Dasra Philanthropy Week Focuses on Embracing the Field Approach to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030

MUMBAI, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

9th edition of the India Philanthropy Report 2019 with key elements to implement field approach launched

Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation emphasized on the adoption of a 'Field Approach' to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for India at Dasra Philanthropy Week 2019, among India's leading philanthropy convenings, which was held in Mumbai and Delhi during March 6-9, 2019. Dasra Philanthropy Week 2019 brought together around 400 Philanthropists, NGO leaders, representatives of Foundations, Corporates, and development sector experts in Mumbai to discuss the biggest developmental challenges faced by India.

Key thought leaders and sector experts such as Rohini Nilekani (Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies), Francine Pickup (UNDP),Rukmini Banerji (Pratham) and Sherrie Rollins Westin (Sesame Workshop) put forward their thoughts on multiple aspects of achieving SDGs for India through panel discussions, data sharing and knowledge sharing sessions.

Field Approach to address India's development challenges 

Through the field approach, Dasra aims to multiply the impact of every rupee invested for India's development needs which are aligned with SDGs, a set of 17 fields across 163 interconnected indicators adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015.

Francine Pickup, Resident Representative, UNDP India, said, "Sustainable Development Goals are all about collaboration. We have to adopt a platform approach towards achieving SDGs which will bring different partners and stakeholders together."  

The field approach considers all the stakeholders, identifies multiple areas of action, and coordinates them towards a specific goal. The aim is to generate significant momentum around a particular developmental challenge and create lasting change by leveraging collaborative action by philanthropists, NGOs, government, field experts, community leaders and media.

Bold and Collaborative Philanthropy to achieve SDGs for All 

While emphasizing on the crucial role of SDG 16, a goal which aims to provide access to justice for all, Rohini Nilekani said, "Philanthropists in India should move forward from service delivery related projects. Let's pledge to improve access to justice for all, which will uphold our constitutional values and public institutions. This will empower the markets and society as a whole to align with other SDGs."  

In a discussion about Collaborative Philanthropy, Aleem Jivraj (Nomura) pushed for more collective efforts by philanthropists. "Collaborative philanthropy allows you to take risks and achieve scale at the same time," he added. 

Creation of large scale social change through Collaborative Action 

Over the course of two days, prominent leaders from India's development sector also delved into the complexities, scale and interconnectedness of the country's development challenges which require outcome-oriented collaborative efforts to create social change at scale.

Neera Nundy,Co-Founder of Dasra emphasized on the need for scale and collaboration in India and said, "It's only bold Philanthropy if it is achieving the outcomes at scale and impacting the whole ecosystem. We have to reach communities on aggregate level and elevate the entire field through collaborative action." 

In order to provide knowledge, data and insights into different domains of India's development sector, two knowledge products were launched during Dasra Philanthropy Week 2019 in Mumbai.

India Philanthropy Report 2019 

In 'India Philanthropy Report 2019' which is a result of a collaboration between Bain & Company and Dasra, four case studies highlight the 'Field Approach' through which multiple corporates, government and philanthropists have successfully improved outcomes relating to social causes like urban sanitation and adolescent health, well-being and education, eradicating malaria and controlling tobacco consumption. The analysis of four case studies points out some critical elements of this approach:

• Field outcomes: A shared vision and a robust outcome-led model
• Data-driven policy advocacy: Data-backed models to demonstrate effectiveness of the interventions
• Collaborative action: Coordinated effort by the government, implementing partners, intermediaries, funders and technical experts
• Government allies: Engaging with the government for creating replicable change
• Design for scale: Designing programs and models which are easily scalable across geographies

Read the report here: India Philanthropy Report 2019

Count Me In: Building an inclusive ecosystem for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities 

The report 'Count Me In: Building an inclusive ecosystem for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities' which Dasra released in collaboration with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, aims to change the way India perceives intellectual and developmental disabilities altogether. The report approaches this issue using the social model of disability. The report places persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (PwIDDs) at the center of its approach to understand the challenges they face across various life stages. It identifies key gaps in services and highlights key interventions to enable effective inclusion of PwIDDs. The report also profiles ten outstanding non-profit organizations that are working in this space.

Read the report here: Count Me In: Building an inclusive ecosystem for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities

For any further queries, please write to [email protected].

About Dasra 

Dasra, meaning 'enlightened giving' in Sanskrit, is a pioneering strategic philanthropy organization that aims to transform India where a billion thrive with dignity and equity. Since its inception in 1999, Dasra has accelerated social change by driving collaborative action through powerful partnerships among a trust-based network of stakeholders (corporates, foundations, families, non-profits, social businesses, government and media). Over the years, Dasra has deepened social impact in focused fields that include Adolescents, Urban Sanitation and Democracy and Governance, and has built social capital by leading a strategic philanthropy movement in the country. For more information, visit http://www.dasra.org

Media Contact:
Akshay Tarfe
[email protected]
+91-8767980522
Analyst, Dasra