Tech4Dev 2020 – Chintu Gudiya Foundation

Technology allows social impact organizations to improve the efficiency of their operations and enhance the overall impact on beneficiaries and the sector at large. Unfortunately, integrating technology solutions in programs requires software expertise, time, and money, all of which are often in short supply in growth-stage non-profit and social impact organizations. Hence, Project Tech4Dev, an initiative of the Chintu Gudiya Foundation, works with Indian NGOs to enhance the implementation of their programs through strong data collection, analysis, and visualization tools.

In 2019, we received applications from a wide range of NGOs and selected 15 NGOs for technology projects most of which are in progress. Our 10 partners have deep expertise in building software for a wide range of applications for all available devices. We are also constantly looking to recruit new software partners to expand the number of NGOs we can help at a time.

Objectives

The focus of this initiative is to use software tools to improve the programmatic operations of organizations, thereby nurturing and fostering a vibrant and thriving software ecosystem in India’s non-profit and social impact organizations. Our objective is to strengthen the long-term software capability of the NGO and its software vendor; we do not aim to replace the software vendor but to make them more aware and familiar with tools that are already available for the non-profit ecosystem. We work with the NGO and the partner for a period of 6 months, creating and implementing the project, after which the NGO and the software partner are responsible for maintaining and enhancing the project.

Please visit our Projects page for examples of our most recent work. Most of the work was done pro-bono; some were done on a consulting basis.

Please note that all work done by Tech4Dev Software Partners under this grant will be free and open-source and made available to other organizations around the world.

2020 Application Process

The 2020 Application Process consists of two phases. First, a qualifying application needs to be completed by all applicants that allow us to review and short-list viable candidates. Short-listed candidates will move to the second phase and fill out a more comprehensive application that will include project details, details on internal processes and decision-making. Please note that you will need to share the relevant documents with us via a Google Drive link.

Major Changes to the Tech4Dev process

The Application Process is now on a rolling basis. We will review all applications in the last week of the month, and select a few organizations to submit a more comprehensive application. For applications that are not accepted, we will give the applicant detailed feedback so they can improve on their application the next time.
NGOs can apply once a year.
NGOs will pay 25% of the total project costs or a maximum of INR 5L. Our software partners will work with the NGO to come up with the project scope and plan which will include the costing and the timeline along with the payment schedule. This is typically done in the first month of the engagement with the software partner. All payments will be made directly to the software partner.
We will be running a cohort program where we design, implement and train NGOs on a customizable platform that addresses their needs.

Selection Process

We plan to select an additional 12 non-profit and/or social impact organizations to work with during 2020. Please read the information provided to understand what the technology grant will entail, the eligibility criteria, how we will evaluate applications, and important dates before you fill in the Application Form below.

Grant Details

This is a non-monetary grant; however, the team of 2-3 software experts working with your organization over a period of 4-6 months would usually cost between INR 15 – 20L (USD 25,000). Tech4Dev will pay its share to the software partner directly.
Exploration and research into open-source software systems for applicability to your project and other similar projects
An analysis and documentation of your current and planned technical systems
Software design, consulting, and implementation services for your specific project
Consulting and bug fixing support after the project is deployed for a reasonable amount of time
You will be responsible for 25% of the total cost of the project up to INR 5L. You will pay this to the software partner directly according to the project timeline.
You are also responsible for recurring costs of the platform which typically includes hosting fees, maintenance, upgrades and communication charges (if the platform uses IVR/WhatsApp/SMS)

Eligibility Criteria

Please apply if you meet the following criteria:

Your organization works in India
Your organization is a growth-stage not-for-profit or a social business, with an annual budget between INR 1 CR and INR 10 Cr
You have a specific and clear project description
You believe that using technology in your primary mission will make your work more efficient and/or increase your reach
You have the budget to pay the software partner and recurring annual costs.

Please do not apply if you meet any of the following criteria:

Your annual budget is more than INR 10 CR
You do not have a specific and clear project description
The project involves your organization’s back-office systems like website development, financial or HR systems, donor management and/ or ERP

Evaluation Criteria

Some of the factors that we will use to shortlist projects are:

The number of people who benefit from the program.
The importance of the project to your organization and its impact
The number of other non-profits that could benefit from a similar solution.
Your willingness to share this work with other organizations around the world.
Your ability to provide human resources to this project while in development, such as personnel to work with software partners to create initial specifications and a project plan; a project manager to manage the project from your end, etc.
Your ability to allocate budgets and personnel for the project on an on-going basis for services including upgrades, managed hosting and regular maintenance.
Our experience and expertise in the areas where you require help.

How to Apply

Complete the 2020 Qualifying Application. We will review applications in the last week of every month and notify you by the first week of the next month whether or not you qualified for the comprehensive application. To help you along the way, we are providing you with sample answers for the Project section of the application.

For any queries that are not answered in the information above, please reach out to us. We are happy to get on a call with NGOs who need help in filling out the application. You can reach us at tech4dev@chintugudiya.org

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