This international non-profit organisation is based on the principles of compassion and altruism, drawing inspiration from Tibetan Buddhist values. To date, the organisation has impacted 650,000+ beneficiaries in the Eastern part of India via its focus on humanitarian projects with an emphasis on health & hygiene, early childhood education, environment, food security and economic development.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STRATEGY ENGAGEMENT
The organisation wanted to look back at the evolution of their programs in India and consolidate their way forward. Through this engagement, it sought to determine the strategic direction it should take to achieve sustainable growth and expansion in India. Their aim was to align their broader vision with a targeted approach, partnering with Sattva to create an India Positioning Strategy.
Another key priority was diversifying their funding portfolio and attracting local donors to drive growth. To support this, they also engaged Sattva to design a Fundraising Strategy tailored to the Indian context.
OUR APPROACH
Sattva structured the strategy exercise into 3 distinct phases over a nine-week period.
In Phase 1, we concentrated on gaining a comprehensive understanding of the organisation’s institutional capabilities and impact aspirations through document reviews and consultations. This involved conducting board meetings, field visits, peer analysis, and defining specific objectives for the workshop planned for Phase 2.
In Phase 2, we conducted two one-day workshops—one focused on the India Positioning Strategy and the other on the Fundraising Strategy.
On Day 1, we:
- Assessed the organisation’s strengths and potential areas for improvement in terms of funding readiness and India positioning.
- Explored critical questions, such as defining the key problem the organisation aims to solve, identifying its primary stakeholder, and determining its main impact anchor.
- Benchmarked the organisation against peer NGOs in the sector to gauge its relative standing.
- Conducted a comparative analysis of programmatic and fundraising efforts across four peer organisations, selected from a pool of 46.
- Provided an external perspective on the fundraising landscape in India, along with best practices for donor engagement.
- Introduced a customised fundraising dashboard for the organisation.
On Day 2, we:
- Offered an overview of the funding landscape in India, with a focus on UHNI and CSR funding opportunities.
- Recommended additional funding types, such as match funding and collaborative funding, relevant to the organisation.
- Addressed key questions, including how the organisation can tailor its program offerings to align with donor expectations, and identified critical success factors for a multi-channel fundraising approach to help develop a strong fundraising strategy.
- Conducted a walkthrough of the fundraising strategy dashboard.
In Phase 3, we collated insights from the 2-day workshop and recommended key next steps to the organisation for the way forward.
BENEFICIARY PROFILE
The organisation serves 700+ villages in the eastern states of India and hosts a team strength of 250+ staff members and volunteers to improve the overall quality of life of the underprivileged people in these geographies.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
- Documented key insights, discussion points from the workshop, including action points for next steps to flesh out the India positioning and Fundraising Strategy.
- Provided a customised fundraising dashboard for the organisation.
IMPACT
- Streamlined interventions under four key heads and identified 2 flagship programs aligned with MDPI based on metrics including the organisation’s experience, funder interest, community adoption, impact and scalability.
- Developed an overall organisational Theory of Change for a clear vision and mission.
- Inducted a key suggested member onto their India Board of Directors.
- Assisted with the organisation’s legal registration process.
