The Future of Indian NGOs
Why reluctance to change, not lost foreign funding, is the sector's real obstacle.
3 min read
NGOs and Nonprofits
Fundraising and sustainability for NGOs
Stable, unrestricted income comes from strategy and people, not from one more grant.
Foreign funding is not the real obstacle
Regulation, capacity and public trust all matter. The larger obstacle is reluctance to change old practices.
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Concentrated income
Two or three funders carry the budget. One decision can put a third of it at risk.
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Restricted money
Project grants pay for projects. Salaries, systems and growth go unfunded.
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Few local donors
Indian individuals give generously, but few NGOs have built the programmes to reach them.
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Thin teams
Fundraising sits with the founder, so it stops when the founder is busy.
Is this the right fit?
Who this is for
- NGO founders and CEOs seeking stable, unrestricted income
- Boards that want less dependence on a few funders
- International NGOs building support from Indian donors
Who this is not for
- Grant writing on commission
- Organisations seeking a one-time campaign only
- Fundraising that cannot be explained openly to donors
What we do
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Fundraising strategy
The right mix of income sources, with a realistic plan, budget and timeline.
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Individual giving
Programmes that build regular, unrestricted support from Indian donors.
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Institutional grants
Stronger proposals and relationships with foundations, CSR and bilateral funders.
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Donor development
Stewardship that keeps donors giving, and giving more, year after year.
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Sustainability planning
Reserves, unrestricted income and a board that owns the plan.
The three-year model
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Build
Year one: strategy, systems and the first individual-giving programme.
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Grow
Year two: scale what works and widen the donor base.
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Hand over
Year three: your team owns the programme. We step back.
Our method
Pancha Daan Chakra: the five movements of giving
Our NGO work draws on the five movements of giving from The Dharma of Giving, applied to Indian donors and Indian teams.
See the frameworkResults, without the names
Recent engagements. Clients, towns and doctors are never named.
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A disability-focused NGO, eastern Uttar Pradesh
- Problem
- Income relied on a few foreign grants. There was no fundraising plan.
- What we did
- Ran a fundraising audit. Built a strategy with products, prices and projections. Ran a two-day workshop for the whole team in April 2026. Our individual-giving team now supports them.
- Result
- New income streams have launched. Grant dependence, 98% at the audit, is on track to fall to 50%.
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An international healthcare NGO building Indian donor support
- Problem
- Most income was restricted. Too few individual donors gave.
- What we did
- Ran face-to-face and telephone donor acquisition for three years. Then handed the programme to the NGO's own team.
- Result
- Over 36,000 individual donors joined, 16% of them giving monthly by auto-debit. The NGO recovered its full investment within the first year.
Free resource
Unrestricted Income Health Check
Fifteen questions for the board. See how exposed your income really is.
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Publishing March 2027
The Dharma of Giving
How ancient Indian wisdom transforms the way institutions ask, receive and inspire.
Further reading
Kuunal also leads capacity-building training for NGO teams. In 2026 he spoke at the National Level NGO Capacity Building Training in Resource Mobilisation and Organisational Sustainability, at Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi.
Sudama Didn't Go to Ask. He Went Because There Was Trust.
The relationships your institution needs most are the ones you have been meaning to tend.
4 min read
Questions
How are fees structured?
Each phase has a fixed fee, agreed in writing before work begins. Scope, duration and team size set the fee.
How long does an engagement take?
Our core model runs over three years: build, grow, hand over. An Income Health Check comes first.
Do you work with NGOs across India?
Yes. We work with NGOs across India, on site and remotely.
Will our information stay confidential?
Yes. We never name clients, and we sign a confidentiality agreement on request.
What is the first step?
Book a 30-minute call. We will suggest whether an Income Health Check fits.
Book an Income Health Check
Tell us a little about your institution. We reply within two working days.
WhatsApp +91 99106 84711