Competitions, Tools and funding for non-profits
I2I Marketplace Proposal Writing Competition on Sustainable Social Enterprise Model
I2I is inviting innovative and practicable project proposals from CSOs/NGOs on the topic “Sustainable Social Enterprise Model” in any one of the sector of health, livelihoods, climate change and education. Deadline: 7 September 2010
For more information: http://daxissummit.org/I2I-marketplace.php
Nominations invited for the Sir Syed Ahmed Khan International Award 2010
Individuals, organizations, registered societies and institutions can apply for the award. The subject area of the award is education which includes promotion of education and establishment of academic institutions with a send of inclusive social objective.
For more information: http://www.fundsforngos.org/goto/link/9693/1
Ashoka’s Changemakers: Property Rights: Identity, Dignity & Opportunity for All competition
Omidyar Network and Ashoka’s Changemakers have jointly launched this competition to seek diverse approaches and groundbreaking models to strengthening property rights. There are three winners to be selected under this competition and each will receive a cash prize of $50,000.
For more information: http://www.changemakers.com
Homer Simpson for Nonprofits: The Truth About How People Really Think and What It Means for Promoting Your Cause
Download Homer Simpson for Nonprofits http://tinyurl.com/2wfexym
The Online Fundraiser's Checklist
Download the Online Fundraiser's Checklist http://tinyurl.com/34bqxjn
Toolkit on Volunteerism
The Toolkit provides an insight into the concept of volunteering and how volunteers and organizations can mutually benefit from volunteering.
Download the document: http://www.ng.undp.org/unv/Toolkit-volunteerism-2009.pdf
Amnesty International's online campaigning manual
A wonderfully complete manual available for download in PDF format. Thanks Anmesty, you are rendering a great service to the nonprofit community! Chapters include: strategy, techniques, preparing materials, responding to crises, evaluating a campaign.
Download the document: http://tinyurl.com/334stjw
How winning and marketing awards can help your business grow
For more information: http://bit.ly/a8fcxD
Free fundraising thermometer
Using a fundraising thermometer on your website is a great way to generate excitement for your fundraising project. It helps to keep people involved and informed of your progress, and adds interesting and attractive content to your website.
Further information: http://bit.ly/1twPxL
12 great Podcast channels for social entrepreneurs
Your daily source of inspiration, knowledge and information.
Further information: http://tinyurl.com/32tnpw4
11 Free tools every young entrepreneur must use
Further information: http://bit.ly/a7O02F
Top 100 Tools for Learning 2009
Further information: http://bit.ly/bN5AX
Virtual Conference on Microfinance & Mobile Banking
Join industry experts to discuss themes such as the benefits of m-banking, m-banking infrastructure, the use of agents, and m-banking in loan repayments and deposits.
http://www.opportunitycollaboration.net/
2010 Global Youth Enterprise and Livelihoods Development Conference Making Cents International
15 - 16 Sep 2010, USA
Making Cents International will convene practitioners, donors, educators, researchers, policymakers, youth entrepreneurs, and other partners in youth enterprise, employment, and livelihoods development for the 2010 Global Youth Enterprise & Livelihoods Development Conference.
Further information: http://www.youthenterpriseconference.org/
Competitions, Tools and funding for non-profits
Introductory Microfinance
15 Sep 2010 - 06 Oct 2010, United Kingdom
The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to best practices in the design, management, and evaluation of microfinance programs.
Further information: http://www.microfinanceassociation.org/
Hong Kong Social Enterprise Summit
19 - 20th November 2010, Hong Kong
Social entrepreneurship in the 21st Century. Partnerships for social change.
Further information: http://www.microfinanceassociation.org/
(Source: The Paragon Bulletin for FYSE 2010 fellows. Many thanks to the FYSE team for putting this together!)
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Genpact NASSCOM Social Innovation Honours - Apply Now !!!!
NASSCOM Foundation announces Genpact NASSCOM Social Innovation Honours 2011… Calls for entries to the 3rd edition of the biggest industry recognition for social innovation... last date for entries is October 1, 2010.
NGOs, NPOs, Corporate, Students, Government/PSUs, Individuals /Groups, can now apply across the following seven categories:
• ICT led Innovation by Non – Profit Organisation
• ICT led Innovation as a Business Model
• ICT led Innovation through Corporate Social Responsibility
• ICT led Innovation by Government Department/Body
• Multi Stakeholder Partnership
• ICT led Innovation by Individual/Group
• ICT led Innovative Student Concept
JURY:
The grand jury this year comprises of stalwarts namely:
• Narayana Murthy, Founder-Chairman, Infosys Technologies Limited
• Jaithirth Rao, Chairman, NASSCOM Foundation
• Kiran Karnik, Former President, NASSCOM
• Rama Bijapurkar, Independent Market Strategy Consultant
• T N Ninan, Chairman and Editorial Director, Business Standard Ltd.
HOW TO APPLY:
The application form can be downloaded from our website www.nsih.org
For more information on GNSIH, please contact:Gouri Raverkar, Senior Manager at 022 25190072/73, Email: gouri@nasscomfoundation.org
To know more about the same visit:http://www.nsih.in
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Spark MicroGrants seeks advocates for community-led projects
Spark MicroGrants (sparkmicrogrants.org) is a new initiative that capitalizes on the potential of local innovators by hosting contests in which community members propose their own solutions to social problems. After selecting a winning proposal, Spark provides seed funding in the form of a small "MicroGrant". Past competitions have focused on water & sanitation, promoting safe pregnancies, and food security.
Spark is seeking volunteers to be Advocates for current projects in Rwanda and Uganda, including:
- Karambe Village, Rwanda: The people of Karambe Village have to walk 3-5 kilometers before they reach a tap that is often dry. They are currently
designing a project to dig a well and build a water tank to improve access
to safe water for the over 500 village members.
- Wanteete Village, Uganda: Eighty women in Wanteete Village have come together to address their concerns about pre-primary education. Their children have to walk dangerous miles to over crowded classrooms and many do not attend any pre-primary education. The women are interested in starting a pre-primary program in their village.
Advocates are paired with the MicroGrant community of their choice and work remotely to support and promote their competition. Advocate responsibilities
include: helping to raise the money for the community project; reviewing and commenting on proposals written by community members; advertising and
promoting the grantee’s heroic work in the press. No prior work experience
is needed—only enthusiastic compassion! In addition to helping a
community in need solve its own problems you will learn about a pressing
issue for those living in extreme poverty, and get a ground-level view of
how they can be addressed.
The time commitment is approximately 2 hours per week for at least two months. Students can build class projects around MicroGrants. Although Advocates may have the chance to review grant submissions and discuss projects with experts in the field; Spark MicroGrants is really about enabling the community to define their own problem, design their own project and carry out the work for it.
Please email info@sparkmicrogrants.org or apply at sparkmicrogrants.org if interested.
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Microfinance - Interest free loan to SHG Members - Opportunities for NGOs in India to associate
NGOs can take up Micro Finance project introduced by us first time in India..... An interest free loan to SHG Members. For details contact 08040966187 between 11.00 - 5 PM on weekdays and / or send us your organization's profile with details of SHGs that you have. Visit www.ngofundraisers.com for project guidelines.
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PAISA: A commendable project to drive accountability in government programs
This is an article I wrote for ThinkChange India on an excellent initiative called PAISA to drive in accountability in government programs (starting from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan). I think those interested in governance are better off keeping continuous track on Accountability Initiative, the organization that conducts this project. Follow link for story and more details on this organization.
for more details visit:http://www.thinkchangeindia.org
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Scholarships for Disabled Students from Government of India
Scholarship for students with disabilities
Invitation of Applications for the National Scholarship for persons with Disabilities (2010-11)
Applications (in English or Hindi) are invited latest by 30th September, 2010 in the prescribed proforma from the persons with disabilities to award the National Scholarships for the year 2010-11 for pursuing technical and professional courses from recognized institutions. Salient features of the scheme are:-
* 500 National scholarships will be awarded to eligible students with disabilities for the year 2010-11 for pursuing technical and professional courses from recognized institutions.
* Financial Assistance can be given for computer with editing software for blind/deaf graduate and post graduate students pursuing professional courses and for support access software for cerebral palsy students.
* Scholarship of Rs. 1000/-p.m. for hostellers and Rs. 700/- p.m. for day scholars studying in professional courses at graduation and above level, and Rs. 700/- p.m. for hostellers and Rs. 400/- p.m. for day scholars pursuing Diploma/ certificate level professional. Course fee is reimbursed upto ceiling of Rs.10,000/- per year.
The eligible students with disabilities should submit their applications for scholarship in prescribed format duly countersigned and recommended by the head of the institution, where they are studying, so as to reach, complete in all respects to: National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC), Red Cross Bhawan, Sector-12, Faridabad-121007 on or before 30-09-2010.
Details containing the eligibility conditions, the prescribed proforma for the application are available on website of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India www.socialjustice.nic.in.
For further details, please visit website of NHFDC www.nhfdc.org or contact: NHFDC, Red Cross Bhawan, Sector-12, Faridabad-121007. Tel no. 0129-2226910, 2287512, 2287513 Fax-0129-2284371, e-mail-nhfdc97@...
Applications received, other than countersigned and recommended by the head of the institution in which the applicant is enrolled for study or after the last date or incomplete in any respect (i.e. without requisite information or documents), shall not be considered.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Government of India
URL: http://epaper.dnaindia.com/EpaperImages\31082010\3108183645-large.jpg
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Bisleri boss Ramesh Chauhan plots new rags-to-riches story
MUMBAI: Early this year, a bunch of unlikely ‘business associates’ trooped into the Andheri, Mumbai office of Bisleri International chairman, Ramesh Chauhan. As they cast nervous, furtive glances, it was evident they were uncomfortable in the classy confines of the headquarters. After all, they were more familiar with Mumbai’s streets that they scour for many hours daily. They were rag pickers. They had come to meet Mr Chauhan to review the progress of a ‘business alliance’ that the chairman-and-rag-picker combine had co-created a couple of years ago.
Mr Chauhan, the diminutive, yet feisty entrepreneur, had initiated this partnership to tackle an environmental hazard — over 3 lakh tonnes of PET containers are used and discarded every year. Polyethylene Terephthalate, popularly known as PET, is a non-biodegradable plastic used to package drinking water, carbonated drinks and juices.
Till recently, PET scrap was considered worthless even by rag pickers. Hardly anyone in India’s vibrant raddi market would buy it, leaving the unsightly garbage littered all over. So, Mr Chauhan stepped in and built a partnership with rag pickers, announced attractive prices for PET garbage, commissioned collection centres, purchased about 5000 kg every month, processed it and sold it to companies like Reliance Industries. His intervention birthed an entire PET recycling ecosystem that now collects about 1,200 tonnes of PET waste from Mumbai’s streets every day, according to industry estimates. Another 700 tonnes are collected from the rest of Maharashtra.
Mr Chauhan’s review meeting with the rag pickers that day was to take stock of how profitable the whole initiative was for them.
Rag pickers get other jobs
“Look,” says Mr Chauhan, “rag pickers are no invention by Bisleri. We only tapped the community to recycle PET scrap. And this is a business transaction — the focus is to make it a viable venture for the rag pickers.”
After the success of this pilot project, Mr Chauhan is now replicating it nationally. He has charged his army of 1,500 distributors and 2,300 odd sales staff across the country with the responsibility of seeding and setting up similar PET waste recycling ecosystems in their geographies.
They will do what Mr Chauhan did in Mumbai — establish such ecosystems, buy scrap from rag pickers through an elaborate distribution chain, identify users for the scrap, and gradually pull out once a self-sustaining cycle has kicked-in. Like Mr Chauhan does now, they too will continue to oversee this ecosystem ensuring it works smoothly.
The total organised bottled water market is estimated to be about `3,000 crore and is growing at 30% annually. Bisleri has a 60% market share. It’s a `10,000-crore market, including the unorganised sector.
“Of course, there are other competitors (who also generate PET waste). But as the largest corporate player, the responsibility rested with us,” says Mr Chauhan. Bisleri encourages rag pickers to pick up any PET bottles, including that of competitors.
PET waste can be recycled into carpets, car parts, fabrics, Fiberfil (for products like pillows and jackets), and also for roads where the recycled plastic is mixed with asphalt. The PET powder enhances the bonding ability of asphalt which strengthens the roads.
Stitching together a partnership with rag pickers wasn’t easy. They are a close-knit community that’s driven by trust and fear. Each rag picker has his turf marked out and no one ventures outside it without the leader’s permission. And if one of the members violates the unwritten code, the whole fraternity disowns him or her.
To begin with, a couple of Bisleri employees gingerly made contact with a few rag pickers in Dharavi. “We requested them to help us clean up the environment by working out a profitable model for them. We spent hours explaining everything,” says Ms Joyce Fernandes, a senior Bisleri executive closely associated with the entire project.
Mr Chauhan, who once built iconic brands like Goldspot, Thums Up, Limca and Maaza (he sold these to Coca-Cola in 1993) then roped in the Indian Education Society’s management and research centre’s student body called RHYTHM. It studied 56 rag pickers and 38 scrap dealers (bhangarwallas ) and found that the rag-picking community chose PVC waste over PET. The former was easier to recycle and re-mould. PET scrap, on the other hand, had no buyers.
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Low Cost medicines in India
Last time when I traveled around India, we got a chance to visit few of the primary health care centers in various rural areas. Most people there, seemed to get the medicines from Locost medicines. This name was not familiar to me, but by the end of the trip, heard it so many times, from different people, that now it prompted me to check out their site.
Located in Baroda, gujarat, Locost makes essential medicines for the people working with rural and urban poor. It is a non profit charitable trust, and they want to prove that good quality medicines can be made and marketed at resonable cost. They currently make about 60 essential medicines.
You can get in touch with Locost at the following address
1st Floor, Premananda Sahitya Sabha
Opposite Lakadi pool, Dandia Bazar
Baroda 390 001
Gujarat, India
Ph:+ 91-265-2830009, 2831468
E-mail us: locostbrd@satyam.net.in
You can also vist their website at http://www.locostindia.com/
source from:ngopost.org