Project with iCare India

Anand S, Akshay Khatri, Achyuta, Tanuj Maggon and I had a great experience working with iCare India. iCare is registered under SUSWA, an environmental trust that supports conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of the cultural and natural heritage of the Doon Valley. It is a non-profit, youth-based organization that works towards creating a beautiful and sustainable future by promoting community involvement and educational outreach.

iCare wants to encourage young people to become envi­ronmentally aware and actively promote heritage conservation. Therefore they have decided to organize iCare Awards to felicitate the unsung heroes who have taken up the mantle to save the precious resources for the future generations.

As a part of their endeavour, our team helped them to plan the iCare Awards ceremony which is scheduled for January 2012. We designed the Corporate Communication and Promotional Strategy for the Awards including the following:

• Preparation of presentation, sponsorship letter and cover letter for the Sponsorship drive

• Preparation of the list of companies which are actively participating in CSR activities and which could be approached for sponsorship

• Cost Accounting: Identification of the probable financial headers

• Design of the Social Media marketing plan to promote the awards

This experience has instilled in us the passion to pursue similar endeavours in future for the betterment of the society. We wish them success in all their future aspirations and hope that they continue their good work.

Working with the Etasha Society

Laxmikant and I are currently involved in a project with the Etasha Society. Etasha is an NGO working to change the lives of the disadvantaged youth of the country, by providing skills development and vocational training to them. This training makes it easier for them to get jobs in various industries, such as Hospitality, Retail, Manufacturing, BPOs and Financial Services. A number of young men and women have benefitted from the training provided by Etasha, and are working in positions of responsibility with a higher pay, and more importantly, a sense of pride.

In order to carry on their good work, Etasha needs as much funding as it can get. In the past, they have had tie-ups with organizations like Barclays and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to conduct workshops for the underprivileged members of society. However, these have been one-off projects. So, our goal is to come up with strategies to increase the retail funding base of Etasha by building long-term relationships with companies in different industries. We aim to make these partnerships mutually beneficial for both parties, resulting in the economic and social growth of society. For this purpose, we have divided companies into different sectors, and are coming up with different plans customized for each sector. The major sectors identified are –

§ Hospitality

§ Retail

§ Manufacturing

§ BPO

§ Design & Architecture

Generic strategies for each industry will be formulated, and implemented first for companies that Etasha has a history with. Gradually, other companies in the industry will be approached with similar plans, hopefully with the added advantage of already having successfully implemented it with the original companies.

The main attraction for companies to tie-up with Etasha is the opportunity to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Companies today are expected to contribute to society through their CSR wings, and working with Etasha, a registered NGO, would provide a platform for them to showcase these activities. More importantly, the companies can expect something tangible in return as well, as the individuals trained through their funds can become future employees of the companies. This enables the companies to advertise their contribution to society.

This is our humble effort to contribute to the change that Etasha is attempting to bring to society. We shall keep you informed about our project developments as time progresses. In the meantime, if you or your organization would like to contribute to this wonderful cause, do feel free to contact us at guptaaks@gmail.com, or laxmikantborase@gmail.com.

As a wise man once said, “in helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us”.