EdelGive announces launch of ‘Grow Philanthropic Fund’ extending long term support to 100 grassroot NGOs across India

Mumbai: EdelGive launches GROW, (The Grassroots Resilience Ownership and Wellness Fund), a one-of-a-kind collective of philanthropists, to support and sustain over 100 NGOs post the distress caused by COVID-19.

As the world is currently reeling under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been the grassroots networks on the ground that have been the first to the rescue, quickly adapting their programmes to meet the needs of the communities they serve. However, these organisations have faced challenges in their growth and sustenance through the course of the pandemic. 

The GROW fund has been institutionalised with the vision to support 100 grassroot organisations by addressing their needs and by creating future readiness.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Manan Trust, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, A.T.E Chandra Foundation, Ashish Kacholia and a few more partners along with Edelweiss Group have lent their support towards this initiative.

“The global pandemic has brought heightened attention on the importance of funding for capability building and future readiness. For NGOs to be sustainable and resilient, funders must focus beyond programme costs and enable NGOs to continue their work with communities across India. Through the GROW fund, I am certain that we will be able to create scale and resilience for organisations, increasing their impact exponentially, and further creating a more robust social sector.”- Vidya Shah, Executive Chairperson, EdelGive Foundation 

“GROW is an audacious and innovative attempt to bring collaborative philanthropy to support and strengthen apex structures for NGOs from all parts of India. We will be looking to find and assist 100 organisations with the help of our partner institutions and philanthropists.”  - Naghma Mulla, CEO, EdelGive Foundation

“The past year has been a difficult time for organizations we all support and the communities we care about. If anything, the continuing pandemic re-emphasises the importance of a resilient and diverse samaaj which has been the bedrock of the early response. I am happy to participate in the GROW Fund as a philanthropy collaborative to strengthen civil society institutions to respond even more effectively to future challenges.” – Rohini Nilekani, Founder and Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies 

“Grassroot organizations play a crucial role in social and developmental progress owing to their deep community engagement and last mile connectivity. Their incredible role has been recognized by all during the ongoing COVID crisis, however the pandemic has also created many challenges for the organizations, jeopardizing their operations and impact potential. A philanthropic collaborative effort that specifically seeks to support grassroot organizations is the need of the hour, and we are excited to join hands with other donors to support the GROW fund, to ensure these organizations can continue to deliver impact and be future ready.” - Hari Menon, Country Director – India & Lead, South & South-East Asia

"The A.T.E. Chandra Foundation is a firm believer and proponent of the importance of funding capacity building needs of NGOs. We are thrilled to be a part of the GROW fund, where grassroot NGOs will get capacity building support to grow and scale their impact. We believe that by strengthening NGOs in core areas like HR, Technology and Finance, they will have the right people and processes to work with many more beneficiaries in a long term, sustainable way." - Gayatri Nair Lobo, Chief Operating Officer, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation

“Unrestricted and flexible funding is the most useful way to support NGOs. We are excited to support the GROW Fund because it prioritises core costs and capacity building for some of the most promising NGOs in India. We are confident that GROW Fund’s portfolio will play an important role in helping grassroot communities respond to and recover from COVID in the long-run.” - Amanda Clarke, Executive Director, Manan Trust

Over the last 13 years, EdelGive has grown into a grant making organisation with the core strength of being a philanthropy manager and advisor to institutions and philanthropists.  It has a strong track record of identifying and supporting excellent grassroot NGOs to drive growth.  EdelGive is looking to use the same experience to collectively enable 100 NGOs that are impacted by the massive distress caused by COVID19.