Omidyar Network India Funds 67 Projects Under Rapid Response Funding Initiative for Covid-19

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Rs.10.75 crore will support organizations helping India’s Next Half Billion tackle the health-related and socio-economic fallout of Covid-19

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India – Business Wire India

Omidyar Network India, an investment firm focused on social impact, announced that it has fully utilized the capital pool of Rs. 10.75 crore under its Rapid Response Funding Initiative for Covid-19. The initiative was launched on March 24, 2020 – since then 2000 applications were received and 67 proposals have been approved. Of this, Rs. 3.25 crore was contributed by employees of Omidyar Network India.

Applications received: some highlights


The 2000+ applications received from across the country provide good insights into the types of non-profit solutions that are being set up.

• While the majority of proposals were focused on physical health (79%), some (3%) were for addressing mental health challenges too.

• Nearly half (49%) the proposals were technology-focused - primarily online and mobile based solutions.

• The solutions focused on supporting the vulnerable sections – the lower 60% of the country’s income distribution represented by the daily wage earners, vendors, the gig-economy workers, and small businesses.

Commenting on the initiatives in response to Covid-19, Roopa Kudva, Managing Director, Omidyar Network India said, “The response of the nonprofit sector to the current crisis has truly been awe inspiring. The way they have galvanized into action has dispelled many myths associated with the nonprofit sector. NGOs and nonprofits have responded rapidly to provide cost-effective solutions. They are adopting new technologies at a fast pace. They are collaborating with each other to create a more effective response. If they continue to be funded adequately, these organizations will continue to play an increasingly greater role in India’s response to the pandemic both in the medium and the long term.”

Profile of proposals approved under RRFI:

The amount of Rs. 10.75 crore has been deployed towards the following mix of themes:


• Direct relief work, grassroots awareness campaigns, on-ground programs to mobilize volunteers (47%)

• Fact-based inputs to inform the thinking of policy-makers/influencers in supporting the NHB (12%)

• Data, apps and other technological solutions (27%)

• Collaborative efforts amongst funders and solution providers (12%)

• Economic resilience of NHB workers and small businesses (2%)

Listed below are the 67 initiatives chosen for funding under the Rapid Response Funding Initiative. They include a wide range of organizations - non-profits, coalitions of NGOs and civil society organizations, for-profit businesses seeking to create non-profit solutions as well as research bodies:





S.NO

ORGANIZATION

THEME

1

Aajeevika Bureau

Direct relief work, grassroots awareness campaigns, on-ground programs to mobilise volunteers

2

Access Life

3

Action Against Hunger

4

Akshar Foundation

5

Apnalaya

6

Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives (AALI)

7

Azad Foundation

8

Basic Healthcare Services (BHS)

9

Bethany Society

10

Bombay Sarvodaya

11

Calcutta Rescue

12

Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR)

13

Centre for Youth and Social Development

14

Change.org

15

Childline

16

CORO

17

CSE

18

Dakshin Foundation

19

Gram Vaani

20

Gramya Vikash Mancha

21

Involve Learning Solutions Foundation

22

Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation

23

Katha

24

Kaushalya Foundation

25

KeyStone Foundation

26

Learning Curve Life Skills Foundation

27

Manav Lok

28

PARI

29

PRAN (Preservation and Proliferation of Rural Resources and Nature)

30

RCRC

31

RightWalk

32

Rizvi Welfare Trust

33

RGVN

34

Saajha

35

SAFA

36

Sahayog India

37

Sense International India

38

Shishu Sarothi

39

Social Work and Research Center (Barefoot College)

40

Swasthya (Daily Wage Worker)

41

Vaagdharan

42

Waste Management Society

43

Centre for Civil Society

Fact-based inputs to inform the thinking of policy-makers/influencers in supporting the NHB

44

CPPR

45

Gaon Connection

46

IDFC/Noora

47

IDR

48

Radio Mewat

49

Rao et al (J-PAL India)

50

SNEHA

51

Tandem Research

52

VIDHI

53

ACT

Data, apps and other technological solutions

54

Akshara

55

Haqdarshak

56

JanVikas

57

Million Sparks

58

Meraki

59

Navya

60

Peepul

61

REAP Benefit

62

Saarthi

63

Tech for Good

64

Virohan

65

GiveIndia

Collaborative Efforts

66

Milaap

67

Jan Sahas

Economic resilience of NHB workers and small businesses



About Omidyar Network India

Omidyar Network India invests in bold entrepreneurs who help create a meaningful life for every Indian, especially the hundreds of millions of Indians in low-income and lower-middle-income populations, ranging from the poorest among us to the existing middle class. To drive empowerment and social impact at scale, we work with entrepreneurs in the private, nonprofit and public sectors, who are tackling India’s hardest and most chronic problems. We make equity investments in early stage enterprises and provide grants to nonprofits in the areas of Digital Identity, Education, Emerging Tech, Financial Inclusion, Governance & Citizen Engagement, and Property Rights. Omidyar Network India is part of The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of companies, organizations and initiatives, supported by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay. PWR
PWR

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