Fundraising is the art and science of turning good intentions into actual impact! Throughout my career I have been raising funds for social impact, for causes of basic necessities like food, water, shelter, livelihood to a green economy, bridges over rivers to even a roller coaster in a developed country. I have been actively involved in raising funds for these causes from as small as $10 up to $50 million from a variety of sources and instruments. As the Head of Development at a nonprofit organization for social impact projects in India, I’ve navigated the corridors of CSR leaderships and foundation offices, and let me tell you, it’s not always smooth sailing. Often, it feels like trying to surf a tsunami with a paper boat!
Corporate Social Responsibility isn’t just a box to tick. It’s a strategic dance between business goals, stakeholder expectations, and social impact. With so many initiatives competing for attention, securing a dedicated slice of the CSR pie often feels like requesting a moment on a crowded stage, and convincing the audience that your act is worth their applause.
Foundations receive hundreds of pitches, each expecting to win the golden ticket. Getting noticed requires more than a well-crafted proposal; it demands storytelling that resonates and relationships that endure. Sometimes, it’s less about what you say and more about how you say it, and how quickly you can make a compelling case before the next shiny pitch distracts them.
Donors want results, but impact is often a marathon, not a sprint. Managing expectations without being over promising is an art. We’ve all faced the uncomfortable moment of explaining why a project’s full fruits may take years to ripen, a diplomatic tightrope walk that can test even the most seasoned fundraiser.
India’s complex regulatory landscape can feel like a labyrinth where one wrong turn can lead to delays or disapprovals. Keeping up with FCRA regulations, tax exemptions, and reporting requirements is a full-time job, and sometimes, it’s like speaking a different language altogether. Ironically, securing funds for a project often means fundraising itself. Resource constraints can limit outreach and follow-up, turning what should be a strategic focus into a haphazard firefight.
A mix of storytelling, patience, relationship-building, and a dash of humour helps. When engaging with CSR and foundations, understanding their priorities, aligning your mission with their vision, and communicating impact clearly can turn challenges into opportunities.
To my fellow fundraisers who are navigating this maze: keep your spirits high, your pitches sharper, and remember, every “no” is just a “yes” in disguise waiting to happen!
Let’s keep the conversation going. Share your stories or tips below, because in the game of social impact, we’re all in this together.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of any organization, foundation, CSR, non-profit or others.
Bihar has a rich historical and cultural heritage and is one of the most populous states in India, with a population exceeding 13 crores[i] and a predominantly rural population. The state faces several challenges in digital literacy, access to technology, digital inclusion, economic development, and equitable growth. However, recent initiatives in e-governance, education, and entrepreneurship hold much promise and potential for contributing towards India’s vision of a digitally empowered society.
Digital literacy remains a significant challenge, with rates below 30% (national average 38% for household digital literacy[ii]), as reported by Ideas for India[iii]. Bihar’s low digital literacy follows its socio-economic conditions, including high poverty rates[iv] (33.76% below the poverty line and 51.91% multidimensional poverty as of 2021) and limited access to digital devices. Rural areas, which hold 75% of the state’s population face challenges due to inadequate infrastructure and low literacy levels. The state’s overall literacy rate, as per 2017 data, stands at 70.9%[v], with rural areas at 69.5% and urban areas at 83.1%. Female literacy, at 60.5%, is significantly lower than male literacy at 79.7%, further complicating efforts to bridge the digital divide.
The digital divide in Bihar is a significant barrier to inclusive development. According to the India Inequality Report 2022 by Oxfam India[vi], Bihar has the lowest internet penetration among Indian states and a wide urban-rural digital divide, with only 31% of rural residents using the internet compared to 67% in urban areas. This rural-urban divide is further worsened by socio-economic disparities.
Internet Penetration: Bihar ranks among the states with the lowest internet penetration in India. The rural-urban divide is stark — while urban centers like Patna are better connected, most rural areas still suffer from slow or no internet access.
Device Access: Among the poorest 20% of households, only 2.7% have access to a computer, and 8.9% have internet facilities.
Gender Gap: Women are 15% less likely to own a mobile phone and 33% less likely to use mobile internet, with India having the widest gender gap in the Asia-Pacific at 40.4%. In many households, men have primary access to mobile devices and internet usage. Women, especially in conservative or low-income families, are often excluded from digital usage.
Electricity Issues: Frequent power cuts and unreliable electricity supply further hinder the consistent use of digital devices in rural areas.
Language Barriers: Most digital content is in English or Hindi, which becomes a constraint for people who speak regional dialects such as Bhojpuri, Maithili, or Magahi.
The digital divide affects important sectors like education, healthcare, and finance. For example, in 2017-18 only 9% of students enrolled had access to a computer with internet for education[vii]. Initiatives like BharatNet, aimed at providing rural connectivity, have been unable to deliver effective outcomes. Bihar is one of the focus states for the Digital India Programme, but execution lags due to infrastructural challenges.
In recent years, Bihar has made significant strides in leveraging digital services in improving governance and public service delivery. The National Informatics Center (NIC) Bihar State Centre, established in 1988, plays a central role in this transformation (https://bihar.nic.in/). It supports departments such as revenue, district administration, rural development, finance, agriculture, employment, election, social welfare, and food and civil supplies with IT solutions. The ServicePlus portal is a key platform, offering services like certificate issuance and case status checks, though rural access remains a hurdle, particularly for marginalized communities, requiring better infrastructure and awareness. These barriers require continued investment in training and infrastructure to ensure widespread digital literacy. Common Service Centres (CSCs) and Vasudha Kendra are crucial for providing government and private services to rural and remote areas in Bihar, enhancing digital inclusion and accessibility. However, they are not enough to cater to the growing needs of the rural population. People travel to block towns and larger villages, to access even basic G2C services, indicating the lack of any nearby facility.
For bridging the digital divide, a digital entrepreneurship program in 500 villages from five districts, viz., Darbhanga, Samastipur, Patna, Nalanda, and Gaya was launched in 2023. Bihar is witnessing a transformative wave of service accessibility led by women digital entrepreneurs. These trailblazing women are not only redefining the entrepreneurial landscape but also catalyzing inclusive development across the state. This initiative provides capacity building and mentoring in digital skills, customer service, entrepreneurship development, financial support and resources, and digital tools to women from socially and economically disadvantaged communities, helping them become successful rural digital entrepreneurs and build a Digital Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. This holistic approach equips them to offer essential digital services in their communities, such as facilitating access to government schemes, online education, and digital financial services. From being computer illiterate to providing a host of over 70+ digital services, these digital entrepreneurs have come a long way only within 9 months of their venture-start in their villages. Some of their services include a large suite of G2C services, design & printing services, online form filling, Banking services, and Mobile payments, among several others. They have also been cross-selling and diversified in selling non-digital products. In this short period, they have already served over 250,000 rural customers (around 40% female customers), and is expected that as their businesses mature, they will be providing digital services to over 7.5 lakh population. Apart from making digital services easily accessible at the village level, they are generating income and securing their futures, with some of them steadily earning upwards of INR25,000 monthly. This program is not only bridging the digital divide but also promoting economic security and social equity, local inclusive economic development, gender equality, awareness, and opening opportunities for skills development.
While government efforts are underway, a coordinated approach involving public-private partnerships, local community engagement, and targeted digital inclusion programs is essential. Programs like these need to be scaled up across the state covering the entire 8,387 Gram Panchayats for bridging the digital divide and contributing significantly to Bihar’s and India’s digital economy.
Across India’s villages, a quieter and powerful transformation is unfolding, led by women entrepreneurs building microenterprises that are changing not just their lives but also contributing towards local prosperity.
In rural India, microenterprises (and many a time, even termed as nanoenterprises) are typically small-scale and often home-based ventures. These include tailoring shops, grocery stores, food processing units, poultry farms, handloom or handicraft businesses, among many others. They usually operate with minimal capital, often under INR 1 lakh, and rely on family support systems. While these businesses may appear modest on the surface, they’re laying the foundation for grassroots economic resilience and social transformation.
When a woman in a village starts a business, she’s not just earning an income, she’s stepping into a position of agency. She becomes a decision-maker, a provider, and importantly, a role model.
In Jharkhand, Shashi, a determined and resilient woman, has become a role model of empowerment in her village of Kura. With knowledge, financial and device support, she started her Digital Business, which became a hub of convenience and accessibility for people in her village and neighbouring villages. Her journey as a digital entrepreneur empowered her and gave her the agency to make a meaningful contribution to her community. Today, she’s also a Mukhiya (village head) and fondly known as “Digital Mukhiya”, continuing to be the voice of women’s empowerment.
Microenterprises help address the rural employment gap, especially for women who often can’t migrate or work outside the home due to social norms and family responsibilities. These businesses absorb local labour, retain economic value in the village, and reduce dependence on urban employment.
In Assam, Mintai’s Jacquard Handloom Weaving business now employs 3-4 local women who were previously unemployed. They earn and save, and for the first time, imagine futures that include good education for their children or owning a business.
This kind of bottom-up economic activity contributes to local economic resilience, the ability of communities to survive and thrive even during external shocks. The social impact generated by women entrepreneurs is profound. This often translates into higher educational aspirations for children, especially girls staying and completing their school education; increased income leading to better nutrition, access to healthcare and sanitation leading to improved health outcomes; acceptance and shift in gender norms; and financial independence gives women negotiating power within households leading to lower rates of domestic violence.
Despite their success, rural women entrepreneurs continue to face systemic challenges like, (a) collateral requirements and credit histories disqualify many from accessing formal loans, (b) getting products to larger and fairer markets remains a logistical challenge, (c) stifling social norms due to resistance from family or community, (d) accessing business education to develop ‘aptitude’ matching their entrepreneurial ‘attitude’, and ( e) digital divide due to limited access to smartphones and digital tools. While schemes like Stand-Up India and MUDRA loans have made progress, implementation gaps persist.
Rural women’s microenterprises are not side projects. They are economic engines, social change-makers, and community stabilizers. When one woman is empowered to start a business, a ripple begins, touching families, uplifting communities, and reshaping rural India from the ground up.
If you’re a policymaker, social investor, donor, or even just a storyteller, your support can help expand that ripple into a wave and finally a movement of economic security and resilience.
In last 2-3 years, I have been part of several discussions to define and build a consensus on understanding of urban marginalised and vulnerable population (UMVP) in the context of India, and how this population group has been evolving and growing in numbers. India’s rapid urbanization over the past few decades has transformed its cities into economic powerhouses contributing 60% of India’s GDP. While in 2023 around 37% of India’s population lived in urban areas, it is estimated that by 2036, half of India’s population will live in cities. However, this growth has also led to the marginalization of a significant portion of the population. Cities Alliance estimated that 25% of the population living in urban areas are below the poverty line. By this estimate, a shocking 125+ million people are marginalised and vulnerable living in the urban areas. The urban marginalized and vulnerable groups comprising of slum dwellers, informal workers, migrant labourers, women, children, and the homeless face numerous challenges like access to basic citizens’ rights, services, and opportunities. As India continues its urban transition, addressing the vulnerabilities of these populations is critical to achieving inclusive development.
The UMVPs live in precarious conditions, often lacking access to basic services like clean water, housing, sanitation, healthcare, and education. Their vulnerabilities are shaped by socio-economic, cultural, political, and structural factors that leave them excluded from mainstream urban life. They often lack the necessary documentation to access government schemes and services, such as ration cards, Aadhaar cards, or voter identification. This exclusion prevents them from benefiting from welfare programs like the Public Distribution System (PDS), healthcare subsidies, or housing schemes. The UMVPs can broadly be classified in five sub-groups,
Slum Dwellers: According to the 2011 Census, about 65 million people in India live in urban slums. Slums across India have poor housing, lack of sanitation, overcrowding, and a high risk of diseases, especially communicable. People living in the slums often have insecure tenure, making them vulnerable to eviction and displacement due to urban development projects. Displacement not only disrupts their livelihoods but also pushes them further into poverty. Poor living conditions contribute to health problems, including respiratory diseases (especially TB) and waterborne infections.
Homeless Population: India’s urban homeless population is particularly vulnerable, facing extreme marginalization. With no permanent shelter, the homeless are exposed to harsh weather conditions, violence, and health risks. They have limited access to government welfare schemes and often fall outside the purview of census data, making it difficult to design targeted interventions. HLRN estimates that there could be more than 3 million homeless individuals. Extreme poverty, unemployment, displacement due to natural disasters, mental illness, substance abuse, runaways, are often the causes of homelessness, and their numbers are continuously increasing in urban India.
Informal Workers: The informal sector accounts for nearly 80% of India’s urban workforce. This includes daily wage labourers, street vendors, domestic workers, and construction workers, among others. Informal workers lack job security, social protection, and access to formal financial systems, leaving them vulnerable to economic shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the extreme vulnerability of informal workers, who faced sudden job losses and had low-to-no access to financial aid. Informal workers often are slum dwellers, or live in low income housing colonies, or are even homeless.
Migrant Laborers: Migration to cities in search of employment and better life is common in India. However, migrant labourers, often from rural areas both intra- and inter-state, face significant challenges in urban settings. They often find employment in low-paying jobs with little to no benefits, live in temporary or inadequate housing, and struggle to access public services due to a lack of local identification documents. Temporary migratory population is also a sub-set of this group, who come to cities for seasonal work, migrate from one place to another, also migrate within the cities in search of work. Construction workers and artisanal nomadic groups can be good examples of migratory population.
Women and Children: Women and children within urban marginalized communities living in slums or informal settlements often work in low-paid informal jobs while managing household responsibilities. They are more likely to experience gender-based violence, discrimination and exploitation, limited access to healthcare, and lack of educational/skilling opportunities. Children in these settings suffer from malnutrition, poor schooling, and limited opportunities for social mobility. They often attend poorly equipped government schools or are forced to drop out to contribute to household income.
India’s urban marginalized and vulnerable populations represent a significant and often overlooked segment of society. Ensuring their inclusion in the country’s urban development is essential for sustainable and equitable growth, while bestowing opportunity and dignity for all citizens as their Right.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of any organization, foundation, CSR, non-profit or others
Genre: War/Action | Year: 2014 | Duration: 138 mins | Director: Angelina Jolie | Medium: DVD | Trailer: HERE | Language: English | My rating: 5/5
Favorite Dialogue:“A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.”
Unbroken is based on an inspiring true story of Louis Zamperini, a World War II bombardier, and an Olympic athlete whose remarkable life story is chronicled in Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (2010). The film is a powerful tale of human spirit and forgiveness.
The story follows Zamperini (Jack O’Connell), who survives a plane crash in the Pacific Ocean, captured by the Japanese navy and endure years of brutal treatment in prison camps. The film spans Louis’s early life, childhood and his troubled youth, athletic achievements, and his experiences during the war, first as a Bombardier and then as a POW.
Jack O’Connell delivers a compelling performance, capturing both the vulnerability and strength of Zamperini as he faces unimaginable hardships. The supporting cast, including Domhnall Gleeson as fellow soldier Phil, and Takamasa Ishihara as the sadistic camp commander “The Bird,” contribute significantly to the film’s emotional weight.
Angelina Jolie’s direction is visually stunning, emphasizing the stark contrast between the beauty of nature and the brutality of war. The cinematography portrays the vastness of the ocean and the starkness of the prison camps, effectively immersing the audience in Zamperini’s harrowing journey, combined with Alexandre Desplat’s evocative score.
“Unbroken” excels in showcasing the inspiring and intensity of Zamperini’s ordeal, making it a powerful portrayal of the strength of the human spirit. However, the film differs from the original book in balance. While the book is more focused on his post-war journey of forgiveness and healing, the film focuses more on his suffering.
Overall, Unbroken is a visually compelling and emotionally charged film that pays homage to Louis Zamperini’s extraordinary life, and is certainly a must watch. For me, the DVD of this film is a collectible too.
