Deval Sanghavi & Neera Nundy BANKING ON NGOS

The co-founders on how they came up with the idea for Dasra, an 'NGO for other NGOs', why they started working with big donors, and the evolution of the NGO sector over two decades

- Arun Janardhan

When Deval Sanghavi and Neera Nundy first began thinking of starting a non-governmental organisation (NGO) focused on strategic philanthropy in India in the late 1990s, they made a little pitch-book and went to Morgan Stanley, their then employer in New York, to raise money.

"I think the original target (to raise) was $10,000 (around 8.3 lakh now). When we met the CEO of Morgan Stanley at the time, he gave us a $10,000 cheque and said, 'Now what's your goal?"" says Sanghavi, laughing.

Dasra, an "NGO for other NGOs", is now almost 25 years old. Starting off with the mission of supporting non-profits in their growth so that they could scale impact, Dasra, registered as Impact Foundation India, helps NGOs create three- to five-year plans, besides assisting them with financial management, recruitment, strategy, scale, impact, and assessment. There are a few other non-profits in India with similar goals, like Atma (for education), GuideStar and Arthan, and they form a valuable bulwark for philanthropy and the social sector in India.

In its first decade, Dasra worked solely with non-profits, hand-holding them through their evolution. Subsequently, it began pitching to, and working with, donors, including funds earmarked by companies under corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives as well as personal wealth, advising companies and individuals on how and where to invest. Currently, their partner organisations form a diverse list of companies and non-profits from across the , such as Bain & Co., BMW Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Omidyar Network, Tata Trusts, and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives.