aikyam fund - Making resilience accessible to early stage NGOs, ideas & at risk NGOs

Making resilience accessible to early stage NGOs & at risk NGOs

Abundance of good people doing great work...

1. Right to information(RTI), Forest Rights Act - FRA, Protection of  Children from sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Juvenile Justice Act, Right to Education, Internet Freedom, Digital Personal Protection Act, 2023(DPDP Act) are a reality because of Civil Society efforts in India.
2. Just 10 years ago - 15L-20L Active For Impact , Not For Loss orgs(NGOs) (~130-150NGOs/1L Citizens)
3. Donations have increased. Private philanthropy at 1.3 lakh crore in FY24 (1.05 lakh crore in FY22) even with FCRA Inputs reducing.
4. More Talent studying, preparing to work in the Social Sector (TISS, APUs, IRMA, etc)

But, there is scarcity of resilience in Civil Society Organisations

1. Only 4.1L active NGOs (July 2025) are listed on DARPAN. The ratio of NGOs to citizens in India is approximately 28 NGOs per 1L citizens, compared to 186 in Brazil, 64 in China, and 200 in Russia. 
2. Indian Trusts & Foundations estimate that number of fundable (>1 Cr/year) organisations in India could be less than 4000.
3. 6/10 early-stage NGOs do not get funding due to challenges with capacity around compliances, outreach.
4. 3/10 mid sized NGOs do not get repeat funding from trusts and foundations due to capacity and systems around compliance challenges, program delivery and monitoring frameworks.
5. 5/10 NGOs (all sizes, stages) have less than 3-month cash runway.
6. 8/10 NGOs (all sizes, stages) struggle to obtain indirect costs funding (capacity building, technology, operational infrastructure, team building) leading to organisation stunting
   

Components of resilience for NGOs - key functions

Working with partner NGOs, we broke down Resilience to its key components

Mostly Internal and can be controlled	Mostly External/Changing
👩🏼‍💻 Psychologically Safe Workspaces, Teams	🏛️ Compliance
🏛️ Efficient Operations
🌍 Measurable, Impactful Programs
💰 Diverse, Predictable fundraising streams

Current state of Resilience of Civil Society Orgs based on key components

Below is a an estimation (Desk research,  Inputs from 80 NGOs) of the maturity level across each of the key components of resilience

TEST: Tiny Experiments for Social Transformation

We didn't have many of the answers to improve the above metrics so we ran 200+ Tiny Experiments with partner NGOs to solve for parts of the above challenges and learnt from each experiment. 

One of our objectives was to understand the key barriers in increasing maturity levels across various components of resilence (e.g Website is not a tech challenge but a storytelling challenge, ERPs are not a tech challenge but a Internal Policies, Training Challenge, Firing is a hiring problem, etc)

Problem & Barrier	Tiny Experiment	Learnings
Driving Values, Mission & Vision from Leadership to Team Level	A 1 Day workshop with all team members co-facilitated by the organisations leadership	Workshops around Listening, Appreciative Inquiry, Shared Values, Imagine the Future on a regular basis in psychologically safe spaces helps towards mission aligned teams. Should be led by Leaders(s) Link
Resources around compliance mostly in English, not easily discoverable, accessible	An online Free library of curated resources on Compliance accessible in 14 Indian Languages with AI podcasts	Finance teams across NGOs visit the platform regularly, Content is now more discoverable through Google Search, AI Searches. Content shared by different stakeholders freely to contribute.
Challenges around learning to ask for help among Civil Society Organisaions team members.	An online forum for NGO team members to ask questions co created by aikyam, RNPF, Saathi	Questions through Email & Whatsapp easier to collect, Anonymous posting of Questions with Answers around sensitive topics helpful, Language Translate made discussions more accessible.
Laws that affect vulnerable communities are not accessible to them	aikyam fellows did In person campaigns with gig workers in bangalore to share an online Free library of curated Acts with NotebookLM Video Audio summary and translations in 14 Indian Languages	Native Language Video Summaries uploaded on Youtube very helpful to gig workers, Stickers with QR Codes to access the laws, Grievance Redressal workflows are still lacking.
Funders, Technology and NGO Leadership has more agency in design of programs for vulnerable communities but are least affected if their design fails	In Person and online Vulnerability Centered Program Design workshop with a partner NGOs  Details 🔗	Unlike human centered designs - this framework gives more agency to Vulnerable communities/Planet in the solution of the design. Systems Thinking made it easier to identify Measurement and Evaluation Metrics in a more systemic way. Better Fundraising Slide Deck and Ask to Funders
Scarcity of Psychologically safe spaces for Dialogue, reflections, planning for the CSOs	We ran aikyam space a 12 bed stay and workshop space in Kochi and Carefully curated Workshops, bootcamps to bring together like minded folks from CSOs to solve urgent and important problems faced by the teams.	Increased sense of psychological safety, Felt safer to ask for help, Better mission aligned teams, Being away from the day to day field work for a few days in carefully curated workshops provided opportunities to reflect and course correct.
Abundance of stories of impact but scarcity of Storytelling	Make Zero Code Free & Open Source Tools and Storytelling Frameworks more accessible to 20 NGOs through hands on workshops	Tech is only 2% of the Website Problem, Helped bring the joy of storytelling to Change makers, Zero Cost through Volunteer support and Digital Ocean hosting donations for Non profits.
How to make important and urgent information accessible to change makers by building an online community	Nurturing PATTIC - an alliance and an online community of finance practitioners members from across CSOs	1800+ Active Members with 76% of them active in the last 30 days. High open rates of above 50% on newsletters and a click rate of 12-14%
Scarcity of curated opportunities for aspiring talent in the social sector	aikyam jobs - Hand curated jobs from social impact orgs with rich job descriptions to attract talent	Adding context about the organisation within the job description, clear salary ranges and an option for NGOs to track applications became valuable to NGOs and job applicants.
PoSH

..and many more.

This approach by running experiments on actual problems and creating live solutions with feedback helped us to create a first draft framework for solving this in a systematic way for our partner NGOs/Ideas/projects.

aikyam fund - Making resilience accessible to early stage NGOs, ideas & at risk NGOs

What isAt aikyam fund?

fund

we
1. believe that organizational challenges aren't isolated problems - they're symptoms of interconnected systemic gaps. A 12compliance monthfailure often stems from team capacity issues. Fundraising struggles connect to storytelling and program fordesign weaknesses. Team burnout links to operational inefficiencies and unclear mission alignment.

   Every year, We identify a cohort of early stage social impact Ideas, non profits & at risk non profits in India working on urgent and Important challenges affecting vulnerable communities and the planet. 

   This cohort goes through our 12-month program that treats organizations/Ideas as complex adaptive systems, addressing four interconnected components simultaneously:

   • Compliant & Efficient Operations 
   • APsychologically UniqueSafe 4Workspaces Level& Structured guidance through workshops, bootcamps, trainings, actual last mile implementation support to selected non profits, Ideas.
     Teams

Measurable,

Impactful

Image:Programs

From

Diverse, L1Predictable toFundraising L4:Streams

Participating NGOs are able to unpack benefits at each level.

We define resilience across these four interconnected components and use a systematic L0→L1→L2→L3→L4 progression framework. The table below shows this level by level approach and the benefits unpacked at each Level in each key component.

Image: From L1 to L4: Participating NGOs are able to unpack benefits at each level.

Level >	L1	L2	L3	L4
Compliance & Operations	Regulatory Foundations Complete   12A, 80G, DARPAN, Audits, Statutory Filings, Banking, PAN	Core Policies Implemented   Team trained on HR, Procurement,  Travel, Expense Claims policies. PoSH ICC Committee formed. Data Privacy, Financial Procedures manual and Monthly reporting	Tech Systems Integrated   Accounting, Fit for purpose ERP, Compliance Calendars, Quarterly internal audits, SOPs for key processes	Compliance & Efficiency Optimized    Zero compliance violations, tech systems and SOPs adoption rate >80%, cost per beneficiary optimized, Mentoring other CSOs
Psychologically Safe Workspaces, Teams	Leadership framework Established   Vision, Mission, Values Statements, Board, Founding team roles, Hiring process, First hirings	Team Development Active   Onboarding, induction process in place, Team Building and capacity building plans created and first sessions started	Collaboration Systems ready   Communications platforms, project management tools, knowledge management tools, regular knowledge sharing sessions)	Psychologically Safety achieved in Workspace    Team recommends org to others, <15% annual attrition, mental health support available to staff, Innovation time/support for new ideas by team, sharing best practices with others in the ecosystem
Measurable, Impactful Programs	Program Design co-created with agency to communities they work with.   Identify stakeholders, their needs & vulnerabilities, barriers to those needs, solution, feedback loops.	Community driven Monitoring System Operational   Program workflows mapped, output indicators tracked, outcome indicators defined with baseline, program review rhythm established with community	Program Monitoring Active with monthly feedback from community   Mid course corrections, annual impact assessment, feedback loops with communities at risk	Impactful Programs delivery demonstrated    Replicable program models that are recommended or adopted by others working on similar challenges, providing support to others replicating/improving the model
Diverse, Predictable fundraising streams	Story & Impact Framework Ready   Why they exist, what they do, Theory of Change, 3-5 impact case studies, basic website, A basic clear communication deck/document	Outreach Plan Active   Fundraising plan in place, Donor lists, engagements, key fundraising opportunities identified, 1-3 Funding proposals submitted, Individual Giving started with 30-50 regular givers	Diverse streams of fundraising active   Individual giving CRM, 1-2 CSR/Trust Partnerships established, Grant Management systems, Active Website, Engagement with stakeholders through newsletters, events	Financial Resilience Achieved    6+ months cash flow reserves, Revenue streams diversifed with no source more than 40% of total annual income, multi year grants secured (1-2), Individual Giving retention >60%

Benefits for Civil Society as an Ecosystem?

1. Eco-system approach by nurturing/co-creating an eco-system of "infrastructure" for NGOs through public resources/projects/alliances like:
   • aikyam space - Convening, Co-working, Reflective spaces for NGOs in Fort Kochi Details 🔗
   • aikyam jobs - Hand curated jobs in social impact Details 🔗
   • aikyam school (WIP) - Courses, Workshops for Capacity Building Details 🔗
   • aikyam fellows - Program, Design, Tech, Strategy help for NGOs
   • Our Alliances:
     • PATTIC - Community, resources for statutory & regulatory matters Details 🔗
     • OASIS (Partner) - Making Open Source Software accessible to NGOs Details 🔗
     • PoSH (WIP) - Resources for gender neutral safe workspaces
2. Office hours with aikyam fellows
3. Conversations and mentoring with other Founders, Frontline workers, Teams
4. We support select Ideas, NGOs by covering costs (INR 5L-15L) to implement recommendations during the programme. (Cost of expert consultant on compliance, Financial Support for Founders if no income source, etc)

3 Year Financial Projections (Aug 2025 - July 2028)

S No	Description	Funding Status	Y1  (Aug 2025 - Jul 2026)	Y2 @ 4% Inflation (Aug 2026 - Jul 2027)	Y3 @ 4% Inflation (Aug 2027 - Jul 2028)
1	People (Fellowships, Salaries, Consulting, Interns)	Funded for 2Y	₹67,00,000	₹69,68,000	₹72,46,720
2	IT Infra for NGOs (Hosting, Laptops, Devices)	Funded for 2Y	₹17,50,000	₹18,20,000	₹18,92,800
3	IT Consulting for NGOs (Customisations of FOSS)	Funded for 2Y	₹7,00,000	₹7,28,000	₹7,57,120
4	Office/Space (Rent, Utilities, Medical, Facilities)	Funded for 2Y	₹28,00,000	₹29,10,000	₹30,26,400
5	Space (Furniture, Fixtures, Maintenance)	Funded for 2Y	₹3,50,000	₹3,64,000	₹3,78,560
6	Legal & Compliances	Funded for 2Y	₹2,50,000	₹2,60,000	₹2,70,400
7	Support/Fund for 5 NGOs/Idea (Average 10L per unit)	Funded for 2Y	₹50,00,000	₹52,00,000	₹54,08,000
8	Support/Fund for 30 NGOs/Idea (Average 10L per unit)	Pending	₹1,08,20,000	₹1,12,52,000	₹1,17,02,912

Note on #7 & #8 above: Support for NGOs/Ideas

We define resilience across four interconnected components and use a systematic L0→L1→L2→L3→L4 progression framework. Not all NGOs will advance through every level - progression depends on organizational readiness, capacity, and specific needs. Some may graduate early, others require extended support at certain levels.

Investment for a cohort of 10 NGOs/Ideas : ₹1,08,20,000 for 1 year (average across varied NGO development stages). Breakdown is shared in below table. 

Levels >	L0–L1	L1–L2	L2–L3	L3–L4
# of Partners	10	10	~6	~5
Compliance & Operations	₹50,000 –   Regulatory Foundations Complete	₹60,000   Core Policies Implemented	₹90,000   Tech Systems Integrated	₹90,000   Compliance & Efficiency Optimized
Psychologically Safe Workspaces	₹50,000   Leadership framework Established	₹60,000   Team Development Active	₹70,000   Collaboration Systems ready	₹1,00,000   Psychologically Safety achieved
Measurable, Impactful Programs	₹80,000   Program Design co-created	₹1,00,000   Monitoring System Operational	₹1,60,000   Monitoring with feedback	₹1,70,000   Impactful delivery demonstrated
Fundraising Streams	₹1,00,000   Story & Impact Framework Ready	₹1,00,000   Outreach Plan Active	₹1,00,000   Fundraising streams active	₹1,00,000   Financial Resilience Achieved
Per NGO per Stage	₹2,80,000   NGO reaches L1 across 4 key components	₹3,20,000   NGO reaches L2 across 4 key components	₹4,20,000   NGO reaches L3 across 4 key components	₹4,60,000   NGO reaches L4i8 across 4 key components

High Level Financial Projection

Grant Request (Aug 2025 - July 2027)

A total of INR 3 Cr (Three Crores Indian Rupees Only) in 3-6 tranches as a support/fund for around 30 NGOs/Ideas over 3 years.

1. August 2025: ₹1,00,00,000 (One Crore Indian Rupees only)
2. August 2026: ₹1,00,00,000 (One Crore Indian Rupees only)
3. August 2027: ₹1,00,00,000 (One Crore Indian Rupees only)

We are a Sec 8 Non Profit - Compliance Documentations

Company Registration

• List of Directors.pdf
• AoA.pdf
• CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION T4G.PDF
• PAN_T4G.pdf
• License for Section 8 of Companies Act.PDF
• MoA.pdf
• Darpan_Registration.pdf

12A & 80G

• 12A Approval Certificate.pdf
• 80G Approval certificate.pdf

CSR Registration

• CSR_Approval_letter.PDF
  

Audit Reports

• Audit Report & Financials_FY23.pdf
• Audit Report & Financials_FY24.Pdf

Income Tax Returns

• FY 2022-23
  • 10BB FY 2022-23.pdf
  • ITR Form FY 2022-23.pdf
  • ITR Acknowledgement FY 2022-23.pdf
• FY 2023-24
  
  • 10BB FY 2023-24.pdf
  • ITR FY 2023-24_Form.pdf
  • ITR FY 2023-24 Acknoweldgement.Pdf

Annual Reports

• aikyam-report-2022-23.pdf
• aikyam-Report-2023-2024.pdf
• aikyam-report-2024-25.pdf

Policies

• HR Policies.pdf
• PoSH Policy.pdf
• Travel Policy.pdf
• Reimbursement Policy.pdf
• Advance Policy.pdf
• Procurement Policy.pdf
• Banking and Cash Approval Policy.pdf