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About Us

What We Do

At ILSS, we aim to build the leadership talent and capacity that India’s social sector needs in order to create catalytic impact at scale.

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Leadership & Capacity Development

We enable leaders from various sectors—such as corporates, defence forces and government services — to help make a meaningful contribution to the social sector. We also offer capacity building opportunities specifically tailored to the needs of social sector professionals. ILSS endeavours to build critical skills that will allow us as a sector to create innovative and sustainable solutions for greater impact, at scale.

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Network Building

ILSS aims to be a hub within the social sector for forming connections and building lasting relationships. Our network of alumni, from both the Leadership and Fundraising Programs, share resources of information and opportunity - an ever-growing web of support and learning. As a bridge between sector professionals, corporates, and domain experts, ILSS is committed to strengthening the spirit of connection and collaboration in India’s development sphere.

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Knowledge Creation

Through facilitating our programs, initiating research, and hosting expert perspectives, ILSS is continuously building repositories of information regarding the work and landscape of India’s development sector. Our aim is to foster a more informed environment by increasing visibility and access to information and voices within the sector.

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The World of ILSS

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Our Founding Story

India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) was set up in September 2017 with the aim of creating a learning and leadership development organisation that will help build leadership capacity for India’s social sector.

The growing complexity of problems faced by India on the development front underlines the need for organisations to devise innovative, sustainable, efficient, and scalable solutions; it has also renewed the focus on the importance of developing skills to oversee the implementation of these solutions and to plan for future challenges.

Incubated by Central Square Foundation, with ISDM as knowledge partner, ILSS held the first edition of its flagship The ILSS Leadership Program in January 2018 to offer senior leaders from diverse backgrounds a deeper understanding of the social sector – and how they can help in achieving India’s development goals. The Program also serves as a learning platform for leaders in the social sector by offering opportunities to gain multiple perspectives, tune into emerging discussions in development leadership, and update their knowledge.

After successfully running The ILSS Leadership Program for two years, we launched The ILSS Fundraising Program in 2020. As a response to the resounding desire for building fundraising capacities in the development sector, The ILSS Fundraising Program was designed specifically for social sector leaders and fundraising professionals.

ILSS aimed to design and introduce more capacity-building programs tailored to the unique needs of the social sector. In 2022, we introduced three strategic programs to actively empower the social sector workforce. The ILSS Board Leadership Program was introduced as a bridge between social purpose organisations and experienced corporate talent, empowering them to enhance their knowledge and skills to join nonprofit boards and make a difference through informed leadership. The ILSS People Practices Program aims to equip social sector leaders with essential skills to attract, engage, grow, and retain the right talent, enabling organisations to achieve their mission more effectively. The ILSS Emerging Women Leadership Program, designed specifically for women leaders in mid-to-senior level positions, provides the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to advance their leadership journey and create a lasting impact in the sector.

In 2023, we introduced The ILSS Board Governance Program, which equips SPOs with the skills and tools needed to establish or strengthen existing boards. It offers participants practical insights, tools, and specific practices they can apply to set up and leverage their boards effectively.

In 2024, we introduced two new programs tailored to meet the evolving needs of the social sector. The ILSS Digital Transformation for Social Impact Program guides social sector organisations through their digital transformation journey. It provides them with a comprehensive understanding of the possibilities within digital transformation, industry best practices, and expert mentorship to craft and execute their digital strategies. The ILSS Young Leaders Program is designed to address the increasing demand for skilled young leaders in the rapidly growing social sector. It equips young corporate professionals with the knowledge, skills and mindset necessary to make meaningful contributions, enabling them to play a pivotal role in driving social impact.

With organisational partners ranging from social sector organisations, social enterprises, consultancies, academic institutions, to foundations, our Programs highlight our commitment to strengthen and advocate for the social sector, ultimately multiplying impact on the ground.

Our Programs