NGO Annual Reports - tips for making it a powerful tool for NGOs and donors!

Do Indian NGOs need to make Annual Reports?

Trusts and Societies are not required by law to produce Annual Reports. Section 25 Companies are required to publish Annual Reports. However, organizations that desire to practise norms of transparency and accountability should make their Annual Report for the corresponding financial year within eight months of the end of the financial year. The Annual report should be widely disseminated to stake holders and be available in the public domain. 

What should be included in an Annual Report? Are there any standard formats available?

The Annual Report should clearly describe what the organization is trying to accomplish (vision), what are its strategies for making it happen (mission), what are the organization's capabilities for achieving its mission, state its objectives and how it measures its progress, what the organization accomplished during the year and so far, and most importantly what it did not accomplish and why. It is essential that the organization also provide summarized financial statements for the year (Balance Sheet, Income & Expenditure Statement and Receipts & Payments Account). It is advised to present a summary even if the organization is attaching the entire audited accounts.The organization should also provide its key registration details, contact details, as well as information about is bankers and auditors. The Credibility Alliance has provided norms for disclosures in the Annual Report. Organisations should include all such information as well.

GuideStar India has created a template for Transparency & Accountability Disclosures. It is a 2 page format in MS Excel that can be freely downloaded and filled. This template covers all the essential information that should be contained in the Annual Report. It also makes your information comparable and donor friendly. 

The template can be downloaded from:

http://www.guidestarindia.org/SiteImages/GSI template for Transparency and Accountability Disclosures.xls or write to info@guidestarindia.org for receiving it by email.

How could we use the Annual Report as a tool of transparency and accountability?

If you provide all the information and disclosures as stated above, your Annual Report could become a powerful tool for establishing your credibility and support your fundraising efforts. While the number of copies your produce and the quality of paper you use would be decided by your budget, you can use your electronic version for wide dissemination. Make sure that your file size is optimized for emails and downloads. Ideally keep it to less than 2MB. You could provide options to the user to download a rich version and light version. Upload the Annual Report on your website, include a link in your email signature, upload it on your public profile on  www.guidestarindia.org, the NGO information repository accessed by more than 20,000 visitors every month.

You could also get your Annual Report certified by GuideStar India and apply for a Transparency Badge or Seal of Public Accountability at a nominal cost (Annual Report disclosures is one of several other criteria to qualify).

For more questions, write to info@guidestarindia.org

GuideStar India is India’s leading provider of NGO information. Its portal www.guidestarindia.org is India's largest, fully searchable database of reliable and comparable information on over 4000 NGOs. Its powerful search allows users to find and connect with verified NGOs within minutes. 

With a systematically organized repository of NGO information and a range of NGO outreach & due diligence solutions, GuideStar India enables individuals, corporate, government and other institutions to effectively access, engage with and support NGOs. GuideStar India pursues and promotes real time data-sharing and interoperability of portals featuring NGO information. Corporates, Philanthropists and other institutions use GuideStar India for NGO Datasets, NGOSearch & Match, NGO Outreach, NGO Due Diligence and NGO Partnerships. 

GuideStar India educates and equips NGOs to embrace best practices on transparency and public accountability for greater social impact. GuideStar India awards its Transparency Badge and Seal of Public Accountability to NGOs that meet the highest standards of transparency and public disclosure.

Registration on GuideStar India is free for NGOs. Visit: http://guidestarindia.org/Register.aspx 

Meet NGOs who joined our portal in August 2013

49 NGOs voluntarily chose to demonstrate their commitment to transparency and public accountability by joining GuideStar India in August 2013! In a country of a more than a million NGOs (the estimated number of operational NGOs in India is only about a third of the much publicized 3.3 million which is the total of NGOs registered since the year 1860) where the credibility of the voluntary sector is always questioned, we feel encouraged every time an NGO takes the step to voluntarily put its information in the public domain.

We congratulate each of the 49 NGOs that came forward to register last month and joined the 4,000 NGOs that are already a part of our portal.

We will share the list of NGOs added every month. Visit this link regularly to meet our new members: http://www.guidestarindia.org/List_of_NGOs.aspx Feel free to connect with them directly for your CSR programmes, to volunteer with them or support them in any way you can. Please exercise due diligence depending on your level of physical engagement and the the quantum of your support.

Name of Organisation	GSN
AAGAAJ FOUNDATION SOCIETY	4891
AARADHANA	4916
Arpana Research & Charities Trust	4893
ARYA JAN KALYAN SHIKSHA SAMITI	4871
BAGNAN CRESCENT EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY	4931
BETHUADAHARI BHORER ALO	4932
Bright Educational & Social Welfare Society	4917
DELHI CAMBRIDGE BROTHERHOOD	4911
DISHA WELFARE ASSOCIATION SAMITI	4922
HOPEMONKEY FOUNDATION FOR INDIA	4888
Indic Society for Education and Development	4841
JIVANDEEP SEVABHAVI SANSTHA	4887
KALYANAM KAROTI	4881
KoraputCSRhub	4898
Krida Vikas Sanstha	4859
Kshamata	4895
Life Line Multipurpose Society.Latur,Tq.& Dist.Latur.(M.S.)	4867
LOK KALYAN SAMITI	4926
LOKKALYAN CHARITABLE TRUST	4899
MAHANT ABANANDGIRI CHARITABLE TRUST	4901
MAHATMA SHIKSHAN SANSTHA	4903
MANAV VIKAS SANSTHA	4906
Manodhairya Manashastriy Sanshodhan Va Prashikshan Sanstha	4912
MAYA FOUNDATION	4892
Miracle Charitable Society	4883
NAGDA ZENITH SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY	4879
RUPAMARI RURAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY	4914
SAHITI CHARITABLE TRUST	4875
SAHITI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY	4868
SAHYADRI SHIKSHAN SANSTHA	4930
SAIRAM HEALTH CARE CHARITABLE TRUST	4900
SAMPARK TRUST	4828
SANATAN UNNAYAN SANGSTHA	4870
SANJEEVANI HOSPITAL FOUNDATION	4882
Sanjeevani...Life Beyond Cancer	4921
SANKALP INDIA TRUST	4872
Sawali Samajik Pratisthan Satara.	4873
Shanti Ratna Parivartan Foundation Sanstha	4908
Sharp Developments	4924
SOCIETY FOR EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT	4905
SOCIETY FOR EMPOWERMENT OF VILLAGES AND AGRICULTURE (SEVA)	4909
Society for Rural Awareness and Development in Himalayan Area	4877
Society of Health Education Legal Training And Emergency Rehabilitation	4920
Surbhi Social Development Organisation	4910
THE BOMBAY SALESIAN SOCIETY	4869
The Rashtriya Life Saving Society	4880
VASANTHA MEMORIAL TRUST	4890
VOLUNTARY INSTITUTE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT	4927
watgunge adolescent improvement association	4933

Wish to welcome your favourite NGOs to join GuideStar India? Ask them to visit: http://www.guidestarindia.org/Register.aspx for free registration that takes less than 30 minutes!

Silicon Valley Community Foundation and GuideStar India collaborate to benefit Indian NGOs

The partnership will showcase Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s extensive network of nonprofit partners in India on GuideStar India and IndiaGivingNetwork, a unique coalition supported by the U.S. Department of State

Pushpa Aman Singh, Founder & CEO, GuideStar India with Emmett D. Carson, CEO and President of the Silicon Valley Community foundation

We are happy to share SVCF's press release announcing our partnership.

Press Release - May 16, 2013

Silicon Valley Community Foundation and GuideStar India Announce Collaboration

MOUNTAIN VIEW - Silicon Valley Community Foundation and GuideStar India have formed a collaboration to help individuals interested in giving to India find a way to leverage their resources more effectively and efficiently.

The partnership will showcase Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s extensive network of nonprofit partners in India. As the comprehensive center of philanthropy, Silicon Valley Community Foundation gave grants to 29 countries last year. India ranked as the fourth highest grantee country in terms of dollars granted out internationally in 2012. Additionally, Silicon Valley Community Foundation completed a special report to better understand, celebrate and share trends on philanthropy in the Indian American community of Silicon Valley, On the Shoulders of Generations.

Partnering with GuideStar India through the India Giving Network portal will offer individuals a transparent gateway to giving in India. The portal offers individuals access to a wide array of credible nonprofit organizations. Furthermore, this will offer potential donors various ways to support a broad network of nonprofit organizations focused on various causes in India.

Through this collaboration with GuideStar India, Silicon Valley Community Foundation joins a unique coalition of leading nonprofit organizations that is supported by the U.S. State Department.

“International giving can be complex. Using this platform,  philanthropists can have meaningful impact on the issues that they care most about by working with India-based nonprofit organizations that are both reliable and efficient,” said Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., CEO and president of the community foundation. “Cultural philanthropy is an important part of the work we do, and this partnership helps further our ongoing commitment to fostering social impact in India.”

“India has a vibrant NGO sector with thousands of organizations tackling serious challenges across the country. India Giving Network organizes information to make giving to India easy and efficient,” said Pushpa Aman Singh, Founder and CEO, GuideStar India. “We are delighted that Silicon Valley Community Foundation has joined our network. This is a significant step towards connecting American philanthropists with Indian NGOs. Our collaboration will positively impact Indian NGOs and the communities they serve.”

“We applaud Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s decision to partner with GuideStar India and join the India Giving Network philanthropy portal.  Our goal in supporting the India Giving Network is to catalyze greater and more direct linkages between individuals and organizations focused on philanthropy in India.  Having a prominent institution like Silicon Valley Community Foundation on board will help achieve this goal, and, in the process, promote innovative development strategies that are of mutual benefit to the United States and India,” said Robert O. Blake, Jr., Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

###

About Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation makes all forms of philanthropy more powerful. We serve as a catalyst and leader for innovative solutions to our region’s most challenging problems. The community foundation has $2.9 billion in assets under management and more than 1,650 philanthropic funds. As Silicon Valley’s center of philanthropy, we provide individuals, families and corporations with simple and effective ways to give locally and around the world. Find out more at  www.siliconvalleycf.org.

About GuideStar India
GuideStar India is India’s leading provider of NGO information. Its portal www.GuidestarIndia.org is India's largest, fully searchable database of reliable and comparable information on over 3,500 NGOs. With another 70,000+ NGOs on its offline database and NGO due diligence solutions, GuideStar India has brought down the cost and time of connecting with NGOs. GuideStar India is transforming how Indian NGOs report and share information, and, is changing the way the people perceive, interact and engage with NGOs. GuideStar India leads and manages IndiaGivingNetwork.

GuideStar India is an initiative of Civil Society Information Services India, an Indian trust, in collaboration with GuideStar International and TechSoup Global.
http://www.guidestarindia.org

Amazing offer for GuideStar India NGOs to attend the Global CSR Conference!

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), Ministry of Corporate Affairs in partnership with Samabhavana, an NGO, is organising  “Global Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility - India” (www.globalconferenceoncsrindia.org) on 16^th and 17^th April, 2013 at the Lotus Room, Hotel Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai.

GLOBAL CSR CONFERENCE  
REGISTER TO NETWORK WITH CORPORATES

LAST FEW SEATS, REGISTER FOR RS 6,000 ONLY FOR GUIDESTAR INDIA NGOs

About the conference:
Samabhavana being an NGO understands the difficulties in fundraising, and hence it has designed this conference keeping in mind the needs of NGOs and the difficulties faced while interacting with Corporates. With the introduction of the Companies Bill and the new provisions on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Parliament, there is a need for dialogue between the Corporates and Civil Society.

The shift in how CSR is being perceived now has been possible due to the initiatives undertaken by the government, financial institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders. With the changing scenario, companies will need to reconsider their existing CSR strategy. An increasing number of companies are interested in making their business operations sustainable and at the same time are struggling to establish clear processes that would help them set goals, measure, monitor and report CSR. The objective of the Conference is to bring together Government, Corporates and the Civil Society plan for a better India.

List of speakers: You may click this link to go through the list of speakers from Government, Coporates and NGOs :  http://www.globalconferenceoncsrindia.org/Speakers_Participants.html

Agenda :  Click on this link to go through the conference agenda http://www.globalconferenceoncsrindia.org/Agenda.html

What are the benefits for NGOs:

1. The key benefit is the opportunity to actually network throughout the 2 day conference with about 80 corporate delegates expected to attend.
2. IICA and Samabhavana will strive to form various connections between Corporates & Civil Society organizations through specific activities at the event.
3. Cause and issue based time slots and a separate conference room arranged so that Corporates can connect with Civil Society Organisations.
4. Listing of the NGOs attending with details of the organisation name, a brief profile of the organisation, email address and postal address in the conference booklet.

Who can attend: Heads of civil society organisations, key decision makers, Board members.
How to register:

• Please click here to register or copy paste this link to your browserhttp://globalconferenceoncsrindia.org/registration_p.aspx (In the registration form in the space provided for Postal Code please prefix 0. For example if your Postal Code is 400063, please write 0400063
• In the registration form, please enter your GuideStar Number (refer to the top of this email for your GSN) to avail of the 40% discount in the registration fee.
• Registration will be on first-come-first-served basis, so please register at the earliest.
• For your profile to appear in the Conference kit, please login here http://guidestarindia.org/Login.aspx to update your profile on GuideStar India. Please include number of lives impacted, nature of work, type of communities served, locations covered and unique achievements. We also encourage you to enter your key programmes in the tab FULL REPORT, sub tab PROGRAMMES.

What is included when you register: Breakfast and Lunch with Tea/Coffee during breaks, Conference kit & an invite for the IBM sponsored Networking Cocktail & Dinner
Registration Fee: INR 6,000/- only for GuideStar India registered NGOs which comes to Rs 3000 per day for the two day conference. For those not registered with GuideStar India, the fee is INR 10,000.

Payment Details:

Cheque/DD payable in favour of Samabhavana Society payable at Mumbai.
Address for the sending cheque/DD/Cash	:	Samabhavana Society  4th Floor, S.S. Phule Municipal High School,  Meherpada Compound,  N.M.Joshi Marg,  Byculla West , Mumbai-400027  MAHARASHTRA, MUMBAI.
For Wire Transfer, RTGS details are	:	1. A/c Name : Samabhavana Society  2. A/c No : 014000101016870  3. Bank Name: Corporation Bank  4. IFSC Code : CORP0000140

How you will know about your registration status: An auto reply will be sent for your registration. Once payment is received, the receipt as well as the Conference delegate number will be e-mailed.
Last date for registering: 13^th April, 2013

For details/ clarifications:
Please contact: Ms Ritu / Mr Kiran of Samabhavana: +91 22-23001093 & +91 22-23008430
(9.30 am to 5.30 pm - Mon to Sat)
Email: secretariat@globalconferenceoncsrindia.org with a cc to info@guidestarindia.org

We will see you at the conference!

Avail of 50 to 100% scholarship to SPJain's Executive MBA for NGOs

A great opportunity for working professionals in the development space! S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in collaboration with BAIF Foundation invites applications for  Post Graduate Certificate in Development Management (PGCDM). This is an 18-month modular contact programme.

50% - 100 % Scholarship

for

S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research’s

Executive MBA for the Development Sector

Post Graduate Certificate in Development Management (PGCDM)

batch starts on 22^nd april, 2013

GuideStar India is pleased to announce the PGCDM programme for working professionals in the development space who are currently working in NGOs, Foundations, Corporate and Government organisations.


What are the benefits for the participant:     
A comprehensive study while working programme  
Enhances managerial effectiveness 
Enables application of management principles in day-to-day operations 
Collaboration with BAIF adds development sector insights to the curriculum 
Innovative pedagogy includes classroom sessions, case studies and field visits 
Mentor guidance at the sponsoring organization 
Regular interface with experts from the field ( Maahir Milan) 
Range of project assignments and domain specific electives

Benefits for the organization:
Enhanced managerial and leadership competencies of your key talent will enable more productive, effective and efficient utilization and management of organisational resources 
A more robust and capable management level will infuse better thought out and executed growth, people and resource management strategies and plan. 
Increased organisational capabilities will result in a significant increase in the impact by your organisation on the segment of the development sector that you seek to create awareness about through advocacy, to uplift through direct action and are working so passionately

Who can apply: Middle and senior level executives of NGOs, CSR teams and government bodies.  Graduates with minimum two years’ relevant experience.

How to Apply:  Link of the form and Steps to complete the registration process: 
www.guidestarindia.org/SiteImages/PGCDM_app_form through GuideStar India.pdf
1)      Download the application form from the link above 
2) Take a printout of the form 
3) Fill the form and attach a DD/Cheque of Rs.500 towards registration in favour of 
  ‘ S P Jain Institute of Management & Research’. All candidates including those requesting scholarships need to send a non refundable DD/ cheque for  Rs500. 
4) If you wish to apply for scholarship, attach a request letter stating your credentials and explaining clearly why you deserve this scholarship 
5) Submit the duly filled form along with DD of Rs500 to S P Jain Institute directly on the below address ONLY:
Ms Pradnya Ranshinge 
Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan’s 
S P Jain Institute of Management & Research
Munshi Nagar, Dadabhai Road,
Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 058.
Direct: +91 22 61454248
Mobile: +91 9930139878
Programme Fee Details:
50% scholarship to all participants: It costs only Rs 3333 per month. This is payable in installments of Rs 20,000 per Semester for 3 Semesters.
The first installment is payable within 3-4 days of receiving confirmation mail from SPJIMR in April2013. 
The second installment is to be paid in the month of September 2013 .
and last one in the month of March 2014. In all there are 3 Semesters over a period of 18 months. 

Upto 100% scholarship is  offered based on merit :  Please contact SPJIMR  and indicate that you would like to apply for 100% scholarships, which could be made available for meritorious applicants.

Participants availing of scholarship need to furnish a refundable security deposit of Rs. 25,000. Deposit will be refunded on completion of the programme.

There is a facility for bank loan from Indian Bank. To take the loan you need to contact S P Jain directly.

Travel and lodging and boarding expenses to be borne by the participants.

Pay offs begin almost instantly after the participants attend the 1st Contact Session and continue well beyond the duration of the programme with the participants exploring, experimenting with applying the management education and tools they receive, at their work places and returning to discuss their experiences among their peers and with faculty thereby further expediting and enriching their learning.

PGCDM existing participants

Aditya Birla Group Alert - India Aseema Charitable Trust BAIF Birla Cellulose (Grasim Industries) BPCL Care India Child Fund India Desh Bandhu & Manju Gupta Foundation Ensemble Career Solution (P) ltd Essar Group Essel Mining & Industries Ltd Excel Industries

Family Service Center Heroes Project Hindalco Industries Lupin Human Welfare &  Research Foundation MITTRA, BAIF Nirman “Youth Organisation Parivartan Shikhan Sanstha Sakhi Gram Vikas Sansthan Ultra Tech Cement Vigyan Ashram Vivekanand Research  & Training Institute We – Working for Empowerment

How you will know about the status of your application
The team members of SPJIMR will send you a confirmation email. If you do not hear within a week of sending the form, please feel free to contact us.

Closing date for application: 17th April 2013. Please note that because of limited batch size, you need to apply soon, especially if you are applying for a scholarship.

For details/clarifications: 
Please write to info@guidestarindia.org or contact Vineeta/ Sangeeta of GuideStar India at 022-26856900/98/99