Omidyar Network India Funds 67 Projects Under Rapid Response Funding Initiative for Covid-19

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India: Omidyar 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

The 2000+ applications received from across the country provide good insights into the types of non-profit solutions that are being set up.

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	Collaborative Efforts
67	Jan Sahas	Economic resilience of NHB workers and small businesses

About Omidyar Network India

Omidyar Network India invests in bold entrepreneurs who help create a meaningful life for every Indian, especially the hundreds of millions of Indians in low-income and lower-middle-income populations, ranging from the poorest among us to the existing middle class. To drive empowerment and social impact at scale, we work with entrepreneurs in the private, nonprofit and public sectors, who are tackling India’s hardest and most chronic problems. We make equity investments in early stage enterprises and provide grants to nonprofits in the areas of Digital Identity, Education, Emerging Tech, Financial Inclusion, Governance & Citizen Engagement, and Property Rights. Omidyar Network India is part of The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of companies, organizations and initiatives, supported by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay.

Omidyar Network India

Omidyar Network India Funds 67 Projects Under Rapid Response Funding Initiative for Covid-19

Rs.10.75 crore will support organizations helping India’s Next Half Billion tackle the health-related and socio-economic fallout of Covid-19

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