How we work – Shikshya Foundation Nepal

Selection Criteria for Grants

There is an urgency to invest in meaningful education for students, which needs to be made available to them without uprooting them from their communities. The Foundation nurtures students by supporting the education initiatives in Nepal through partnerships with local organizations and institutions; and through direct scholarships.

The primary challenge faced by the Foundation lies in finding credible organizations that share the values of Shikshya Foundation Nepal. In order to ensure that funds are channelized to where there can be greatest impact, the organizations are put through a stringent screening process before being eligible for funding. The criteria used to screen organizations are based on the following:

Credibility

Credibility of the organization is verified through inspection of registration documents and audit of financial records to ensure transparency of accounts. Additionally, the organization’s experience with previous donors is assessed and a thorough reference check is also conducted.

Environment

A positive environment would be one that is child friendly, safe, hygienic, nurturing, conducive to learning and the organization funded is ideally situated close to local schools.

Commitment

Commitment is measured by the involvement of the leadership in the organization, as Shikshya Foundation Nepal believes that funds have greater impact when the leadership has a hands-on approach to running the organization.

Need

To maximize the impact of funding the Foundation prioritizes organizations based on how desperate the need is. The need is especially pressing when support from the state is virtually nonexistent.

Sustainability

Longevity of partner organizations is imperative to the Foundation as it seeks long-term partnerships since an organization that has a long-term outlook can provide the necessary support to its children. Shikshya Foundation Nepal conducts multiple visits to partner organizations to identify overall well-being of the children, and keeps track of monthly, quarterly and yearly progress reports to ensure the same. Apart from that, SFN member meets and counsels each one of the scholarship students.

Growing together

Although the Foundation values and celebrates the initiatives of its partner organizations, it realizes that these organizations and the team running them may have capacity gaps. In addition to funding, the Foundation also assists in the ongoing growth of the team that runs the organizations. The capacity building exercise takes place based on the individual needs of the organizations and its members.

Monitoring the children’s well-being

The Foundation monitors growth and well-being of the children being supported; as well as the effectiveness of its partner organizations to ensure maximum impact. The Foundation monitors the children’s development through the following:

Academic Reports- well-nurtured children are more likely to perform better in schools. A sustained improvement in school performance also alludes to their emotional stability.

Regular Visits and Meetings - Given that the children come from marginalized groups and are emotionally vulnerable, the Foundation realizes that frequent meetings and talks is required to assess the children’s emotional well-being.

How We Work.