Give Grants

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗼𝗧 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 The future of farming is here, and it's digital! IoT in precision agriculture promises: ✅ Higher yields and profitability for smallholder farmers ✅ Reduced environmental impact through precise resource use ✅ New jobs in agri-allied sectors India's agri sector faces challenges like low productivity, soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate change. But IoT offers solutions, presenting a unique opportunity for CSR practitioners to make a real impact through tech, in alignment with government initiatives. Read the next byte in our 𝘽𝙮𝙩𝙚𝙨: 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙎𝙍 series for a deeper dive into how IoT is transforming agriculture in India and how you can get involved. Link to the detailed article in comments. #Agritech #IoT #PrecisionAgriculture #CSR #SustainableFarming #ClimateAction #Productivity #Agriculture #CorporateSocialResponsibility Sumit Tayal | Saurabh Adeeb | Girija Tulpule | Tejashree Thatte | Stuti Sinha | Somedutta Chatterjee | Elizabeth Mathew | atul satija

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗥 The Union Budget 2024-25 introduced the Internship Scheme that aims to provide internship opportunities to 1 crore youth over a span of 5 years, partnering with 500 top companies in India. Importantly, the scheme has some implications on CSR for the top 500 companies. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲 • Interns to receive monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 and one-time assistance of Rs 6,000 • Internship duration of 12 months, providing exposure to real-life business environments, various professions, and employment opportunities • Companies must provide actual working experience related to their operations, with at least 50% of the internship time spent in a real working environment rather than a classroom setting • Companies unable to provide direct working experience must collaborate with suppliers, customers or other companies/institutions, whether within the same corporate group or otherwise • Participation of companies in the scheme is voluntary 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗦𝗥 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 • Total annual allowance per intern is Rs 60,000; govt covers Rs 54,000 (excluding Rs 6,000 one-time assistance) and companies cover Rs 6,000 from CSR funds • Companies bear training costs using CSR funds, including expenses for trainers, materials, equipment, office space, and other direct training expenses • Reasonable administrative expenses for training can also be counted as CSR expenditure 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀? • Internships can be aligned with business goals and CSR agenda  • Allow companies additional time to evaluate and recruit staff • Contribute to creating a skilled workforce ready for real-world jobs Tejashree Thatte | Prateek Bhandula | Pavithra Jatin (She/Her) | Ashutosh Sharma (Volunteering Guy) | Swati Agarwal | Swati Shahi | Shalini Kotiya | Debesh Daulat Mohanty | Sayantani Satpathi | Latika Chopra #UnionBudget #InternshipScheme #CSR #CorporateSocialResponsibility #ViksitBharat #Internship #Skilling #YouthEmployment #GiveGrants

Our dus spoke India Inc report captures learnings from the last decade of #CSR and offers practitioner insights into what we can expect from the next decade. India’s top CSR leaders, who contributed to the report, highlight three key levers that will shape the future of catalytic CSR: 1. Collaboration: Strategic partnerships between corporations, NGOs, government bodies, and local communities 2. Innovation: Prototyping and investing in innovative solutions for scalable and impactful CSR initiatives 3. Ecosystem & capability building: Investing in sectoral ecosystems and enhancing stakeholder capabilities (CSR & NGOs) crucial for long-term success Catalytic CSR goes beyond traditional philanthropy - it's about creating systemic change through strategic, high-impact initiatives. How can your organization leverage these levers to drive transformative social impact in the next decade? #CorporateSocialResponsibility #CatalyticCSR #dusspokeindiainc #CSRInsights #GiveGrants #SocialImpact #CSRAdvisory

Give Grants, represented by our CEO Sumit Tayal, was honored to be a part of the panel on 'Unlocking Funding for Systemic Impact' alongside Srikanth Viswanathan (CEO, Janaagraha), Shruti Shibulal (CEO, Tamara Leisure Experiences Pvt. Ltd.), Murugan Vasudevan (CEO, Veddis Foundation), and moderated by Praveen Khanghta (Head, Strategy and Investment, The Convergence Foundation). System change needs consistent long-term funding. HNIs and foundations have traditionally funded such organizations with flexible, high-trust capital. CSR has been a fringe participant, but if such efforts need to multiply manifold, then CSR needs to be at the table too. Meeting CSR's needs halfway is critical to getting this ball rolling. Also, a big shout out to The Convergence Foundation and India Impact Sherpas on the wonderful compendium of pioneers in systems change in India. Link to their Systemic Impact Exemplars report featuring 20 of India’s leading System Support Organisations is in the comments. #SystemChange #CorporateSocialResponsibility #CSR #GiveGrants

Meet Aditya Singh, a leader in our engineering team that works on technology solutions for the CSR ecosystem. He supports the Give Grants platform which is used by CSR leaders and practitioners for grant management and M&E of their CSR portfolios. Aditya graduated from National Institute of Technology Arunachal Pradesh, and was soon intrigued by the confluence of technology & social impact. One of his biggest takeaways as an engineer working in the social sector is building empathy as a personal value. His journey has taught him to empathize deeply with NGOs and those involved in driving social change. Read on to learn more about Aditya. #FacesOfGiveGrants is a series where we spotlight the incredible team members who drive our mission forward. #TeamSpotlight #TechForGood #CorporateSocialResponsibility #GiveGrants #SocialImpact

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗡𝗥 𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝟯𝟬%? Our 2nd byte in the "𝗕𝘆𝘁𝗲𝘀: 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗥" series showcases the disproportionate impact of prescription spectacles. Explore how 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀, significantly reduces the economic burden of uncorrected vision, and offers an opportunity to improve productivity and income, enhancing quality of life. Link to the full note in the comments (reading time: 4 min). atul satija | Sumit Tayal | Saurabh Adeeb | Somedutta Chatterjee | Elizabeth Mathew | Girija Tulpule | Tejashree Thatte | Sayantani Satpathi | Stuti Sinha #BytesByGiveGrants #SocialImpact #VisionCorrection #CSR #CorporateSocialResponsibility #Spectacles #PrescriptionGlasses #VisionImpairment #RandomizedControlledTrial #Healthcare #Livelihood

Education accounts for ~25% of the total CSR spend in India, with around 10,000 companies implementing educational projects annually (as per MCA). Education is also a national priority for the government. CSR in education is therefore aligned with government objectives, and is the intervention area of choice for many companies. However, CSR initiatives in education need to go beyond the short-term outputs, and consider several key factors to ensure their impact and sustainability. If you are a CSR practitioner planning to fund educational programs, consider these factors during program design for more effective and lasting outcomes. #CSR #CorporateSocialResponsibility #Education #CSRStrategy #SocialImpact

Introducing Jeenal Jain, a Senior Associate in our Platform Support team. With a robust background in customer support, she ensures the smooth functioning of our platform for our CSR clients and their NGO partners. Transitioning from roles at Concentrix and Accenture, Jeenal's move to the social sector was driven by her passion to contribute to a larger cause. She believes this shift not only expanded her professional capabilities but also deepened her commitment to making a positive impact. Read on for more about Jeenal's journey in our next #FacesOfGiveGrants. #TeamSpotlight #CSR #GiveGrants

Sports is included in Schedule VII of the Company’s Act as a CSR-eligible activity. With India's diverse landscape, there are ample opportunities to promote sports and nurture athletes for international representation. However, funding gaps still exist within the sports sector. According to a report by Pacta and Sports and Society Accelerator, sports-led CSR increased at 27% CAGR from FY15 to FY21 (same as growth of CSR), but it contributed <1% of cumulative overall CSR spends in this period. 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘚𝘙 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩! Nevertheless, there are some noteworthy CSR initiatives in sports like: • JSW Steel's support for Olympic athletes • Tata Group's establishment of sports academies like the Tata Football Academy • Procter & Gamble's Shiksha Initiative promoting sports education and participation • Hindustan Zinc's Rural Sports Initiative and Zinc Football Academy Sports-led CSR funding has the power to not only promote sports and athletes, but also address broader social issues at its intersectionality (like life skills, health, gender). Read on for some ideas on how CSR can drive development through sports. #CSR #Sports #CommunityDevelopment #YouthEmpowerment #Inclusivity #GenderEquality

At a time when CSR guidelines are frequently updated, minimizing risk is more critical than ever. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by carefully selecting the right implementation partners for your CSR programs, which requires thorough due diligence (DD). 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Due diligence is crucial for ensuring that CSR initiatives are effective and aligned with a company's transparency and ethical standards. It helps identify and mitigate several risks, including: • 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Selecting partners with strong reputations protects your company’s brand and shields it from bad publicity and negative media coverage. • 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Ensuring that implementation partners meet all necessary regulatory requirements, such as registrations and filings. • 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: Verifying that partners adhere to sound financial practices, including proper accounting standards and finance processes. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗥-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗗𝗗 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 While companies typically have DD frameworks for core business operations, CSR requires a different, specialized framework to evaluate NGOs effectively. In collaboration with CSR leaders and industry experts, Give has developed a trust seal framework. NGOs are awarded one of three seals of trust - 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘻𝘦 - based on the level of due diligence checks they pass. Let us know if you’re a CSR leader looking to learn more about how our DD services can help you. #DueDiligence #CSR #RiskMitigation #CSRServices #NGODueDiligence #GiveGrants #CorporateSocialResponsibility