Ecosystem Building
Stronger from Within
Our society is interconnected. This interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental factors requires a holistic approach to all systems. Rather than focusing on isolated issues, sectors or programs, ecosystem building is vital to take a broad view of the challenges and opportunities facing a community and work to address them in a comprehensive and integrated way. Our work in this field involves supporting organisations across sectors working towards building the field and the ecosystem. This may also translate to supporting the institutional capacities of organisations and leaders to build resilient teams through relevant processes and practices by means beyond grants.
OPPORTUNITIES
The problems we’re facing are complex and multifaceted, and we can no longer afford a fractured approach to problem-solving. It is time that we recognise that society and ecology are highly interconnected systems. Climate change, justice, and equality cut across all domains and cannot be tackled individually by specialists. And technology and private capital alone cannot solve the problems of tomorrow.
With a trust-based philanthropic approach, we intend our grants to allow partners to show up for the communities they serve. This enables us to respond, helping them visualise their role better and deepen our understanding of the issue. We need to ensure that ecosystems are conducive to serendipity and leave space and opportunity for tinkering and exploration.
Subcategories
Societal Platform
Strategic Philanthropy
Strategic philanthropy is about giving focused on long-term goals. By design, it is research-based, using planning, strategy, and proven methods for implementation. It looks for ways to take results to scale using policy. There’s an urgent need to support endeavors that have taken on audacious goals, that work strategically and collaboratively using rigorous approaches.
Grassroots Support
Uncommon Ground
This idea that first found its expression as a television show and book (Uncommon Ground: Dialogues Between Business and Social Leaders, 2011) created by Rohini Nilekani. Co-created as a dynamic and expanding movement with the CAMP Advanced Mediation Practice and other network partners, Uncommon Ground aims to build a societal muscle for transforming conflict and dissonance into a creative impetus for change by serving as a conduit of shared know-how and competencies.
Capacity Building
Work in this area focuses on building institutional capacity, technical expertise, and intellectual capacities for organisations working in the social sector. This field allows organisations to experiment and conduct research in areas where quantification is challenging, thus allowing long-term impact.
Resources in this field
Article
The Indian Express | Rohini Nilekani writes: We need a mental health movement rooted in community
When we help others, we help ourselves. It is a win-win described for samaaj by good science Just five minutes a day of contemplative practices to improve mindfulness, connection, insight[...]
Article
IDR | Is Data Failing Us?
By Natasha Joshi, Chief Strategy Officer, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Last year, we at Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies interviewed 14 social sector leaders and funders to inquire what they thought were the biggest issues[...]
Article
IDR | The limits of AI in Social Change
– Gautam John, CEO, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies More actors—from grantmaking to service delivery—are exploring the use of AI. However, the excitement around scale and efficiency often overshadows a critical question: What does it mean[...]