Powering Resilient Organizations and Leaders

India's thriving voluntary sector faces challenges to long-term sustainability. Traditional funding sources are shifting, demanding new fundraising strategies. Additionally, increased accountability demands and reduced investments in capacity building strain resources. The report highlights successful strategies like diversifying funding, strengthening internal governance, investing in capacity building, and forming strategic partnerships.

Social impact work is complex, involving diverse efforts at various levels. While isolated local efforts are crucial, collective impact is essential for larger, systemic change. This is challenging due to stakeholder differences and conflicting priorities. However, collaboration and community-centric approaches are key, emphasizing humility, engagement, co-creation, and accountability. These are roles played very effectively by ‘institutional entrepreneurs’ who connect, mobilise resources and keep a sharp focus on community needs.

The article argues that formal leadership development is crucial for sustaining non-profit organizations and their staff. It highlights three key practices: the need to define clear leadership competencies, co-create professional development plans and support consistent development conversations.  These practices benefit non-profits by retaining talent, building leadership pipelines, promoting inclusivity, and creating a skilled and motivated workforce for long-term success.

Talk by D Shivakumar, Senior Corporate leader and Motivational speaker on the Challenges of a CEO.  In this video, while addressing the participants of the Aritra Leadership Development Program (run by Phicus and IIMB), Shiv speaks about the need to be reflective, manage work life balance, the need to manage impact, inclusive and diverse teams and much more.