Omidyar announces a solidarity grant of Rs 13Cr; to help 11 NGOs amidst pandemic
Omidyar Network India said the 'solidarity grant' is being given to support the non-profit sector as it faces challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Impact investor Omidyar Network India (ONI) on Monday announced a grant of Rs 13.6 crore for 11 non-profits in the country. The platform said the 'solidarity grant' is being given to support the non-profit sector as it faces challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It can be noted that the announcement comes at a time when concerns have been raised about the future for non-profits in the country, especially the foreign-funded ones, after recent regulatory changes.
Part of the Omidyar Group, ONI usually makes equity investments in early-stage enterprises and provide grants to non-profits in the areas of digital identity, education, emerging tech, financial inclusion, governance and citizen engagement, and property rights.
Bodies which have received the grant from Omidyar include Association for Democratic Reforms, Data Security Council of India, eGovernments Foundation, Pratham, Foundation for Ecological Security, and Janaagraha, as per an official statement.
"Solidarity grants are our way of paying tribute to the important work that non-profits across India are engaged in. It is also our small contribution to ensuring that the sector emerges from this crisis and scales greater heights," ONI Managing Director Roopa Kudva said.
ONI Partner Shilpa Kumar said these non-profits are directly involved in driving impact, and "ONI's grants are a symbol of its conviction in the important work of our grantee organisations."
The firm will also shortly roll out a separate programme to support think tanks in its portfolio for core organisational strengthening efforts in areas like governance, diversity initiatives, learning, impact measurement, and mental health, the statement said.
From the early days of the pandemic, the non-profit sector has been the driving force for on-ground relief and pandemic management, and resilience-building efforts despite the difficult circumstances, ONI said.
It had launched the Rapid Response Funding Initiative (RRFI) for funding non-profits in March 2020, utilising its CSR funds and contributions from its team.
(Disclaimer: Additional background information has been added to this PTI copy for context)
Edited by Suman Singh