Our Partners
National Foundation for India
National Foundation for India is a
professionally managed, independent, not for profit organisation, that was set up in 1992
for mobilizing public opinion and generate resources for supporting development action.
The Foundation supports gender sensitive community level initiatives and advocacy by
making grants and providing networking and professional support through NGOs and civil
society organisations in four thematic areas. They are Gender Equity and Justice, Public
Affairs and Urban Governance, Remedying Regional Imbalances, Development Communications.
The Foundation has created a special fund for promoting Innovations in
Social Action in collaboration with Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action and OXFAM
India Trust. Each programme has a defined geographical focus determined by the study of
the macro and micro environment and related development factors.
The National Foundation for India perceives development as a people centred and holistic
process of empowerment of the poor and marginalized based on democratic values that
ensures gender equity and justice, encourages pluralism and diversity in the
society. The Foundation looks at Development from a rights perspective and firmly
believes that the civil society bodies and non government organizations (NGOs)
working closely with the communities have a significant role in bringing
about complete socio-economic transformation in the society towards the ultimate goal
of poverty alleviation. Foundation believes in working with the government wherever
there is a scope and also sees media as a partner in the process. Over the years the
Foundation has created a special niche for it in the development sector by taking
positions on important social issues like steady decline in sex ratio, status of girl
child and adolescent girls in particular and women in general; representation of women and
the marginalized in the governance focusing on 73rd and 74th constitutional
amendments, regional imbalances with focus on the Northeast and Orissa.
The projects supported by the Foundation deploys creative and innovative ways and
means that have a proven efficacy in addressing these issues. Some of these
strategies are: use of radio by the community groups (Community Radio) in
articulating their concerns; use of media to write and portray the conditions of the
underprivileged; supporting pilot learning projects at the grassroots, which that in
time would offer solutions to complex social and economical problems facing the poor
and the marginalized (women, dalits, tribals); and simultaneously build strategic
alliances with the government, academic institutions and other donor and support agencies;
facilitate pressure group action, advocacy and networking to bring about a conducive
policy environment in support of the poorest and marginalized. Gender Equity and
Justice is central to all programmes of the Foundation
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