Veddis Foundation set out to become an exemplar in the ‘wholesale giving’ sector by supporting exceptional organisations running impactful large-scale projects. Initially, the primary activity of the Foundation was providing funding support to worthy non-profit organisations covering a wide variety of social causes. In 2014, we adopted a hands-on approach and began to work directly on implementation through our own field teams. We set out to create a ‘model gram panchayat’ in Ratakhurd, a village in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. The aim was to improve the quality of governance and frequency of civic participation, keeping in mind the larger goals of creating livelihood opportunities for the local population and improving their quality of life. We implemented a variety of different initiatives including improved agricultural practices, capacity building and skilling exercises, and healthcare and nutrition interventions. These activities proved effective in raising income levels and creating sustainable livelihoods.

Additionally, we understood that there was a need to complement ‘wholesale giving’ in India with a culture of ‘retail giving’. Letz Dream Foundation incubated and supported the development of ‘Letz Change’, an innovative retail giving platform. Letz Change enabled non-profit organisations to present their work in a credible manner, get positive reviews from those who have seen their work, and tap into their social networks to raise funds. In 2018, Letz Change merged with GiveIndia to become India’s largest and most trusted giving platform.

Our learnings from Ratakhurd and Letz Change have deeply shaped our thinking and guided our core philosophies. We recognise the value of both government and technology as agents of scale. We believe that any efforts to reduce poverty require a multi-sector, multi-pronged approach that can address its many manifestations and root causes. We work with organisations operating across sectors such as education, healthcare and agriculture, and closely track multiple impact metrics in intervention areas.