The Problem
After years of experience in the non-profit sector, we observed that the majority of funding goes to established organizations run by the well-connected. We noticed how grassroots leaders coming from marginalized communities often have ingenious visions and impressive potential, but struggle to scale their initiatives because their energy is focused on day to day survival.
Our Role
We identify high-impact mid-career changemakers coming from and working for marginalized communities, who lack only financial stability to scale their vision.
Our Model
We support each changemaker for five years with a salary, a physical launchpad for their work, and opportunities for their professional development and capacity building. Learn more.
We Provide
Personal Growfund
Five year salary with no strings attached
Long-term launchpad
Funding the physical infrastructure of long-term vision
Network Expansion
Mentorship and capacity building for long-term fundability
Currently Supporting
Eleena | Violence Against Women
Founder: Project Unlearn
Where she comes from: As a woman, Eleena has always been acutely aware of gender-based violence and passionate about dismantling harmful gender norms, and creating spaces for men to discuss gender. In 2018, Eleena ventured into the challenging realm of Indian prisons to engage with inmates and gain insights into the dynamics of recidivism and gender-based crimes.
Where she is: For over 5 years, Eleena has worked on-ground in prisons across Delhi/NCR. She has successfully initiated a rehabilitation and contextual education program aiming to decrease violence and crime against women in India. Eleena is currently pioneering an innovative approach in which former inmates themselves design and lead open dialogues with boys and young men to re-define harmful gender norms.
Where she's going: Eleena aspires to open a Gender Institute run by former inmates which provides a space for men to re-conceive harmful gender norms, as well as for the public to re-evaluate preconceptions about the formerly incarcerated. She approaches her work from a place of radical empathy, and that men can and should be a part of the solution to gender-based violence and crime.
Prakash | Migrant Child Education
Founder: Pass Trust
Where he comes from: Prakash was born in a small village in rural Madhya Pradesh, India. As a child, he was forced to move to Delhi due to devastating flooding and lack of income in his home village. In many aspects, Prakash is from a marginalized background and faced discrimination both in his village and Delhi due to this situation.
Where he is: In Delhi, Prakash got involved in a theatre troupe which was the first time he felt treated him worse because of his rural and low-income background. This inspired him to begin theatre activities in the migrant slum where he lives, which gradually morphed into experiential education programs. He currently has 10+ years working on education projects with low-income migrant communities in Delhi.
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Where he's going: Prakash wants to set up an organization to empower youth in slum and migrant communities to tackle the issues they face, such as waste management, education, and issues rooted in climate change, such as excessive heat and flooding.
Founders
Lindsay graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Linguistics, and is currently pursuing her J.D. from the University of Chicago. Throughout five years working in the non-profit sector in Ecuador, India, Tajikistan, Ukraine and the United States, she had the privilege of interacting with inspiring grassroots change-makers whose lack of “Fundability” (financial stability capacity and infrastructure) was the only thing between them and their enormous potential for grassroots impact. This experience motivated Lindsay to be a part of the solution with Fundable.
After a short stint in the corporate world post-masters, it became clear to Tabish that it was the development sector that moved him. In the past 9 years, he has worked on projects ranging from youth exchanges, to rural girls’ education, to criminal justice. Most recently, Tabish spent the 2022-23 year working at Northwestern University’s Buffet Institute for Global Affairs as an Atlas Corps Fellow. During his time in the U.S., Tabish observed the largely untapped potential of connections between the U.S. and Indian changemaker spaces. Recently awarded by Acumen, he hopes to build those bridges through Fundable.
Mohit Raj holds an M.A. in NGO Management from Jamia Millia Islamia University and also studied at Columbia University as an Obama Foundation Scholar. For the past 12 years, he has worked on designing, implementing and monitoring impactful projects in the Indian development space. Mohit’s years of innovative achievement in the development sector have earned him recognition as both an Ashoka Fellow and an Obama Foundation Scholar. Mohit became motivated to create Fundable upon witnessing the way philanthropy to India often fails to reach the most marginalized communities due to lack of connectivity.