Patwa’s Post

A pioneering partnership aimed at significantly elevating the income of new-to-credit, small women businesses (earning net income less than INR 2,000 per month) at the last mile in rural villages by building their creditworthiness through blended finance and unlocking access to formal capital.   This CSR-compliant project approach of leveraging returnable grants as a useful primer to understand the contours of ensuring responsible credit behavior among low-income households, and to create a pathway to access formal finance is the first of its kind. It not only builds the entrepreneurial capacity of women and connects them with market partners to earn elevated incomes, but also unlocks access to formal finance to scale their businesses. The project is catalytic in nature, that is, the funds that are returned to implementing nonprofits will be rotated to the next cohorts of small women businesses. A portion of the returned funds will be used to create a first loss default guarantee, which will unlock additional capital at 3-5x financial leverage from other financing partners. #FinancialInclusion #WomenEmpowerment #SmallWomenBusinesses #InnovativeFinance #RuralDevelopment #360ONEFoundation #InclusiveGrowth #360ONE #BlendedFinance #BlendedFinance #ReturnableGrants 360 ONE Wealth 360 ONE Asset

We are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership between Frontier Markets and 360 ONE Foundation under the transformative She Leads Bharat: Udyam initiative! This pioneering initiative is set to significantly elevate the income of small women-owned businesses in rural villages who are “#NewtoCredit.” The program aims to empower these entrepreneurs by enhancing their creditworthiness through blended finance and unlocking access to formal capital. Key Highlights: * Empowerment Focus: The initiative will support 2,000 women-owned businesses in rural Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh that are new to credit, providing them with catalytic capital in the form of returnable grants. These grants are zero-interest and zero-collateral loans with only a moral obligation to repay to Saral Jeevan India Foundation (strategic partner of Frontier Markets). * Innovative Approach: The project aims to elevate these women’s monthly incomes and eventually unlock path to access formal capital to sustain and scale their businesses, by establishing their creditworthiness through transaction and repayment data using the Frontier Markets’ Meri Saheli App * Capacity Building: The project includes comprehensive support such as capacity building, handholding, and market linkages across two cycles, aiming to elevate the monthly incomes of participating women entrepreneurs. * Sustainable Impact: The funds returned to Saral Jeevan India Foundation will be reinvested into new cohorts of women-owned businesses. Additionally, a portion of the returned funds will be used to create a first-loss default guarantee, unlocking additional formal capital at 3-5x financial leverage from other partners. #WhyThisMatters: Women-owned businesses in India, though comprising 20% of all MSMEs, receive only 5% of public-sector bank financing. By addressing this gap, our initiative not only promotes financial inclusion but also fosters inclusive economic growth. Women entrepreneurs, when supported, are more likely to drive positive change in their communities by hiring locally, repaying credit, and reinvesting in their families. This partnership builds on the #SheLeadsBharatUdyam, an initiative anchored by Frontier Innovations Foundation and Frontier Markets and supported by Mastercard and Airtel Payments Bank, was launched at the #WorldEconomicForum in Davos in January 2023 as a coalition to bring together pioneers, innovators, and leaders committed to advancing women's empowerment. For more details, read the full press release here: [https://bit.ly/47eOGr6] #FinancialInclusion #WomenEmpowerment #SmallWomenBusinesses #InnovativeFinance #RuralDevelopment #FrontierMarkets #360ONEFoundation #SheLeadsBharat #InclusiveGrowth #EmpowerWomen #India 360 ONE 360 ONE Wealth Yatin Shah Anirudha Taparia Anshuman Maheshwary Anup Maheshwari Saumya Lashkari Navin Upadhyaya Ronak Sheth Anil Mascarenhas Mardav Gala Ajaita S. Amrit Mohan Gautam Malik Mehdi Rizvi Anurag Gangwar Karan Bhagat

Challenges Facing Indian Nonprofits: A Wake-Up Call 🚨 1:- 🧑🔧 Attracting Skilled Talent: Universal struggle to attract highly skilled professionals. Aside from UN agencies, it's rare to see talented individuals gravitating toward this sector. Low salaries and the work environment often play a role in this talent gap. 2:- 🤒 Weak Individual Giving Strategies: Many NGOs have underdeveloped or no strategies to engage individual donors. This leads to missed opportunities and, at times, awkward interactions with potential supporters. It’s an area that needs urgent focus. 3:- 💁 Over-reliance on CSR Funding: With 2% of corporate profits directed toward CSR by law, many nonprofits have grown dependent on these funds. One can't help but wonder—if this legal requirement didn’t exist, how many would survive? Some corporations have even started their own nonprofit arms, further narrowing the pool of available funds. 4:- 🕵️♂️ Transparency Issues: Transparency remains a significant challenge. Many organizations lack openness, making it harder for the average person to trust and engage with them. This opacity often drives individuals to support smaller, local causes, like nearby orphanages or old age homes. 5:- ☹️ Donor Management Failures: Poor donor engagement is another problem. Many nonprofits rely on the same set of donors year after year without properly acknowledging their contributions. The focus seems to be on securing funds, rather than building lasting relationships. 6:- 💲Limited Investment in Fundraiser Development: Fundraisers often go years without meaningful professional growth or compensation adjustments, leading to low morale. The lack of training and development further exacerbates the issue, making it harder to retain and attract talent. It’s high time for the Indian nonprofit sector to take a hard look in the mirror. The challenges ahead are more significant than ever, and a single policy shift could drastically impact the landscape. Nonprofits must prioritize donor engagement, transparency, and investment in people if they want to remain sustainable. Now is the moment to act, to nurture donor bases, and to invest in face-to-face engagement before it’s too late. ⏰ #KafalCanvassing #IndividualGiving #India #NGOs #WakeUpCall

From vision to impact: SurakshitU's journey empowering India's informal workforce Since its inception, SurakshitU has been driven by a simple yet powerful mission: to build financial security for India's millions of informal workers. It's been a journey filled with milestones, challenges, and above all, achievements that have changed lives. But SurakshitU's journey is far from over. We remain committed to expanding our reach, innovating new solutions, and advocating for policies that support the financial security of India's informal workforce. Join us! - Share your thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in this sector. - Support our work by volunteering, donating, or partnering with us. - Let's build a future where financial security is a reality for all, not a privilege. #SurakshitU #FinancialSecurity #InformalWorkforce #Impact #Milestones #Challenges #Achievements #India #SocialImpact #JoinTheMovement

LET US OWN THIS CHANGE TOGETHER FOR LONG TERM GROWTH OF NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISES It was a proud moment for me to be invited yesterday in the listing ceremony of five more social projects worth about 8 crore Rupees raised through Zero Coupon Zero Principal bonds by five Not-for-Profit Organizations (NPOs) at National Stock Exchange (NSE) to create impact in the field of education, skill development, livelihoods, agriculture and women empowerment. This is the most welcome breakthrough after the first listing of one social project at NSE in December 2023. This has been a long learning journey since 2015 when mainstreaming of Social Enterprise agenda in the Government was handled by me as Joint Secretary in the ‘National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015’ that had clearly spelled out the need for ‘fostering a social capital market place’ in para 5.9.2 of the policy. It is heart-warming that the flagship announcement made by Hon Finance Minister in 2019 to take capital markets closer to the masses and meet various social welfare objectives related to inclusive growth and financial inclusion has in fact turned into a reality now.     Civil Society Organisations do great work on the ground to serve the humanity but mostly find it difficult to create this narrative effectively in the social marketplace which is very essential for mobilising resources for their growth. It is amazing to see now how social marketplace is emerging in India like the capital marketplace through this regulated platform symbolising the mark of trust and transparency to establish social marketability of NPOs that could help them grow by leaps and bounds to serve the humanity. There is no denying of the fact that this instrument will get more traction in philanthropic transactions in the coming years.   The six NPOs who got listed, so far, have proven their mettle that they can be as efficient as corporates to deal with the instruments and processes which a regulated marketplace demands. They have pioneered in creating the changed narrative of NPOs which the world can see.   Thus, although the process seems to be hard at first for many NPOs who are trying to get registered and listed, I urge the NPO fraternity to come forward and own this platform for your long-term growth. #socialimpact #msde #socialenterprise #sebi #civilsociety #nseindia #impacteconomy #bseindia #socialstockexchange #bioeconomy #nonprofitleadership

Humanity's soul is shining brightly at the Indian Fundraising Congress yesterday and today. What an inspirational event. I'm so proud to be represent Plai - Purpose led AI at the Indian Fundraising Congress yesterday and today. The conversations and insights into the world of fundraising have been really interesting and enlightening. A window into a country I am visiting for the first time ever. The session I am running on AI in fundraising, and the conversations I've had, are just as interesting and enlightening. Radha Friedman started the day by talking about burnout in the sector and with this wonderful line: ”We are the sector where humanity’s soul shines most brightly”. In this context, engaging in AI is both an opportunity for the sector – and something the world needs us to do. Because I believe the change that AI will bring is an opportunity for social impact organisations of every size to reset their cultures, mindsets and ways of working to value the human, their experience and the value they bring. And I believe that we need social impact organisations all across the world engaged in AI. Only with them can we keep humanity's soul shining brightly, even as we adjust to a world where humans and AI work together. Thanks to Kaz McGrath, The Resource Alliance and ILSS - India Leaders for Social Sector for the opportunity to come to Delhi and meet such inspiring people.

Today, I attended a dynamic panel discussion hosted by the India Partner Network, where three remarkable NGOs, Anudip Foundation, OSCAR Foundation, and Sabuj Sangha shared their inspiring success stories. Here's a snapshot of my 5 key takeaways on effective fundraising strategy from the session. 1. Strategic Donor Outreach - Working out comprehensive measurable impact metrics for pitching and utilizing networking tools is vital. 2. Building Internal Capacity - A dedicated fundraising team, regular SWOT analysis, refined HR processes, and long-term planning (e.g., a 5-year plan) are crucial for strengthening an NGO's internal capacity.  3. Engaging and Retaining Donors - Regular engagements, such as meeting donors and inviting them to see the work firsthand, significantly boost donor retention. 4. Role of Volunteers and Technology - Volunteers play a vital role in fundraising and operational support, along with networking being pivotal to fundraising. Employing technologies for project and donor management ensures smooth operations. 5. Networking and Partnerships - Active participation in networking events is crucial and helps in identifying potential collaborators. Feeling inspired and motivated to apply these insights in my work. Kudos to all the panelists for sharing their expertise and experiences! Anudip Foundation Sabuj Sangha OSCAR Foundation Share insights on what your thoughts are on an effective fundraising approach. Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE) #ngo #fundraising Gautam Lahiri Sumathy Krishnan

The economic contribution of Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) in India has been on the rise - growing from 1.41% of GDP in 2008-09 to 1.94% in 2019-20 and expected to reach 2% of GDP by 2022-23! Want to dive deeper into the impact and insights of the NPO sector? Click the link below to read the Million Missions Report and discover how these organizations are shaping the future! https://lnkd.in/ge7-Cdfz #NPOImpact #EconomicGrowth #SocialChange #India2024 #NGO

A Journey of capacity building with Tara Atma Nirbhar Grant Swanand Jankalyan Pratishthan a Pune-based NGO dedicated to societal equality, underwent a transformative journey through the TaRa Atma Nirbhar Grant in collaboration with Tarachand Ramnath Seva Trust (TRST). This innovative grant not only provided financial support but focused on building enduring organisational capabilities within NGOs. Before joining the grant, Swanand Jankalyan operated more on instinct than a systematic approach. Recognising the need for structured processes, they sought support to understand crucial organisational requirements. Despite an eight-year tenure, the lack of streamlined processes hindered efficiency, prompting them to apply for the grant. They realised that without proper systems, the desired impact would take longer to materialise. Participating in the grant addressed key organisational needs. Swanand Jankalyan concentrated on enhancing Monitoring and Evaluation systems, fundraising strategies, human resource management, and marketing efforts. Through workshops and high-touch projects, they acquired essential knowledge in creating logic models, data collection, donor engagement, team performance measurement, and effective communication for fundraising. The experience brought significant changes to the organisation's mindset. The leader noted, "The amount I have learned in the last couple of months through the grant, I haven't been able to learn through the 7-8 years of my career." This shift in perspective has emphasized the importance of continuous learning for progress. Looking ahead, Swanand Jankalyan is committed to implementing the acquired knowledge and skills within their organisation. They have already improved Monitoring and Evaluation processes, achieved fundraising success by meeting 75-90% of this year's funding target, and adopted a more strategic approach to marketing. The leader's vision for the future involves training the team based on the valuable experiences gained through the program. The grant has provided Swanand Jankalyan Pratishthan with not just financial support but, more importantly, a holistic capacity-building experience. The newfound knowledge, skills, and changed mindset are now integral components shaping the NGO's trajectory towards greater impact and growth. #TaRaAtmaNirbhargrant #capacitybuilding #ngos #ngo Vernon Dsouza Shreya Nagda Aishwarya Menon Vaishali Janarthanan