India Leaders for Social Sector

Leadership in the Social Sector is a Practice, Not a Position

Archana Ramachandran — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:42:28 +0000

COO, India Leaders for Social Sector and Head, Centre of Excellence for Leadership

At the end of January, we celebrated a meaningful milestone – the Silver Jubilee of The ILSS Leadership Program. Over 500 Alumni of this Program have committed themselves to a learning journey to better understand India’s social sector and explore how they can engage meaningfully within it.

As I reconnected with many of them during the celebrations, one group that I met during this period stayed with me in particular: the alumni of Cohort 8.

Cohort 8 was the first cohort of crossover leaders I worked closely with at ILSS. I remember beginning that journey with cautious optimism. These were accomplished professionals choosing to step into a sector shaped by different incentives, constraints, and measures of success. I wondered how they would navigate this shift. How would they work alongside home-grown leaders? What would leadership look like in a space where authority is rarely linear and impact unfolds slowly? After all, in the social sector, change accumulates quietly. It builds through discipline, choices, and patience.

More than five years later, it has been deeply affirming to see the pathways they have taken.

Ishmeet Singh

Ishmeet Singh, now CEO of Central Square Foundation, began his sector journey with Piramal Swasthya. He deliberately chose a field-facing role, prioritising understanding the sector deeply as he makes the pivot in his career. That choice reflected humility and a willingness to learn while leading. Today, that grounding continues to shape his leadership.

Anjali Hegde

Barsha Banerjee

Anjali Hegde and Barsha Banerjee stepped into leadership roles within legacy institutions at Udayan Care and Perkins India, respectively, and have strengthened them further. Leading established organisations requires respect for history, thoughtful evolution of systems, and the discipline to build on what exists and innovate for today’s times.

Krishnakumar Sankaranarayanan

Krishnakumar Sankaranarayanan’s journey, from Sattva Consulting to Equalize Health and now as Senior Adviser in Public Health at E&Y, reflects another pathway. His work straddles advisory, implementation, and cross-sector engagement, demonstrating that impact is not confined to a single organisational identity.

These four leaders are only a subset of Cohort 8. Each member has followed a distinct trajectory. Some moved into full-time sector roles. Some operate in fractional leadership capacities across sectors. Some remain in corporate roles but now engage with the social sector with renewed clarity and commitment.

Their journeys have reinforced a conviction that has deepened over time. Leadership in the social sector is a practice, not a position.

Leadership Begins with the Self

At The ILSS Leadership Program, we do not begin with strategy decks. We begin with self-awareness.

Before discussing governance, fundraising, public systems, or digital transformation, we invite participants to examine their motivations, assumptions, and purpose for working in the social sector. Leadership in this sector demands clarity of intent. It requires individuals to ask why they are here, what service and nation-building mean to them, and how they respond when authority is questioned or when progress is layered, complex and slow.

For many professionals transitioning into development, this inward shift is transformative. Moving from performance metrics to community outcomes requires recalibration.

Anshu Gupta

When Anshu Gupta, Founder of Goonj, engages with our cohorts, he challenges conventional notions of charity through the lens of dignity. His leadership is rooted in proximity to communities and disciplined consistency. That indeed is leadership as practice.

He is an Ashoka and Schwab Fellow, has been recognised among India’s top social entrepreneurs by Forbes and Fast Company, and serves on the World Economic Forum’s Humanitarian Crisis Council

Seeing the System, Not Just the Organisation

India’s social challenges are deeply interconnected. Education intersects with nutrition and gender. Climate intersects with livelihoods. Public policy shapes outcomes in ways that ripple far beyond individual programs.

This is why systems thinking is central to the Program, and is a focus from both a technical perspective led by Mihir Mathur and a multidisciplinary practice-enabling perspective from sector leaders as described below.

When economist Dr A. K. Shivakumar engages with our cohorts, he situates development across both economic and human development indices to spark conversations about growth and progress. He nudges leaders to interrogate data responsibly and understand public systems from the ground up.

Rukmini Banerji

Similarly, when Rukmini Banerji, CEO of Pratham, reflects on decades of improving foundational learning, she demonstrates evidence in action. ASER reshaped national discourse through research and persistent field engagement that built credibility over time.

She received the Maulana Abul Kalam Shiksha Puraskar in 2008 and the Yidan Prize for Education Development in 2021. Originally from Bihar, she is based between New Delhi and Pune and writes regularly on education while also creating stories for children.

Our alumni embody this systems lens across their roles in the sector –

Romonika D. Sharan

Romonika D. Sharan, in her leadership role at Central Square Foundation, works at the intersection of education policy reform and state system strengthening. Building on her former experiences as a bureaucrat, her leadership illustrates how systems change is built through sustained engagement rather than episodic intervention.

Arvind Agrawal

Arvind Agrawal in his role as Pro-Vice Chancellor at Plaksha University, is leveraging his experiences in building business across geographies in the space of higher education transformation. His leadership reflects how universities can shape future problem-solvers who are equipped to address complex societal challenges, with a focus on science and technology.

Vandita Batta

Vandita Batta, Chief of Operations at Saajha, works closely alongside Saransh, the Founder of Saajha, to lead organisational strategy, execution, and institutional effectiveness. Her leadership builds on her experiences as a former CFO to align programs with organisational strategy, build strategic partnerships, enable team performance, and ensure financial sustainability. Her role shows how operational leadership in the social sector is central to ensuring mission integrity and scale

Proteek Kundu

Proteek Kundu founded NeevJivan Foundation, a social purpose organisation working in the area of skill development in rural Maharashtra, creating opportunities for sustainable livelihood in villages. Building and sustaining a social organisation from the ground up demands deep local engagement, along with government and knowledge partnerships. His leadership reflects how impact often grows through creating solutions rooted in proximity to communities.

Piyush Singhania

Piyush Singhania, in his work with CSR for KPMG Global Services, bridges corporate capital and social impact by shaping CSR strategy, partnerships, and programme investments. His leadership lies in ensuring that corporate resources are deployed thoughtfully, aligned to genuine community needs, and measured for sustainable outcomes.

Urmila Sampath

Kavita Gunderia

Urmila Sampath and Kavita Gunderia, run their own organisation, ‘Let’s Talk Money’, while also serving as Senior Finance Advisers at Antarang Foundation, operating at the intersection of financial literacy and nonprofit financial stewardship. Through Let’s Talk Money, they work to democratise financial understanding, while at Antarang, they strengthen institutional finance and long-term sustainability. Their journey demonstrates how one’s strengths and experiences can be leveraged to serve the sector at large, beyond deep work with a specific institution.

They represent diversity across Sustainable Development Goals, across large and small organisations, across implementation and advocacy roles, and across full-time roles, portfolio careers, and entrepreneurship. The point of convergence is around listening deeply to what the sector needs, and adapting one’s capabilities and leadership to lead and serve in the most impactful manner. It is evident that the sector’s resilience depends on leadership being distributed across all these spaces and channels of building India, while showing up as leaders rooted in the context of their work.

Practising Leadership within ILSS

Leadership practice is also embodied beautifully by the various alumni who work at ILSS.

Lt. Gen. Ravin Khosla Retd

Lt. Gen. Ravin Khosla Retd. (Alum, Cohort 19) anchors admissions for The ILSS Leadership Program. After decades in the armed forces, where leadership is shaped by command and responsibility, his leadership today lies in discernment and spotting talent for the sector. He listens for humility, intent, and readiness to serve. Admissions, as a function, becomes stewardship, shaping not just who joins a cohort but also the quality of dialogue within it.

Meghna Jaishankar

Meghna Jaishankar (Alum, Cohort 20) brings nearly two decades of leadership hiring experience at McKinsey & Company and Spencer Stuart. Today, she is building the Alumni Movement at India Leaders for Social Sector, where she brings her rich experiences and capabilities in partnerships and stakeholder management to strengthen alumni engagement and sector collaboration. Her work reflects a crucial insight: Leadership development does not end at transition. It requires sustained networks, peer learning, and community.

Anirban Chaudhury

Anirban Chaudhury (Alum, Cohort 17), who leads the Koita Centre of Excellence for Digital Transformation at India Leaders for Social Sector, brings over two decades of leadership experience in technology and consulting. As an alum, his shift into development required translating advanced technology frameworks into mission-sensitive solutions. His leadership practice lies in ensuring that digital transformation strengthens impact organisations responsibly and equitably

Samina Alam

Samina Alam (Alum, Cohort 18), who leads the ILSS Centre for Board and Governance, brings over two decades of experience in education and skills, including leading large-scale, multi-stakeholder engagements and systemic interventions across states. Her leadership lies in helping organisations and boards move beyond compliance to stewardship by ensuring that governance becomes a continuous practice that supports institutional credibility and long-term sustainability.

Viswanathan S

Viswanathan S (Alum, Cohort 19), in his role as Adviser – HR at ILSS, works closely with the CEO on the key strategic priorities in the organisation’s people practices. His leadership lies in contextualising his rich experience in organisational transformation and people development to the context and stage of ILSS as an institution that has people at the heart of its mission.

Different backgrounds. Different prior positions. A shared commitment to disciplined practice and adapting one’s leadership to create meaningful impact in India’s social sector.

What the Future Demands

Watching Cohort 8 mature over five years has reminded me that leadership development cannot be measured at the moment of transition. It must be observed over time.

The defining moments are rarely dramatic. They occur when a leader chooses to begin in the field and listen deeply to the stakeholders as much as analysing existing data. They come alive when someone strengthens a legacy institution with respect for the journey that brought us here. They occur when data, looked at in a different way, prompts a strategic pivot. When power is shared with various key stakeholders rather than with a consolidated few with titles of power.

I have seen alumni step into senior roles and remain grounded. I have seen leaders in small organisations demonstrate extraordinary systems awareness. I have seen colleagues within ILSS evolve from participants to institutional stewards.

These experiences reinforce my belief that while positions may change and titles may evolve, what endures is the discipline in practice of leadership.

The coming decade will test India’s social sector deeply. Climate volatility, technological disruption, demographic shifts, geopolitical complexities, and funding realignments.

We will need leaders across the Sustainable Development Goals. Across large and small organisations. Across implementation and advocacy spaces. Across philanthropy, technology, and public systems.

After all, leadership in the social sector is not something one arrives at. It is something one commits to daily through reflection, systems awareness, collaboration, and accountability to communities.

While a position may grant authority, it is the practice that determines impact. And in our sector, sustained impact is the only leadership that truly matters.

About the Author

Archana Ramachandran
Chief Operating Officer

Archana’s work experiences have focused on leading projects and teams in Learning and Leadership across the Corporate, Government and Social sectors. Prior to ILSS, she worked as the City Director at Teach for India (TFI) where she led the strategy and operations for the TFI Fellowship and Alumni Movement to create a movement for educational equity. Prior to Teach for India, Archana worked with Infosys Leadership Institute and Boston Public Schools in the areas of Human Capital, Competency Development, Change Management and Diversity and Inclusion.

Archana is an Alumna of the Master’s Program in Education (M.Ed.) at Harvard Graduate School of Education at Massachusetts, Master’s Program in Management (MBA) at T.A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal and the Bachelor’s Program in Commerce (B.COM) at Stella Maris College, Chennai. Across all roles and teams, being a learner and an educator is the core of her work.”

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Why we need to re-define the purpose of education

ILSS — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:48:00 +0000

Suchetha Bhat, CEO of Dream a Dream, writes that the pandemic gives us the opportunity to reflect on the shortcomings of our approach to education and reimagine it for the future.

The United Nations has described the global scale of education disruption from COVID-19 as “unparalleled”. The 2019–20 Coronavirus pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to widespread closures of schools, universities and colleges. While students across the board have been impacted by the pandemic, it is important to explore the severe impact on children from marginalized communities in many countries of the global south, including India which, at 260 million children, has the largest school-going population in the world.

As the impact of the pandemic unfolds, it is becoming abundantly clear that traditional learning models and schools have ill-equipped us and our children to understand, make meaning, respond and adapt to the uncertainty and vulnerabilities emerging from the current crisis. The last few years have seen the discourse around education reform moving towards making children work-ready for jobs of the future. An approach that has become outdated due to 3 – main reasons:

The future is already here: The often-repeated assumption that children would have to face an uncertain job market and a fast-changing world a few years from now is already a reality, and this uncertain future is changing as we speak. This is a time to self-reflect and critically examine — have we done enough to prepare our children for this unprecedented situation?
Entrenched systemic inequalities have deepened: The current crisis has further thrown up the systemic inequities in our society with the poor and marginalised being affected many times over than the average population. When an eighth-grade student we heard from, who shares a smartphone with her family of four – the family has to make a tough choice between buying an internet-package and essential groceries – is not allowed into her online class for being five minutes late, are we not perpetuating the same systemic biases we held offline on the online world? What could be the role of education in changing this reality?

The need to shift mindsets

The pandemic and its impact on educational ecosystems require for us to reflect on the existing systemic inequities that have become more visible in the recent months. We see schools rushing for immediate solutions to sustain academics, but there are far-reaching effects on students and teachers when they are forced to adopt online learning. Our policymakers need to take into account the fact that marginalised communities do not have easy access to digital infrastructure. The need of the hour is to ensure education is available to all, rather than to ensure those who can afford education continue to receive it.

The psychological impact on children, whose lives are suddenly changed forever has largely been left unaddressed; they are expected to adapt when even we, the adults who are meant to guide young people have no clarity on what to expect from the future.

Re-imagining the purpose of education

Where do we go when all this is over? If one is ‘lucky enough’ to have not been completely displaced by the pandemic, one hopefully goes to school. But just how prepared are schools to respond to this reality? We have all experienced collective grief and loss at a global and unimaginable level. We need to let this sink in. And then, when we are ready to respond, let us ask ourselves what is the most compassionate offer we can make to our children under these circumstances? Will our best foot forward be dumping our own anxiety of ‘loss of learning’ on them? Or will we recognise that they have learnt perhaps the most difficult lesson of their lives in the last few months as they stayed put in their homes? The role of teachers in the upbringing of young people is often overlooked.

#Whatif, instead of examinations based on rote-learning, we ask our students; ‘Do you know how to be kind to each other? Do you know how to make decisions that are good for you, your community and for the planet? Do you know how to collaborate and celebrate the success of others? Do you know how to heal?’

The need for a more inclusive policy

Current systems follow a one-size-fits-all approach, whereas the reality is that in a country like India, such an approach is tough to put into practice. We need an education system that is sensitive to the myriad impact of adversity on children from vulnerable backgrounds. When designing solutions, the needs of these sections of society deserve more attention than they presently receive. The New Education Policy, while a positive step in the right direction, once again lacks clarity on implementation. It remains to be seen how such a revolutionary step in education will affect a country as diverse and vast as ours bearing in mind that not everyone will have access to the same kind of facilities and infrastructure. Another challenge that we foresee is the measurement of success upon implementation and the way forward from there.

Kindness as the foundation of a framework for change

The framework for education should start by redefining the purpose of education to mean ‘thriving for all’. We conducted a study to better understand what it means to thrive. Are the indicators the same when children come from adversity? Do tailored approaches need to be followed to achieve desired outcomes across the board? We have found that empathetic adults and safe spaces allow young people to fully discover their potential and thrive despite coming from adversity. At the centre of this approach lies kindness and the willingness to listen, holding spaces for young people to express themselves and be treated as unique individuals.

Academic outcomes can be affected by several factors that are out of the control of educators. Scoring high marks does not necessarily mean that a child is prepared for whatever the future may throw at them. Adopting an approach that places thriving at the centre of education is much more inclusive and helps young people seek a more meaningful engagement with life.

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This Women’s Day, let’s talk about something we don’t discuss enough

ilssuser — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:03:07 +0000

Walk into most nonprofits across India, and you’ll see women everywhere leading field programs, managing communities, coordinating volunteers, running day-to-day operations. They’re the backbone of the social sector.

But look at the boardroom? Senior leadership tables? The faces change.

Despite women making up the majority of the workforce in social purpose organisations, they remain strikingly underrepresented in decision-making roles. And this Women’s Day, we at India Leaders for Social Sector wanted to understand why.

Our COO, Archana Ramachandran, has written a piece for YourStory that digs into this uncomfortable truth. It’s not about women lacking ambition or capability far from it. It’s about the invisible barriers that hold them back at critical career junctures.

The research is clear: the issue isn’t a “leaky pipeline.” It’s what happens at the mid-career stage. When mentorship disappears. When networks narrow. When access to strategy and decision-making rooms becomes harder to find. When the path forward becomes unclear, even for the most driven professionals.

Archana’s article shares real leadership journeys from institutional roles to grassroots work and challenges how we’ve traditionally defined ambition and success in this sector. Because leadership doesn’t always look the same for everyone, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is when systemic barriers decide who gets to lead.

This isn’t just about fairness. When we don’t have women in leadership, we weaken our organisations. We limit our impact. We miss perspectives that are critical to the communities we serve.

So this Women’s Day, we’re not just celebrating women. We’re asking harder questions. We’re pushing for real change. And we’re inviting everyone leaders, practitioners, funders, ecosystem partners

Read the full article on YourStory

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we don’t discuss enough appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

Leadership Lessons from the Indian Constitution

ILSS — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 01:42:45 +0000

The 70-year-old document and how it was created hold important lessons for those aspiring to build nations, communities or organisations, says Vinita Singh, Managing Trustee at We, The People Abhiyan.

On 9 December 1946 at 11 a.m., the Constituent Assembly began its first session. For the next three years through Partition’s pain, violence and uncertainty, 299 members debated fiercely and adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949.

This process and the document it produced offer clear Indian Constitution leadership lessons that are still very relevant for social leaders, nonprofit founders and teams in social purpose organisations (SPOs) today.

Leadership During the Constituent Assembly Period

The Constitution is far more than a legal text. It is a powerful example of collective leadership under the most difficult circumstances. Freedom came in 1947, but so did Partition. The original membership of 389 fell to 299 as many moved to Pakistan. The remaining members carried deep personal and national grief, yet they pressed on.

Key Leadership Lessons from the Indian Constitution

Leadership in Times of Crisis

Amid widespread loss, the Assembly refused to be paralysed by despair. They focused on what remained and framed fundamental rights even as fundamental wrongs surrounded them.

“Fundamental rights were to be framed amidst the carnage of fundamental wrongs.”

When we feel everything is “very bad” today, we should remember that 1949 was far darker. Leaders can still choose hope and possibility.

Respect for Diverse Opinions and Dissent

The members came from every region, spoke different languages, held different beliefs and argued loudly. Dissent was not avoided, it was welcomed.

Ambedkar, with his strong non-Congress views, led the Drafting Committee with full dedication. The Constitution itself calls on every citizen to develop “scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.”

When we surround ourselves only with people who agree with us, our organisations and society become smaller. Real growth needs dissent.

Collaboration and Collective Decision-Making

There were giants Patel, Nehru, Prasad, Mookerjee, Hansa Mehta, but no single person dominated. Everyone prepared, debated and worked toward one shared goal.

The final document belonged to nearly 300 thoughtful individuals, not one hero.

“It is time to abandon hero worship and take personal leadership in our own lives and communities.”

One of the fundamental duties reminds us to strive for excellence in individual and collective activity. That excellence is only possible when everyone contributes.

Humanist and Democratic Values

Despite poverty, inequality and division, the framers placed equality, liberty, justice and fraternity at the very heart of the nation.

These values are not just ideals, they are what every leader must protect and live by, in whatever role they hold.

Components of the Indian Constitution and Leadership Values

The structure of the Constitution itself reflects wise leadership principles:

Preamble

clearly states the vision of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity that guides the entire document.

Fundamental Rights

protect individual dignity and freedom from misuse of power.

Fundamental Duties

call on citizens to strive for excellence, nurture scientific temper and promote reform.

Democratic governance principles

ensure participation, accountability and the right to question and improve.

These components show leaders how to balance vision with responsibility and rights with duties.

Relevance of Constitutional Leadership for Today’s Social Leaders

In social purpose organisations we face our own crises, scarce resources, team burnout, mission drift and hard choices.

The Indian Constitution shows a way forward: choose hope over despair, invite diverse voices and real disagreement, collaborate as equals, and hold fast to core human values.

Wherever we lead, we can draw strength from the example set by the constitution leaders of India.

FAQs

What leadership lessons can we learn from the Indian Constitution? +

Hope in crisis, the value of dissent, respectful collaboration, and commitment to equality, justice and fraternity.

Who were the key leaders behind the Indian Constitution?+

Dr B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman of the Drafting Committee), Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Hansa Mehta and many others who contributed as equals.

Why is the Indian Constitution relevant for modern leaders? +

It shows how to lead through diversity, hardship and disagreement while keeping human values central, lessons directly useful for today’s SPO challenges.

What challenges did leaders face while preparing the Constitution? +

Partition grief, loss of nearly one-fourth of members, communal violence, poverty and deep ideological differences yet they stayed focused on a shared, hopeful future.

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Why Soft Skills Matter More Than Ever in the Social Sector

Tapoja Mukherji — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:10:00 +0000

In the social sector, real work often happens in quiet moments that no one else sees. It is not found in the uploaded proposal, the polished presentation, or the field report that took weeks to compile. It happens in the pause before responding to a frustrated colleague. It happens in the gentle firmness when a donor demands quick outcomes for complex problems. It happens in the quiet act of listening to a community member who speaks hesitantly because the memories are still raw.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023, traits such as empathy, active listening, and leadership for social influence are ranking higher than ever in professional desirability. This shift is uniquely critical for the social sector, where work unfolds in a complex ecosystem involving vulnerable communities, bureaucratic machinery, and diverse donors.

Redefining ‘Soft Skills’ for Social Impact

In conventional corporate management, ‘soft skills’ are often reduced to personal attributes like politeness or basic communication. In the social sector, this definition is insufficient. Here, soft skills represent adaptive leadership capabilities: the tools required to drive systemic change in resource-constrained environments. It is the behavioural competencies, mindsets, and relational intelligence that determine whether a mission statement translates into sustainable impact.

Core Competencies for the Social Sector Leader

Storytelling: Not just pitch decks, but the ability to connect data, lived experience, and purpose in ways that donors, boards, communities, and teams can all own.
Empathy and emotional intelligence: Understanding lived realities of beneficiaries, team members, and partners, developing trust, and navigating cultural contexts.
Active Listening: Ensuring that the voices of beneficiaries and community members are heard and lead to necessary interventions.
Collaboration across stakeholders: Coordinating with government, private sector, community partners and beneficiaries, who rarely speak the same language. Bridging those worlds is a special skill.
Conflict Resolution and Negotiation: Mediating disputes among community groups or negotiating partnerships and resource allocation.
Adaptability, resilience and learning mindset: The capacity to respond when plans change, innovate under severe resource constraints, and treat failure as a learning opportunity.

Why Soft Skills Matter More Than Ever: The VUCA Reality

The demands on social purpose organisations (SPOs) have shifted dramatically. We have moved from an era of isolated project deliveries to one marked by cross-sector partnerships, digital disruptions, and systemic interdependence. In such an operating environment, the management theory that describes the modern landscape as VUCA — Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous — is applicable. While this framework originated in military strategy, it is the perfect descriptor for the Indian development sector.

In a VUCA world, standard operating procedures fail. What separates organisations that scale from those that stagnate is adaptive leadership: the ability to mobilise, relate, adapt and convene effectively amidst uncertainty and chaos.

Increasing Complexity and Stakeholder Demands

Consider a nonprofit running a health program. It must coordinate with the government, private funders, multiple community organisations and beneficiaries. Navigating this requires more than a clinical or program-design skill set: it demands relationship management, negotiation, aligning divergent incentives, and making inclusive decisions. Social work involves navigating a complex web of stakeholders. Communication and negotiation skills are critical for consensus-building, advocating for a cause, securing resources, and resolving conflicts gracefully.

Digital and Change Disruption

Organisations are increasingly expected to adopt digital tools, data systems, and partnerships with tech players. The State of the Sector Report on Digital Transformation for Nonprofits in India highlight a critical gap: while digital communication roles are recognised, many teams lack the adaptive mindset to embed them effectively. Soft skills act as the ‘glue’ between new technologies, processes and people. It requires empathy to understand user resistance and the communication skills to articulate why a new tool matters to the people who will use it.

Resource Constraint, Ambiguity and Innovation

In many SPOs, resources are scarce, timelines compressed, stakeholder expectations shifting. Under these conditions, teams rely on resilience, adaptability, and peer learning, not just on standard project management. The ability to pivot, absorb lessons, and reframe strategies is behavioural rather than structural.

Building Trust and Relationships

The social sector relies heavily on trust with beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, and community partners. Skills like empathy and active listening allow professionals to truly understand people’s needs and build genuine, long-term relationships, which are essential for effective service delivery and fundraising.

Adaptability and Resilience in Complex Environments

The challenges addressed by the social sector, like poverty, climate change, and systemic inequality, are often unpredictable and highly complex. Adaptability and problem-solving enable teams to pivot quickly, while resilience and stress management are crucial for preventing burnout in emotionally demanding roles.

Driving Teamwork and Collaboration

Social impact projects are rarely executed alone. Teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills are necessary to coordinate diverse teams (board, staff, volunteers, and partners), foster an inclusive culture, and harness collective intelligence for better outcomes.

Enhanced Service Delivery and Impact

Skills like cultural competence and emotional intelligence are central to how services are delivered. They ensure that programs are recipient-centred, respectful of local contexts, and truly address the root causes of issues, leading to more sustainable and meaningful impact.

The Soft-Skills Gap in India’s Social Sector

isations under-invest in these capacities. Training often focuses on tools like M&E templates, digital dashboards, while the human, interpersonal dimension remains under-addressed.

This gap leads to:

Leaders struggling to align teams across functions or geographies
Fundraising efforts falling short because the narrative doesn’t connect
Boards feeling disengaged because the dynamics are more transactional than relational
Digital transformation efforts faltering because change-leadership and culture-shift are not addressed.

While researching for the Leadership and Management in the Social Sector report we encountered these patterns repeatedly. ILSS has been addressing the sector’s soft-skills gap through its different offerings. The ILSS Leadership Program creates space for leaders to examine their own mindsets, communication styles, and decision-making behaviours, capacities that directly influence how teams align and collaborate in the sector. The ILSS Fundraising Program strengthens skills such as donor stewardship, narrative-building, and confidence in making the asks, areas where many organisations struggle despite strong technical proposals. The ILSS Digital Transformation for Social Impact Program brings clarity to the human side of technology adoption, helping leaders manage resistance, build cross-functional collaboration, and communicate change effectively. The ILSS Board Governance and The ILSS Board Leadership programs emphasise trust-building, strategic dialogue, and constructive challenge between the board and the leadership with skills that transform advisory boards from transactional entities into genuine thought partners.

Practical Steps for Social-Sector Professionals

Here are some actionable ways that leaders, teams and organisations can elevate their soft-skills capacity:

Introduce structured reflection moments

Set aside time for leaders and teams to reflect on how they are leading and interacting, not just what they are doing. Address questions like: ‘How well did we bring all voices in?’
Embed storytelling as a leadership discipline

Encourage team members to craft and rehearse their organisation’s story, not only the ‘what’ but the ‘why’ and the ‘how’. Test it out with different stakeholders (community, board, funder) and refine over time.
Design for collaboration and peer-learning

Create cross-functional teams, joint problem-solving sessions, and external stakeholder visits. Collaboration builds empathy and introduces varied perspectives.
Invest in change-leadership and adaptive capacity

When rolling out new initiatives (digital tools, partnerships), treat the human side as the first design element. Map what behaviours and beliefs need to shift, and build interventions accordingly.
Measure relational and culture indicators

While hard to quantify, organisations can track team satisfaction scores, stakeholder feedback on processes (not just outcomes), adoption rates of new ways of working, and the number of reflection forums held. Over time, these indicators build a case for soft-skills investment.

In the social sector, we are often comfortable tracking outcomes: number of beneficiaries, funds raised, program reach. But evaluating soft skills is more nuanced. In an era of complex systems and rapid change, the most resilient, adaptive, and effective organisations will be those in which leadership behaviours, team dynamics, and stakeholder relationships are as finely tuned as their project plans.

The question is no longer just ‘what we do’ but ‘how we lead, adapt, engage and evolve’.

FAQs

What are soft skills in the context of the social sector?. +

In the social sector, soft skills go beyond basic communication or interpersonal behaviour. They refer to a set of adaptive leadership capabilities and relational competencies that enable leaders to navigate complex social challenges and drive systemic change. These include skills such as empathy, active listening, storytelling, collaboration, negotiation, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. Unlike technical or programmatic expertise, soft skills help social sector professionals build trust with communities, align diverse stakeholders, and translate organisational missions into sustainable impact in resource-constrained environments.

Why are soft skills becoming more important for social sector leaders today? +

Soft skills are becoming increasingly critical because the social sector now operates in a VUCA environment, which is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Social purpose organisations must work across multiple stakeholders, including governments, donors, communities, and private sector partners, while responding to shifting regulations, funding landscapes, and emerging social challenges. In such conditions, technical expertise alone is not enough. Leaders need strong soft skills such as adaptability, collaboration, and emotional intelligence to navigate uncertainty, build consensus, manage change, and mobilise people around shared goals.

How do soft skills influence fundraising and stakeholder relationships? +

Soft skills play a crucial role in building trust, strengthening relationships, and communicating impact, all of which are essential for effective fundraising and stakeholder engagement. Skills such as storytelling, empathy, and active listening help social sector leaders connect with donors, boards, community partners, and beneficiaries in meaningful ways. These competencies enable leaders to articulate the organisation’s mission clearly, align diverse expectations, negotiate partnerships, and build long-term relationships that sustain funding and collaboration. Strong soft skills transform fundraising from a transactional activity into a relationship-driven process rooted in shared purpose.

Can soft skills be developed, or are they innate traits? +

Soft skills are not fixed personality traits; they can be intentionally developed and strengthened over time. Through structured reflection, leadership development programs, mentoring, and real-world practice, social sector professionals can build capabilities such as communication, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and adaptive leadership. Investing in these skills helps leaders better align teams, manage stakeholder relationships, and respond effectively to complex social challenges. As the social sector evolves, organisations are increasingly recognising the need to actively cultivate soft skills alongside technical expertise.

About the Author

Tapoja Mukherji
Senior Manager – Marketing and Communication

Tapoja Mukherji is the Senior Manager, Communications at ILSS, leading the organisation’s communication efforts to ensure its messages are conveyed with clarity, impact, and resonance across platforms. With two decades of experience in publishing, content writing, and editorial leadership, she previously served as a senior editor of TTIS, a leading children’s weekly from The Telegraph, Kolkata. She has a strong background in storytelling and editorial management, specialising in crafting impactful narratives, proofreading, and copy editing. She began her career as a high school teacher before transitioning into media and communications, where she discovered her passion for shaping narratives and engaging audiences.

The post Why Soft Skills Matter More Than Ever in the Social Sector appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

Investing in Fundraisers, Investing in Impact: IFRC 2026

Yashika Sharma — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:17:19 +0000

Fundraising in India’s social sector is transformative work that sits at the intersection of vision and viability. Yet despite being the lifeblood of mission-driven organisations, fundraising professionals often navigate this critical role with limited support and minimal recognition of their strategic importance.

At India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), we believe fundraisers deserve to be celebrated, supported, and connected. That’s exactly what the India Fundraising Conference (IFRC) 2026 is designed to do.

The Case for Capacity Building: Numbers That Speak

The numbers tell a compelling story. India’s social sector faces a funding gap of approximately INR 14 lakh crore, projected to reach INR 16 lakh crore ($195 billion) by FY 2029. Meanwhile, 72% of nonprofit organisations cite funding deficits as their primary challenge, and 91% operate with budgets under INR 10 crore.

But here’s what makes this moment different: capacity building works, and the returns are remarkable.

The ATECF study tracking 11 NGOs over ten years found that strategic investments in fundraising capacity delivered a median payback period of just one to four months. Organisations that built their fundraising capacity achieved a 23% median growth rate — significantly higher than the sector’s 15% — with leading performers reaching 39% growth. They expanded their donor base by 2.5x, improved retention rates from 50% to 70%, and built financial resilience with a median runway of 15 months.

The impact of The ILSS Fundraising Program further validates this approach. After participating in our three-month intensive learning program, 66% of organisations expanded their fundraising teams, and 79% increased time dedicated to fundraising. Perhaps most significantly, founders reduced their fundraising time from 60% to 40%, freeing them to focus on program innovation, organisational culture, and strategic leadership.

The message is clear: investing in fundraisers is investing in impact.

IFRC 2026: Capacity & Capital – Powering Impact

This year, the India Fundraising Conference returns with a powerful dual focus – Capacity & Capital: Powering Impact.

Taking place on 5-6 February 2026 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, IFRC 2026 will bring together over 500 fundraising professionals, nonprofit leaders, philanthropists, donors, and CSR teams. This is your opportunity to be part of a vibrant community that celebrates fundraising as dignified, strategic work and fundraisers as the changemakers they truly are.

Why This Theme Matters Now

The relationship between capacity and capital is symbiotic. India stands ahead of the curve in fundraising potential — CSR is projected to reach INR 1.2 lakh crore by FY35, family philanthropy is expected to grow 10-12% over the next five years, and everyday giving continues its upward trajectory.

The capital is there. But without the capacity to access, steward, and scale that capital effectively, nonprofits remain unable to bridge the funding gap. IFRC 2026 explores this critical intersection: how building capacity unlocks capital, and how smart capital deployment strengthens capacity creating a virtuous cycle that powers lasting impact.

Three Pathways to Greater Impact

IFRC 2026 addresses capacity building through three interconnected tracks that bring together learning, connection, and celebration:

Building Fundraisers’ Capacity

This track equips you with the knowledge, skills, and mindset for sustainable fundraising. You’ll explore multi-channel strategies spanning CSR, retail, institutional philanthropy, and innovative finance, while discovering how AI and digital tools are reshaping the landscape. But we’re going beyond tactics.—These sessions reframe fundraising as a core organisational capability and strategic leadership function, elevating your professional identity and creating peer networks to combat the isolation so many practitioners face. Learn from sessions on reimagining fundraising as community building with GivingTuesday, field guides for everyday giving with ATMA, unlocking international philanthropy, leveraging AI for fundraising, and why participatory giving is the future with Make a Difference.
Strengthening Organisational Capacity for Fundraising

Effective fundraising requires robust organisational infrastructure. This track addresses the critical cross-functional systems that enable fundraising success: strong governance structures, transparent financial systems, compelling communications and branding, and rigorous monitoring and evaluation frameworks. These sessions recognise that capacity building must be holistic, addressing the interconnected systems that determine organisational resilience and sustainability. Engage in conversations on whether nonprofit boards should co-own fundraising goals, measuring the impact of behaviour change, building the talent pipeline for nonprofit fundraising, and how next-gen fundraisers are reimagining shared leadership with Pravah.
Ecosystem-Level Investments in Capacity Building

Individual and organisational capacity building cannot fully succeed without ecosystem-level dialogue. This track catalyses critical conversations among stakeholders to co-create a shared vision for building sectoral capacity. Key themes include advocating for full-cost funding and multi-year commitments, advancing equitable practices, establishing professional standards for fundraising, and building trust-based relationships between funders and nonprofits. Join the Fundraisers’ Roundtable to define fundraising excellence and build the profession, explore why funders need to invest in capacity building with Bridgespan and ATECF, participate in closed-door sessions with CSR heads on innovation, and discover how to strengthen grassroots impact in the North-East.

A Space for Connection and Celebration

IFRC 2026 isn’t just about learning, it’s about coming together as a community. Through workshops and masterclasses, learning labs, panel discussions, and keynote addresses, you’ll engage with thought leaders and peers who understand your challenges and celebrate your wins.

Most importantly, the conference offers structured networking opportunities designed to help you build meaningful relationships with fellow fundraisers, funders, and sector experts. These aren’t random coffee breaks; they’re intentional spaces for dialogue on shared concerns, collaborative problem-solving, and exploring partnerships that can drive real change.

This is your chance to find your tribe, share your stories, and be reminded that you’re not alone in this work.

Join the Community

Fundraising is more than asking for money. It’s about fostering relationships, demonstrating tangible impact, and building trust. It’s about championing causes and winning hearts and minds. It’s strategic work. It’s dignified work. It’s work that deserves to be celebrated.

If you’re ready to connect with a community that gets it, learn from the best in the field, and celebrate the vital work you do every day, join us at IFRC 2026.

Save the date: 5-6 February 2026 | India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

Registration details are out. Follow us on ILSS LinkedIn Page and Centre of Excellence – Fundraising for updates!

India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) is committed to building capacity in India’s social sector through learning programs, research, and convenings like the India Fundraising Conference. Register Now

About the Author

Yashika Sharma
Senior Associate – CoE – Fundraising

Yashika is a social development professional with experience across youth leadership, program management, fundraising, and advocacy. She has led national programs on gender justice and youth development, designing multi-location initiatives, building cross-sector partnerships, and amplifying grassroots voices in global advocacy spaces, including the United Nations General Assembly. Her work spans ethical communications, inclusive storytelling, and facilitating safe learning spaces for young people on leadership, SRHR, mental health, and economic empowerment. Over time, she transitioned to driving national and international programs integrating advocacy, capacity building, and art-based facilitation. Yashika holds a Master’s in Philosophy and currently works as Senior Associate at ILSS’s Centre of Excellence for Fundraising.

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Women Entrepreneurship in India: Unlocking Economic and Social Potential

Dr Shradha Roy — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:02:47 +0000

‘India is a fertile ground for entrepreneurs, given its large pool of world-class talent and resources.’

— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson & Managing Director, Biocon

India’s story of growth and transformation is increasingly being written through the lens of entrepreneurship. Yet, within this larger narrative, a quieter revolution is unfolding — one led by women. Across boardrooms, small towns, and social enterprises, women entrepreneurs in India are steadily redefining what progress looks like.

According to the Sixth Economic Census, women-owned and women-run establishments account for about 13.76% of all enterprises in India, employing roughly 10.24% of the total workforce. While only around 14% of women in India own or run businesses, the momentum is undeniable. As of 2024, government data reveals that 73,151 startups with at least one woman director have been recognised under the Startup India Initiative, a strong testament to women’s growing role in shaping India’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Women are not merely entering the business world; they are transforming it — infusing it with empathy, resilience, and innovation. Many women-led enterprises , though concentrated in the micro and informal sectors (over 80% are micro units), are driving employment and pioneering new models of impact. They are redefining how we think about enterprise, equity, and leadership, proving that inclusive growth is not just an aspiration, but India’s most promising reality in the making.

The New Face of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has long been synonymous with risk-taking and disruption. Today, women are expanding that definition, transforming it into a story of purpose, perseverance, and people-centric progress.

‘When women rise, families flourish and communities transform. It’s not just about empowerment — it’s about nation-building.’

— Falguni Nayar, Founder & CEO, Nykaa

Across India’s social sector, women-led enterprises are reimagining what impact looks like; starting not from ambition, but from a deep sense of purpose. Leaders like Chetna Sinha of the Mann Deshi Foundation are empowering rural women through access to finance and entrepreneurship training. As Chetna says, ‘28 years back, when we wanted to start the Mahila bank, everyone said “NO”: families said “NO”, the market said “NO”, regulators said “NO”. We had “NO” from everywhere. But despite this, these small rural women vendors didn’t keep quiet. It was a long journey of hardship, and today I proudly celebrate earning my license and being able to pay dividends to thousands of women who are part of this bank. This year, we have reached 1 million women entrepreneurs, employed another 2 million women, mostly from the informal sector, and achieved a total business size of 450 crores. What’s next? We are now getting ready to join the digital commerce revolution, with our platform ready to connect artisans and vendors. This is a journey that will change the course of our next decade, and I am very hopeful.’

What Sinha emphasises is that when she asks women, ‘Everyone tells you no, what makes you grounded?’ Their answer is not capital or credit, but courage.

The role of women entrepreneurs in India extends far beyond creating wealth. It’s about creating systems that work for everyone, from women-led start-ups in fintech and healthtech to micro-enterprises in rural India. These ventures generate jobs, enhance livelihoods, and strengthen local economies.

This is the significance of women’s entrepreneurship. It multiplies impact, weaving economic progress with social change.

The Broader Role: From Enterprise to Ecosystem

The significance of women entrepreneurship today extends beyond business metrics; it is a catalyst for systemic change. Women are not only building enterprises but are also laying the foundation for inclusive ecosystems like mentoring, investing, and leading policy dialogues. Initiatives like the Women Entrepreneurship Platform under NITI Aayog have been instrumental in fostering this transformation, creating a collaborative network of women leaders across sectors.

A compelling example of this ecosystem-building is Eco Femme, a women-led social enterprise based in Tamil Nadu. Founded in 2009, Eco Femme produces organic, washable cloth pads, offering a sustainable alternative to disposable sanitary products. Beyond manufacturing, Eco Femme empowers women by providing menstrual health education and vocational training in rural communities. Their ‘Pad for Pad’ initiative ensures that for every pad sold, one is donated to an adolescent girl in need, promoting menstrual hygiene and education.

As Richa Kar, co-founder of Zivame, aptly states:

‘For every woman who dares to start, she builds a bridge for others to cross.’

Indeed, ventures like Eco Femme exemplify how women-led enterprises can transcend traditional business models to become powerful agents of social and environmental change. They are not just creating wealth; they are crafting pathways for others to follow, thereby amplifying their impact and contributing to a more equitable society.

The Road Ahead: Leadership and Legacy

As we look toward the future, the role of women entrepreneurship in India becomes central to the nation’s growth narrative. Women entrepreneurs are redefining leadership not as command and control, but as connection and collaboration.

Conversations like those at the upcoming India Women’s Leadership Conference (IWLC) 2025 by India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) are vital in sustaining this momentum. The conference aims to amplify women’s voices, celebrate their achievements, and build a strong leadership ecosystem that aligns with India’s social and economic aspirations.

By fostering dialogue between women entrepreneurs, policymakers, and ecosystem enablers, IWLC 2025 recognises that what research already shows is that empowering women entrepreneurs is not just good economics; it’s good nation-building.

Register now : India Women’s Leadership Conference 2025

Conclusion

The rventures. It’s about challenging barriers, inspiring communities, and creating opportunities where none existed.

As India strives toward inclusive and sustainable growth, women entrepreneurs hold the key to unlocking its full potential. Their stories, rooted in courage, creativity, and conviction, remind us that when women lead, nations rise.

References

About the Authors

Simran Gupta
Senior Program Manager, ILSS

Simran Gupta is a Senior Program Manager at ILSS, bringing rich experience across research, teaching, program management, and business development in the social and corporate sectors. Before joining ILSS, she held key roles at Masters’ Union, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), and the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS). She has contributed to building impactful academic and institutional initiatives through her strategic and cross-sectoral expertise. Simran holds an M.Phil. in Development Studies from TISS and an M.Sc. in Economics (Development Studies) from the Symbiosis School of Economics.

Dr Shradha Roy
Associate Director

Dr Shradha Roy has a decade of experience spanning R&D, technology development, and social impact. With expertise in program management, leadership, and strategic decision-making, she has successfully driven results in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, collaborating with different stakeholder including government agencies, corporates, nonprofits, and global organisations. She was awarded the MEXT Fellowship by the Government of Japan for her PhD, nominated by MHRD, Government of India. An alum of the University of Tokyo, she holds a doctorate in Plant Molecular Genetics. Passionate and dynamic, she enjoys music and cross-cultural interactions.

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Digital Transformation in the Social Sector: Meaning, Myths, and What It Actually Takes

Hiya Banerjee — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:15:43 +0000

What nonprofits need to know about moving beyond buzzwords and making digital work for people.

Digital transformation meaning: what it is and what it isn’t

Here’s the thing: nonprofits often confuse digital upgrades with transformation. Scanning documents, launching a new website, or rolling out WhatsApp groups can all be useful, but that’s not the full story. To define digital transformation in the social sector: It is the process of rethinking how an organisation works by weaving digital tools, data, and new workflows into its everyday mission so outcomes improve, staff feel empowered, and communities benefit in real time.

The goal isn’t to appear ‘modern’. The goal is to solve stubborn challenges more effectively. If children still drop out of school, if patients still miss follow-ups, if women still lack financial access, then no app alone can fix it. Digital transformation strategy is about connecting the dots: purpose, process, people, and technology.

Myths vs Reality

There’s a common belief that digital transformation is just about technology adoption; the truth is that technology is only one piece of the puzzle and real change depends on people, culture, and workflows. Some think only large social purpose organisations with big budgets can transform; in reality, even small organisations can start with simple, low-cost tools and improve efficiency in meaningful ways. Many treat digital transformation as a one-time project; in practice, it is an ongoing process that evolves as people, processes, and technology change.

Another fear is that digital tools take away the human touch; the opposite is often true because automating routine tasks allows staff to spend more time engaging deeply with communities. Finally, there’s the assumption that donors will not fund digital work; yet when presented as core to impact delivery and tied to outcomes, donors increasingly see digital as infrastructure worth supporting.

What it actually takes

If you’re serious about digital, here’s what matters most.

Strategy anchored in mission

Without a digital transformation strategy, most efforts flop. Ask yourself:

What outcomes do we want to change?
Which processes hold us back?
What digital tools can make those processes faster, cheaper, or smarter?
Write it down. A one-page strategy is better than a vague wish list.

Leadership that owns it

When leaders use dashboards, encourage experimentation, and put resources behind capacity building, staff follow. Leadership isn’t just about approving budgets; it’s about setting the tone.

People and skills

Staff adoption makes or breaks transformation. A new CRM won’t help if field officers don’t know how to log data. This is where digital transformation courses come in; they build confidence, not just technical ability.

Process redesign

Digitising a broken process won’t fix it. Redraw workflows first, then apply tools. For example, if follow-ups are inconsistent, design a clear flow (intake → reminder → check-in) before plugging in automation.

Data as fuel

Collect less, but use it better. Stop capturing vanity metrics. Focus on indicators that guide decisions, such as conversion rates, attendance, or treatment adherence.

Sustainable funding and partnerships

Transformation needs more than a project grant. Funders must see training, infrastructure, and staff time as essential, not overhead. Collaborating with tech partners or peer nonprofits also saves time and cost.

Case studies

Abstract advice only goes so far. Real stories make it concrete. Here are three case studies from DT4SI, showing how different organisations approached digital.

I-Saksham: Scaling Grassroot Leadership with Purpose-Built AI

I-Saksham works with young women from underserved communities, training them to become education leaders and changemakers. Their challenge wasn’t just access; it was scale. They needed to equip thousands of grassroots leaders without losing the depth of engagement. By experimenting with AI tools tailored to their curriculum, I-Saksham found ways to support leaders with content, peer learning, and monitoring at a scale previously unimaginable. What stands out here is that technology didn’t replace people; it strengthened their capacity and reach.

Educate Girls: Predictive Targeting to Enrol Girls

Educate Girls faced a tough reality. Millions of girls in India still remain out of school despite large-scale campaigns. Blanket outreach was costly and often inefficient. By using predictive analytics, they shifted their strategy from broad messaging to data-driven targeting. This meant identifying exactly which households were most likely to have out-of-school girls and directing field teams there first. The impact was dramatic: fewer resources wasted, more girls enrolled, and a sharper focus on outcomes. This case proves that digital transformation isn’t about shiny apps; it’s about smarter allocation of scarce energy and funding.

Lend A Hand India: Scaling Vocational Education

Lend A Hand India integrates vocational skills into mainstream schooling for students in grades 9–12. The vision is ambitious: ensure young people graduate not only with academic knowledge but also with practical, work-ready skills. But scaling vocational education across geographies is complex. They turned to digital tools for tracking student progress, standardising curricula, and creating dashboards that allowed real-time adjustments. What’s striking is that digital wasn’t just about efficiency; it was about ensuring quality didn’t drop while scale increased. This approach helped the organisation expand while staying true to its mission of preparing youth for meaningful livelihoods.

Together, these cases highlight a few truths. First, no two digital journeys look the same; each begins with a specific mission challenge. Second, successful efforts tie technology directly to outcomes, whether that’s scaling leadership, improving enrollment, or tracking skills. Third, the organisations that thrive don’t treat digital as an add-on; they embed it into strategy, staffing, and measurement.

These examples show that transformation looks different for each mission. But the common thread is clear: mission first, tools second.

Pitfalls to avoid

Here are traps nonprofits fall into again and again:

Starting with tools instead of outcomes.
Always begin with the problem you’re trying to solve.
Collecting too much data.
Quality beats quantity.
Skipping ownership.
Without a named product owner, adoption stalls.
Training as a one-off.
Skill building needs to be ongoing.
Ignoring privacy.
Communities trust you with their data; respect it.
Underfunding the backbone.
Budget for training and process change, not just licences.

FAQs

How do we explain digital transformation to funders? +

Frame it in terms of outcomes. For example: ‘We want to raise attendance from 65% to 80% using a data-driven follow-up system’.

Is a digital transformation strategy necessary for small nonprofits? +

Yes. Keep it simple and to the point. One page is enough, but it must clarify priorities.

What about AI? Isn’t that the future? +

Yes, but don’t skip steps. Get your data clean and your processes stable before experimenting.

How soon can we expect results? +

Operational improvements like reduced errors or faster follow-ups can show up in weeks. Deeper outcome shifts take longer.

Which digital transformation courses should we choose? +

Pick ones that mix theory with hands-on work. Courses that make your staff practise on real workflows stick best.

Closing thoughts

To define digital transformation in the social sector is to see it as more than technology. It’s about aligning tools with mission, investing in people, and redesigning processes for better outcomes. The myths are loud, but the reality is simple: when leaders commit, teams learn, and processes change. Digital transformation is not a distraction; it’s a force multiplier. Donors, staff, and communities all benefit when digital thinking becomes part of an organisation’s DNA. So start small. Pick one process. Measure, learn, adjust. The sooner you stop treating digital as an add-on and start treating it as core to your mission, the sooner your impact grows.

About the Author

Hiya Banerjee
Program Management at India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS)

Hiya Banerjee is a strategy-driven professional with nearly five years of experience in policy advocacy, program management, and stakeholder engagement. She specializes in bridging policy, governance, and social impact by fostering collaborations among governments, corporations, and grassroots organizations. Hiya holds a master’s degree in Advertising and Marketing from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, and has worked with SEWA Bharat, the Chief Minister’s Office Haryana, and Haqdarshak. Raised in Ranchi, she is also a trained Hindustani classical singer and dancer.

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The Power of the Crowd: The Case for Collective Giving in India

ilssuser — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:20:32 +0000

Ask any nonprofit founder or fundraiser in India, and they’ll tell you: the signs are clear. The Bain-Dasra India Philanthropy Report 2025 reveals a troubling trend. Despite increased social sector funding, the gap between what’s needed and what’s available is growing. This shortfall, ₹14 lakh crore today, is expected to hit ₹16 lakh crore by 2029.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and family philanthropy are set to lead private sector giving. But everyday giving — donations from ordinary individuals — already contributes around 30% of all philanthropic funding and holds vast potential to grow.

In 2023, Anant Bhagwati (Bridgespan Group) and Woodrow Rosenbaum (GivingTuesday) proposed a bold idea: if 300 million middle-class Indians gave just ₹100 ($1.25) monthly, it would raise $4.5 billion — more than all CSR contributions combined.

The value of everyday giving goes beyond money. Research from GivingTuesday in the U.S. shows that donors are nearly twice as likely to trust their community and the nonprofit sector. This suggests a virtuous cycle: giving builds trust, which in turn fuels more engagement and generosity, strengthening civil society.

Why Isn’t Everyday Giving More Common in India?

We’re Shooting in the Dark Without Meaningful Data

One significant hurdle is the lack of data to inform everyday giving strategies. In the U.S., the Fundraising Effectiveness Project analyses sector-wide fundraising data and creates benchmarks against which nonprofits can measure their performance. In India, however, practical case studies and benchmarking remain scarce. As a result, organisations often start from scratch rather than building on tested methods.

To address this, the GivingTuesday Data Commons launched its first collaborative Indian study: Using Data and Research to Advance Everyday Giving (UDARTA:EG). The study aims to identify actionable insights for nonprofits engaging everyday donors, and findings are expected by September 2025. These insights could be a gamechanger for nonprofits seeking to scale their individual giver strategies.

Harnessing the Power of Giving Moments

Worldwide, ‘giving moments’ — specific times that spark collective generosity — have proven highly effective. India has several already: DaanUtsav, India Giving Day, Good Deeds Day, and the global day of celebration for GivingTuesday.

This year’s India Giving Day in March raised over $8 million from 2500+ donors in a single day. SVP India’s Fast Pitch saw over 4000 people participate in the two-hour event that raised ₹5.5 crore. Meanwhile, in the United States, where GivingTuesday is in its 14th year, donors contributed over $3.6 billion last year. In India, campaigns raised ₹3.6 crore — a promising start. The next GivingTuesday, on 2 December, will again encourage global acts of generosity — from donations to volunteering and kind gestures.

These moments are ideal entry points for nonprofits to attract new donors. Success lies in planning smart campaigns that ride these existing waves of generosity, executing them well, and building lasting relationships afterwards. Organisations like e-Vidyaloka, Manzil Mystics, and Sanjhi Sikhiya have effectively leveraged GivingTuesday. Manzil Mystics’ #StrumASmile encouraged all forms of generosity, while e-Vidyaloka mobilised its team for fundraising.

It’s not only global observances that matter. Indian festivals like Diwali, or international days like World Health Day, can also be leveraged to inspire giving. Sanjhi Sikhiya, for instance, centres its month-long retail fundraising drive around Guru Nanak Jayanti each year, and leverages GivingTuesday as a part of this campaign. When people contribute as part of a shared moment, it strengthens community bonds and shared purpose.

Building Capacity for Everyday Giving

Early data from UDARTA:EG shows many nonprofits struggle with organisational capacity, shying away from everyday giving due to a lack of resources or know-how. Common challenges include issues such as: ‘We’ve exhausted our networks’, ‘Our cause isn’t crowdfundable’, and ‘We tried, but nobody gave’.

While having a dedicated and well-resourced fundraising team is ideal, most nonprofits start small. Upskilling current staff, testing creative ideas, and planning focused campaigns can make a big difference. Ambitious goals may backfire, but gradual progress, guided by data and training, can be transformative.

Capacity-building efforts are already underway. danaVrddhi by danamojo, crowdfunding platforms like GIVE, and The ILSS Fundraising Program offer structured support. Building on this, GivingTuesday is launching Fail Forward with Retail Fundraising, a practical training program addressing real-world fundraising challenges. Sign-ups are now open for access and updates.

View our Newsletter: https://leadershipinspired.indialeadersforsocialsector.com/

The Road Ahead: Growing a Movement

As India’s social sector confronts a growing funding gap, everyday giving represents a powerful, underutilised opportunity. It can democratise philanthropy, allowing millions to become part of social change, not just as donors, but as advocates and believers in a shared mission.

Asking for small donations isn’t just about raising funds. It’s about inviting people to be part of something larger than themselves. It helps build a sense of civic responsibility and belonging.

Yes, obstacles remain. But with insights from UDARTA:EG, strategic use of giving moments, and investment in training and tools, nonprofits can shift toward a more resilient and inclusive fundraising model. If cultivated well, everyday giving can become the cornerstone of a new era in Indian philanthropy — one where every ₹100 matters, and every giver plays a part in building a more generous future.

By GIVING TUESDAY

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Allyship: The Conversations We’re Not Having Enough

Trisha Ramesh — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:11:00 +0000

We don’t know what we don’t know.

‘The battle for equality, equity, and inclusion is not whether one woman can or should fight alone. We need men alongside us. Yet, more often than not, men don’t fully grasp what women go through, and without that understanding, their ability to help is limited.’ This truth struck me deeply during a conversation with a renowned feminist publisher — and it has stayed with me since.

At ILSS, through seven cohorts of the Women’s Leadership Program, we’ve seen this reality unfold time and again. Women are forced to carry the impossible burden of balance: excelling at work, nurturing families, mentoring peers, and constantly proving their right to lead. Society calls it “resilience.” In truth, it normalises exhaustion and fuels the dangerous myth that women alone must fix what is broken. Strength, when demanded without support, becomes a subtle form of harm.

And yet, a harder question followed me: Have I ever truly invited men into this dialogue? Have I asked them about their own struggles, blind spots, and hesitations? Patriarchy does not harm women alone; it conditions men too, differently and deeply.

This realisation felt urgent. I knew I had to begin by listening. I turned to the men I know — friends, colleagues and seniors — and asked them, candidly, about their own journeys as allies (or their struggles to be). I spoke to men from all walks of life, each with his own story, his own hesitations, and his own moment of reckoning.

What I heard was no polished speeches. No rehearsed lines. Just raw honesty, as I heard them narrate their sides of the story.

And here’s the truth I synthesised. Stepping into the space of allyship isn’t easy for men either.

Why Men Hesitate

Many men want to be allies but aren’t sure how. They worry about saying the wrong thing, overstepping, or being perceived as performative. One respondent candidly admitted,

‘I’ve been in rooms where I knew I should speak up… but I froze. Not because I didn’t care, but because I wasn’t sure if my voice would help or harm.’

This uncertainty is only made harder by social conditioning. In most professional spaces, men are rewarded for being decisive, in control, and always confident — not for admitting they don’t have all the answers.

The irony is that real allyship often begins with that very admission.

The Turning Point

For some men we spoke to, the journey to becoming an ally began at home through a partner, a daughter, or a colleague whose struggles they could no longer ignore. For others, it came through a jolt at work — an uncomfortable moment that forced them to stop, reflect, and see things differently.

A quote from the conversation reads, ‘I thought I was already doing my bit — hiring women, giving them opportunities. But then a colleague told me she didn’t feel safe speaking in meetings I led. That hit me. I realised that allyship isn’t just about giving space; it’s about making sure the space is genuinely safe.’

These turning points mattered because in that moment, allyship stopped being just an idea and became something real, something lived, a responsibility they could no longer step away from.

Courage, Vulnerability, and Consistency

The men we heard from didn’t pretend to have it all figured out. They spoke about the awkward first attempts, asking questions that felt clumsy, challenging a friend’s sexist remark and getting laughed at, or stumbling over language in a DEI workshop.

And yet, they kept going.

As one person put it, ‘If the fear of making mistakes stops us, nothing changes. We have to be willing to look a bit foolish in the short term for something bigger in the long term.’

At ILSS, we believe this is where courage meets vulnerability. Allyship isn’t about a single grand gesture; it’s about the everyday act of showing up, listening, learning, unlearning, and then trying again.

Leaning on Each Other

One of the richest threads in these conversations was the need for men to lean on each other in this journey.

Too often, men committed to gender equity feel isolated. They may be the only ones in their leadership circle pushing for a new policy or questioning bias in recruitment. Without peers to talk to, the work can feel exhausting — even risky.

‘When I started calling out bias in hiring, a few people in my team thought I was just being “too sensitive”. Having a group of other men who understood what I was trying to do made a world of difference,’ confided one during the conversation.

It’s crucial to create spaces where men can speak openly about their doubts, their missteps, and their progress. These aren’t spaces to centre men’s experiences over women’s, but to help men build the resilience and clarity they need to show up better.

The Role of the Ecosystem

It’s not just about individual men doing the work. Organisations, networks, and the broader ecosystem have a role to play in making allyship sustainable.

Policies matter. Training matters. But so does modelling. When leaders, especially male leaders, speak openly about their allyship journey, it normalises the conversation.

At ILSS, we’ve seen that when men are invited into equity work not as ‘helpers’ but as co-creators of change, their engagement deepens. They stop treating allyship as a favour and start seeing it as part of their own leadership identity.

‘This isn’t charity. This is about building better teams, better organisations, and a fairer world, and I benefit from that too’, as one respondent summed it up.

Moving Forward

So, how do we create more of these spaces for men to step up?

First, we have to acknowledge the fears and reluctance that hold them back, without judgment.
Second, we must design opportunities for honest, peer-supported conversations.
Third, we must embed allyship into leadership expectations, not as an optional extra but as a core competency.

The Men as Allies conversation was a reminder that there’s no perfect starting point. Some men are years into their journey; others are just beginning. What matters is creating conditions where both feel they can contribute, learn, and grow.

And perhaps the biggest takeaway? Allyship isn’t about men ‘saving’ women. It’s about shared responsibility for a more equitable world — and the courage to start with ourselves. As one of our colleagues so powerfully said, ‘If I wait until I’m sure I’ll get it right, I’ll never start. But if I start, I know I’ll get better.’

At ILSS, we’re committed to holding that space where starting is encouraged, mistakes are part of the process, and allyship is a shared journey. Because when men exercise courage, vulnerability, and authenticity, the ripple effect is profound.

Note: This blog wouldn’t have been possible without the men who chose to be part of these conversations — showing up with honesty, vulnerability, and courage. Though I keep their names confidential, I would like to acknowledge them with deep gratitude. Thank you for trusting me, and for lending your voices to a dialogue that I believe the world needs more of.

About the Author

Trisha Ramesh
Intern, India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS)

Trisha is a postgraduate student of Gender Studies at Ambedkar University, Delhi, and currently supports the Emerging Women’s Leadership Program at ILSS as a Program Management Intern. In this role, she contributes to coordination, logistics, and documentation, while learning from the everyday practice of feminist leadership.

She has previously worked with organisations such as Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), Misfyt Trans Youth Foundation and MarchingSheep where she explored gender, sexuality, and inclusion through research and writing. With a strong interest in advocacy, she is especially drawn to work that makes feminist knowledge accessible and grounded. She sees gender in everything—from policy to everyday interaction and is curious about how structures of power shape lived experience.

The post Allyship: The Conversations We’re Not Having Enough appeared first on India Leaders for Social Sector.

India Leaders for Social Sector

Leadership in the Social Sector is a Practice, Not a Position

Ishmeet Singh

Anjali Hegde

Barsha Banerjee

Krishnakumar Sankaranarayanan

Leadership Begins with the Self

Anshu Gupta

Seeing the System, Not Just the Organisation

Rukmini Banerji

Romonika D. Sharan

Arvind Agrawal

Vandita Batta

Proteek Kundu

Piyush Singhania

Urmila Sampath

Kavita Gunderia

Practising Leadership within ILSS

Lt. Gen. Ravin Khosla Retd

Meghna Jaishankar

Anirban Chaudhury

Samina Alam

Viswanathan S

What the Future Demands

About the Author

Why we need to re-define the purpose of education

The need to shift mindsets

Re-imagining the purpose of education

The need for a more inclusive policy

Kindness as the foundation of a framework for change

This Women’s Day, let’s talk about something we don’t discuss enough

Leadership Lessons from the Indian Constitution

Leadership During the Constituent Assembly Period

Key Leadership Lessons from the Indian Constitution

Leadership in Times of Crisis

Respect for Diverse Opinions and Dissent

Collaboration and Collective Decision-Making

Humanist and Democratic Values

Components of the Indian Constitution and Leadership Values

Relevance of Constitutional Leadership for Today’s Social Leaders

FAQs

Why Soft Skills Matter More Than Ever in the Social Sector

Redefining ‘Soft Skills’ for Social Impact

Core Competencies for the Social Sector Leader

Why Soft Skills Matter More Than Ever: The VUCA Reality

Increasing Complexity and Stakeholder Demands

Digital and Change Disruption

Resource Constraint, Ambiguity and Innovation

Building Trust and Relationships

Adaptability and Resilience in Complex Environments

Driving Teamwork and Collaboration

Enhanced Service Delivery and Impact

The Soft-Skills Gap in India’s Social Sector

Practical Steps for Social-Sector Professionals

FAQs

About the Author

Investing in Fundraisers, Investing in Impact: IFRC 2026

The Case for Capacity Building: Numbers That Speak

IFRC 2026: Capacity & Capital – Powering Impact

Why This Theme Matters Now

Three Pathways to Greater Impact

Building Fundraisers’ Capacity

Strengthening Organisational Capacity for Fundraising

Ecosystem-Level Investments in Capacity Building

A Space for Connection and Celebration

Join the Community

Women Entrepreneurship in India: Unlocking Economic and Social Potential

The New Face of Entrepreneurship

The Broader Role: From Enterprise to Ecosystem

The Road Ahead: Leadership and Legacy

Conclusion

References

Digital Transformation in the Social Sector: Meaning, Myths, and What It Actually Takes

Digital transformation meaning: what it is and what it isn’t

Myths vs Reality

What it actually takes

Case studies

I-Saksham: Scaling Grassroot Leadership with Purpose-Built AI

Educate Girls: Predictive Targeting to Enrol Girls

Lend A Hand India: Scaling Vocational Education

I-Saksham: Scaling Grassroot
Leadership with Purpose-Built AI

Educate Girls: Predictive
Targeting to Enrol Girls

Lend A Hand India:
Scaling Vocational Education

We’re Shooting in the Dark
Without Meaningful Data

Harnessing the Power
of Giving Moments

Building Capacity for
Everyday Giving