We have come a long way in bringing professionalism to the social sector. There are many ways in which you can choose to approach social work, some of which have been listed below:

1. Working for a national/international NGO

There are over a million NGOs in India, and many have openings for various profiles and roles. Explore the kind of work you would like to do and the cause that you relate to. In case you were not aware, Chinmaya Mission also has a social development arm called CORD (Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development).

2. Exploring Social Entrepreneurship

You may also choose to start an organization/project of your own and be an entrepreneur, in this case referred to as a social entrepreneur. Starting and running an NGO is similar to running a business. You can be paid to be an Executive Trustee, but you have to do your own marketing and get in the funds. Similarly, building and sustaining your team is your responsibility but if you are passionate about the cause and have a vision, go for it! There are many inspiring social enterprises which you can study for your reference, for example Amul, Lijjat, Manndeshi, Barefoot Collect, Jaipur Rugs, Arvind eyecare and the likes.

3. Working for Corporate Social Responsibility.

India is amongst the first few nations to have a mandatory CSR Policy, which makes it compulsory for organizations, which fall in the purview of the law, to donate 2% of their profits to charity. Many of these companies have started their own foundations and conduct their own social development projects. You can choose to work with these companies or their foundations.

4. Fellowship

There are many fellowships that support you financially while you bring about developmental change within the community. Though this is a time-bound commitment, it may help you get started.

5. Working for supporting organisations

The not-for-profit sector is supported by many ancillary organizations. If you are not interested in working directly with people, you may also choose to work with an incubation centre that incubates social impact projects. There are many consulting organizations that work with NGOs too.

Darshan Lal Jain