The objective is to understand how to incubate scalable non-profit groups

To help nurture young non-profit organisations and scale their early stage organisations, the Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore’s (IIMB) N.S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) has shortlisted eight social ventures. This is the first batch of social venture initiatives being mentored by NSRCEL.

Explaining the process, Suresh Bhagavatula, chairperson, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development at NSRCEL, IIM-B, in a press release, stated, “Our objective with this programme is to understand the processes by which we can incubate scalable non-profit organisations. Scalability is difficult to achieve for for-profit start-ups, especially for NGOs. Having said that, some NGOs in India and abroad have done this successfully. Our intention is to motivate nascent non-profit start-ups to build scalability DNA into their organisational culture.”

The centre had received 160 applications of which 24 were selected in diverse sectors such as education and financial inclusion. This was later shortlisted to eight based on a selection process. Since its inception several years ago, NSRCEL has nurtured over 60 ventures for profit and continues to do so.

Creating play spaces from scrap

Five architecture graduates from IIT Kharagpur have begun their own venture that builds ‘playscapes’ with recyclable material for children. Anthill Creations, a non-profit organisation founded in 2015, is determined to bring back play for children through sustainable means.

Nancy Charaya, one of the founders of the Anthill Creations, said, “We realised that play equipment is expensive and difficult to maintain, and that there are several schools without such facilities. So we decided to use scrap such as tyres to build these playgrounds.” She also pointed out that they have helped construct 17 play spaces in seven cities in India and Nepal. As they have been flooded with queries about their work, they have now also decided to build Do-It-Yourself modules that can be used to set up these spaces.

Enhancing employability

Identifying a gap between the academia and industry with respect to the skill sector, Ashwini Krishnaprasad, founded Superheros Incorporated in 2014. The trust aims to develop career readiness among students at Industrial Training Institutes.

Ms. Krishnaprasad’s venture aims to “bridge the gap between the supply and demand of the skilled and trained workforce with enhanced employability”. She adds that the aim of Superheroes Incorporated is to strengthen technical skills among vocational trainers so that industries get skilled workforce. Besides placing students, the trust also helps manage their careers and offer counselling to people once a month for a period of three years.

Most of the graduates Superheroes has helped now work in the manufacturing sector in the automobile and aerospace sectors.

Parents of first-generation learners

To help students get the right environment to excel in academics, Seemant Dadwal and Ghazal Gulati decided to start a non-profit that would focus on training parents of first-generation learners. Meraki was formed to help parents by equipping them with knowledge skills.

Mr. Dadwal says they work among low-income communities where a family’s monthly income is less than ₹10,000. “In order to transform the lives of their children, parents who have poor health and educational outcomes themselves need help,” he said.

Mr. Dadwal, who is an alumnus of IIM-B, began this initiative in 2016. The organisation has been instrumental in training 205 parents in six government schools in New Delhi.

Accelerating the sports ecosystem

Bridges of Sports, a non-profit organisation that works in tier II cities and towns, recruits athletes locally and trains them to become coaches after which they in turn conduct a 24-week training programmes for students.

“We provide them with equipment and monitor the progress of their students on a weekly and monthly basis. We encourage them to participate in taluk and district-level tournaments, which helps in accelerating the vibrant sports ecosystem,” said founder Nitish M. Chiniwar.

Founded in January 2017, 15 of their fellows train students between the 8-14 age group in Chikkamagaluru and Mundgod.