Business Wire IndiaOmidyar 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
- 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 |
