Submit Applications for PFH’s India Fund

The India Fund supports small, locally led Indian NGOs working with vulnerable and marginalized communities in some of India’s poorest regions. Grants of ₹10 lakh to ₹40 lakh are available for community-led development, organizational capacity building, empowerment, and systemic change initiatives, typically for one to two years. What Is the India Fund? The India Fund provides financial support to local Indian NGOs that work directly with communities experiencing severe poverty, social exclusion, limited access to essential services, and other forms of disadvantage. The fund emphasizes community-led development, meaning that people affected by poverty or exclusion should play an active role in identifying problems, designing solutions, and leading development activities.

Its broader objectives are to:

Support community-centered development programmes. Strengthen the leadership and decision-making capacity of marginalized communities. Promote long-term systemic change. Build the capacity of local NGOs and community facilitators. Improve opportunities and services for vulnerable populations. Key Details of the India Fund

Funding amount: ₹10,00,000 to ₹40,00,000

Typical project duration: 1–2 years

Applicant type: Local Indian NGOs

FCRA registration: Required

Application status: Rolling applications

Assessment schedule: Twice yearly, in March and October

Geographic focus: Selected priority regions of India

Application method: Direct applications from eligible NGOs

What Types of Communities Are Supported? The India Fund prioritizes organizations working with communities facing significant social and economic disadvantage.

Priority groups include:

Communities with little or no access to education or healthcare. Tribal communities fighting for or dispossessed of land and natural resources. Women facing poverty, exclusion, or limited opportunities. The fund favors approaches that build on community strengths rather than treating vulnerable people only as beneficiaries. What Does Community-Led Development Mean? Community-led development places affected communities at the center of the development process. Instead of an NGO independently deciding what a community needs, the approach encourages community members to: Identify their own priorities and challenges.

Participate in designing solutions

Take leadership roles in implementation. Develop local institutions and leadership. Monitor progress and outcomes. Sustain successful interventions beyond the grant period. Projects should therefore demonstrate meaningful participation and ownership by the communities they seek to support. Who Is Eligible? The India Fund is intended specifically for local Indian NGOs.

Eligible organizations must:

Be based in India. Be locally established and locally led. Hold valid Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration. Work directly with vulnerable or marginalized communities. Operate in one or more of the fund’s priority geographic areas. Demonstrate a strong commitment to community-led development. Show how their work contributes to empowerment and longer-term systemic change. The fund does not accept applications submitted through consultants or professional fundraisers. Eligible NGOs must apply directly. Where Can Projects Be Implemented? The India Fund focuses on selected areas experiencing significant poverty and marginalization.

Priority states include:

Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Odisha Jharkhand Bihar West Bengal Assam It may also support work in certain culturally identifiable and economically disadvantaged regions of: Maharashtra Gujarat Andhra Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan Organizations should demonstrate that their proposed project is located within an eligible priority area rather than assuming that work anywhere in the listed states will automatically qualify. What Activities Could the Funding Support? The fund is broadly oriented toward programmes that enable vulnerable communities to improve their own social and economic circumstances. Strengthening local organizations and community leaders. Projects should be closely connected to the needs and priorities of the communities involved. How Much Funding Is Available? The India Fund provides grants ranging from: ₹10,00,000 to ₹40,00,000 per grant. Projects generally run for one to two years, depending on the proposed intervention and funding arrangement. Applicants should develop a realistic budget that clearly connects expenditure with proposed activities, community outcomes, and the project’s overall objectives. Why It Matters The India Fund is particularly relevant for grassroots organizations because it focuses on locally led solutions rather than externally imposed development models.

Its approach can help:

Strengthen community ownership. Develop local leadership. Improve access to essential services. Address structural inequality. Increase participation of marginalized groups. Strengthen the organizational capacity of local NGOs. For small Indian NGOs, the fund can therefore provide both programme financing and an opportunity to strengthen community-driven approaches to development. How to Apply Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are assessed twice each year, generally in March and October. Eligible organizations should follow these steps:

1. Confirm organizational eligibility

Check that the NGO:

Is a local Indian organization. Has valid FCRA registration. Works directly with vulnerable communities. Operates in an eligible geographic area.

2. Define the community problem

Clearly explain:

Who the project will serve. What problem the community faces. Why the problem requires intervention. How community members have identified or experienced the issue.

3. Develop a community-led solution

Describe how community members will participate in: Explain how the proposed work can contribute to broader change rather than only providing short-term assistance. For example, an effective proposal could connect service access with commu