Our Vision

Dhwani Foundation is founded by experienced entrepreneurs and professionals from the corporate and development sectors. The journey began when the founding team realized the need for strengthening nonprofits to drive better impact on the ground.

After years of supporting NGOs as donors, Manju Kuchhal and MJ Aravind observed that many nonprofits fell short of their objectives. The NGOs they came across were committed to the cause, and had worked for years in challenging circumstances, deeply connected to their communities. Yet the lack of processes and executing capacity stopped them from reaching their full potential. They realized grassroots organizations needed something beyond funds, to make them effective.

In 2017, we surveyed over 100 various stakeholders in the social sector – including NGOs, donors, government agencies, academics, think-tanks and beneficiaries and asked them: What makes a good NGO?

Their responses helped us eight key elements that defined a good NGO. These elements were related to level of compliance, quality of governance, usage of MIS, Finance & Accounting processes and practice etc. It was clear the quantum of change required will involve training, hand-holding, mentoring support and more. What’s more, capacity building is an on-going process, requiring patience, persistence, and strategic effort.

This led us to devise the Niranthara Programme as a two-year experiential programme. Today, our work is built on this framework of change. We work with multiple stakeholders to build a vibrant and credible social sector.