"Empowering Change: Reflections on 4 Years of 1NGO Trust and the Digital Revolution in India's Social Sector"

April 22, 2024, 2:05 p.m.

MESSAGE FROM PRIYA KARNIK - FOUNDER MEMBER , 1NGO It gives me immense pleasure to share my thoughts on the occasion of 4 years of 1NGO Trust. At 1NGO, we are building the digital infrastructure for the social sector in India. Matching qualified NGOs with donor needs is inefficient, hindering effective social impact. Donors struggle to find NGOs capable of executing complex projects, especially beyond well-trodden areas. Aspirational districts receive 2% of the CSR funds [Report by India Data Insights - Sattva Consulting Initiative]. While India is home to so called 3 million NGOs - most NGOs lack the capacity and transparency to meet rigorous donor standards. The combination leads to inefficient capital deployment and inequitable distribution of resources that will only continue to worsen. While NGO capacity building is a well-established domain, the sheer demand often outpaces traditional approaches. At 1NGO, we tackle capacity building through scalable technology solutions, focusing on specific, high-impact areas. This creates a strong foundation for NGOs, preparing them to participate in broader capacity-building initiatives. When Gururaj Potnis and I started 1NGO as a not for profit in 2020 we had no idea that it would grow to having 1200 NGOs on the platform. In the past 4 years we have amplified voices for the NGOs by creating websites for 1200 NGOs, social media profiles for 500 NGOs and conducting over 270 literacy sessions across 4000 NGO participants. Building upon our success in digital discoverability, we have identified two new areas where technology can accelerate capacity building for NGOs: 1. Credibility at Scale: We will be working on an audit system to enhance transparency and trust in NGOs, attracting more resources and partnerships. We want to audit 500 NGOs in the next 3 years 2. Seamless Donor Connections: We will be working on enhancing the capacity of 100 audited NGOs to communicate their stories in a compelling and impactful manner to the donors. We acknowledge this journey requires bold transformation. The urgency to build robust NGO capacity mechanisms is imperative. The Dhwani Foundation has been our strong supporter since our inception. We need more partners for this journey. If you are interested in contributing or supporting us please write to us at priya@1ngo.in or gururaj@1ngo.in. Together, we can achieve something significantly meaningful for this sector. Visit https://1ngo.in/ to know more