2 days Workshop on Fundraising for NGOs in Bangalore

Conundrum of Independent Directors- New Clause on CSR

The clause number 135 in the recently passed Indian Companies Bill exclusively addresses Corporate Social Responsibility. While the supporters and baiters of the bill are having a field day, there is a very practical issue that needs to be addressed and that too fast.

In a well meaning measure, the Clause 135 makes it compulsory for companies to have an independent director in their CSR Committee. This may pose no problem for the public listed companies, who are any way mandated to have independent directors on their board.

However, once the new clause is put into force (which is just a Presidential nod and government notification away), all companies that have a net worth of INR 5 billion (500 crores) or turnover of INR 10 billion (1000 crores) or net-profit of INR 50 million (5 crores) will need to have in place a CSR Committee. This could very well mean 8-10,000 companies as per one estimate.

However, according to a World Bank Report published in 2012 only 5,112 domestic companies were listed in India in 2011. This leaves almost half the companies in a lurch, who may not have an  independent director on their board but will need to have one in their CSR Committee. Will this mean these companies will have to compulsorily take on an independent director on their boards?

It won't be a bad move though and could only improve governance of these companies. However, a clarification is much awaited from the architects of the new act. It will only help the companies in putting their CSR policies in place and deliver the much needed social impact.

For a complete FAQ on CSR provisions and next steps, reserve your copy of the book
"CSR Reborn" today by writing in to nandita@safrg.org.

Throwing light on new era of CSR in India

With the passage of Indian Companies Bill 2012 in lower house of Indian Parliament, the country is abuzz with optimism and confusion simultaneously. While broadly the new provisions have been welcomed, the bill in its current shape raises lots of questions.

At this turning point "CSR Reborn" comes in with some answers and postulations. I gained several insights editing the book. Three of the industry captains in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and Corporate Sustainability have also lavished praise on the book (see the back cover). The contributors to this book have decades of experience in the development and CSR sector, hence the praise does not appear out of place.

The book has been published by SAFRG, which is a not-for-profit think tank on philanthropy and CSR working in Asia since 1989. The book is officially being released at 24th South Asian International Workshop on Fundraising and CSR, which is being held from August 1-3, 2013 at Awesome Farms, Faridabad-Sohna Road, New Delhi NCR. This is a gathering of varied audience from more than 10 countries across Asia, Australia, Africa and North America and hence an apt platform for unveiling the book (more details on www.safrg.org).

You can lay hands on a copy by writing in to nandita@safrg.org. It is priced at INR 450 or USD 10 per copy.

Groom Yourself to be an All Rounder in NGO Management & CSR

The pictures are from past workshops. For more details to be part of this opportunity click here

CSR 10 India Index 2012 released

www.fundraisingindia.org the free resource for non-profit organisations and corporations interested in CSR presents the CSR 10 India Index 2012.

The index analyses the performance of top 10 India companies with respect to their CSR spends. How close or off they are from targets that are likely to get mandated under the new Company Affairs Law.  Click to download your copy of the CSR 10 India Index 2012 and be surprised how top wealth creators fair when it comes to spending on CSR.

CSR 10 India Index 2012 from anuptiwari

A must have resource on Global Fund Raising

To fill an important gap in non-profit fundraising information, Penelope Cagney and Bernard Ross, went about compiling and editing pieces contributed by leading fundraisers across the world. The result is "Global Fundraising: How the World is Changing the Rules of Philanthropy", published by AFP and Wiley.

The book covers fundraising across countries, regions and continents. Each chapter highly derives on local contributions from fundraisers in respective geographies. In other words, it is collective wisdom, which is not very often available publically in the field of fundraising.

To order copy of this must have publication, please click http://www.amazon.com/Global-Fundraising-Changing-Philanthropy-Development/dp/1118370708#_

Report on status of Fundraising Professionals in South Asia released by SAFRG

 

This SAFRG report is amongst the very few publically available studies on the topic. This can be helpful to NGOs for benchmarking their fundraising manpower.

The report is available on the link http://www.safrg.org/uploads/HR_Survey_Report.pdf