What is your focus? How are you different from other nonprofit entities working in India today?
We provide seed funding and help develop ventures that target a range of interventions: agriculture and environment, disaster mitigation and relief, education and training, empowerment, health care, and income generation. The projects IDS supports encompass education, health care, environment, income generation, and development of social activists.
Which states do you work in?
We have supported projects in over 22 states—nearly every state in India—over the last 40 years.
Where are you planning to concentrate your work in the near future?
The states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, the tribal belt of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh.
Why these locations?
These states/regions fall within the backward classification of the Government of India. Funding in such remote areas of India stretches farther than in more advanced states.
How do you know your money is used appropriately and effectively?
IDS requires annual and/or semi-annual accounting from NGOs that are grant award recipients. We monitor and review the annual reports of these organizations to not only ensure that the target population’s needs are met but also to establish “best practices” and ensure an NGO’s success. Additionally, our board members and project leaders visit selected operations.
This Hub ‘n Spoke approach sounds interesting; where did the idea originate?
The Hub ‘n Spoke system is an innovative approach based on a supply chain model. We are able to take advantage of economies of scale (number of people served) as well as economies of scope (range of interventions provided) at an exceptionally low cost. We find the hub ‘n spoke model is particularly suited to rural India.