Collaborating with Global and National Leaders for Impact at Scale
Our institutional partners include some of the world's most respected foundations, global networks, and civil society organisations. These relationships are built on shared values, mutual accountability, and a common vision: a world where every individual has access to quality education, good health, and equal opportunity.
Institutional partnerships at DC are intellectual as well as financial. Our partners challenge us to think rigorously, measure honestly, and iterate constantly. Together, we raise the bar for how development work is designed, delivered, and evaluated.
The DC partnership approach — how we actually work
We start with the problem, not the programme. Before we ask for funding, we ask: what does this community actually need? What does the evidence say? What has been tried before and why did it work — or not? Our institutional partners are partners in that diagnostic process, not just funders of the solution we have already decided on. The strongest programmes we have built — Fortify Health, Suvita, Project Ansh — began not with a pitch deck but with a shared question.
We design for systems, not for pilots. A programme that reaches 500 people and stops is not impact — it is a proof of concept. From the beginning of any partnership, DC is asking: how does this embed into a government system? How does it reach a million people, not a thousand? How does it continue when the funding cycle ends? Our institutional partners understand this orientation because they share it. They are not looking for a headline — they are looking for change that lasts.
We monitor honestly, not optimistically. DC's M&E frameworks are built to surface what is not working, not just to confirm what is. We track outcomes against baselines, disaggregate data by gender, age, and geography, and share findings with partners before they become reports. When a programme is underperforming, we say so — and we work with partners to understand why. This kind of honesty is rare in the sector. We think it is the only basis on which institutional partnerships should operate.
We iterate. Always. No programme at DC looks the same at year three as it did at year one. Project Suvita began with SMS reminders and grew into a network of 10,000+ community ambassadors. Sampushti began with infants and expanded to children aged 5–10 when the data showed a gap no one was addressing. TeenBook began as a website and is now exploring AI-powered tools to reach the next generation of adolescents. Our institutional partners give us the runway to iterate — and the rigour to know when we have got it right.
We hold ourselves accountable — not just to our partners, but to the communities we serve. DC's ultimate accountability is to the families in Hardoi, the adolescents in Bihar, the newborns in Rajasthan, and the LGBTQIA+ young people in Delhi who trust us to show up, deliver, and not disappear when a grant cycle ends. Our institutional partners understand that they are part of that accountability chain — their investment is a commitment to real people, not just to a project plan.
Global Foundations & Philanthropies
Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation
Global Foundation | Health & Nutrition
One of DC's longest-standing institutional partners, the Gates Foundation supports our work in nutrition and health at scale. Through this partnership, Project Fortify Health has reached over 6.77 million people across 14 states with iron-fortified wheat flour, taking a simple, preventive approach to tackling hidden hunger.
Good Ventures
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Philanthropic Foundation | Health & Nutrition
Good Ventures' support reflects confidence in DC's ability to deliver data-backed programs that address critical gaps in health, nutrition, and access to information across India.
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Women's Fund Asia
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​Regional Foundation | Gender Equality
Women's Fund Asia strengthens DC's gender-equality programming — supporting work that ensures women and girls have equitable access to education, livelihoods, and leadership, with a particular focus on first-generation learners.
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David & Lucile Packard Foundation
Global Foundation | Reproductive Health & Youth Development
The Packard Foundation's partnership with DC has enabled critical work in reproductive health, nutrition, and youth development. Their support ensures that young people — particularly girls and women — can access the information and services that shape healthier, more equitable lives.
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Mulago Foundation
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Global Foundation | Health & Nutrition
Mulago Foundation backs organisations that are doing extraordinary work with radical efficiency. Their partnership with DC — providing both funding and strategic mentorship — has shaped our approach to scaling lean, high-impact programs without losing quality or depth.
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Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Community Foundation | Multi-domain
SVCF channels the generosity of global donors toward programs that create lasting community impact in India — from adolescent health and digital education to gender equality and inclusion.
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Open Philanthropy
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Global Philanthropic Initiative | Evidence-Based Health Programs
Open Philanthropy supports DC's rigorous, evidence-driven approach to development. Their partnership has enabled DC to test and scale high-impact health interventions that meet the highest standards of cost-effectiveness and reach.
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Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
Global Foundation | LGBTQIA+ Rights & Mental Health
Mulago Foundation backs organisations that are doing extraordinary work with radical efficiency. Their partnership with DC — providing both funding and strategic mentorship — has shaped our approach to scaling lean, high-impact programs without losing quality or depth.
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Global Foundations & Philanthropies
Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA)
Global Network | Evidence & Impact
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CEA's partnership reinforces DC's commitment to evidence-based development. This collaboration sharpens our focus on high-impact interventions and ensures that every programme we run is designed to maximise benefit for the people we serve.
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Global Development Incubator (GDI)
Incubator & Network | Program Incubation
GDI supports DC in building and scaling breakthrough initiatives. Their expertise in navigating complex development ecosystems has been invaluable to DC's growth as an organisation and to the incubation of individual programmes.
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AVPN (Asian Venture Philanthropy Network)
Regional Network | Asia-Pacific Impact Investing
AVPN connects DC with a dynamic ecosystem of Asian impact investors and philanthropists, expanding our visibility, opening new funding pathways, and reinforcing our commitment to the highest standards of social investment practice.
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Civil Society & Implementing Partners
STiR Education
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Education Partner | Teacher Development
STiR Education and DC share a commitment to transforming teacher motivation and professional development. As a core partner in DC's Adapt & Amplify portfolio, STiR's collaborative work with the Delhi government has improved teaching and learning in over 1,000 schools, benefiting 24.5 lakh students cumulatively since 2017.
Jhpiego
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Global Health Partner | Maternal & Newborn Health
Jhpiego's technical expertise in maternal and newborn health has strengthened DC's work in neonatal care and immunization — helping to reduce preventable deaths and improve health outcomes for the most vulnerable mothers and infants.
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Rean Foundation
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Digital Health Partner | Sexual & Reproductive Health
Rean Foundation strengthens DC's digital health platforms — particularly Love Matters India — enabling more personalised, data-informed sexual and reproductive health information to reach millions of young people across India.
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INROADS
Leadership Development Partner | Youth Opportunity
INROADS supports DC's investment in leadership and opportunity — creating pathways for the young people and communities we work with into meaningful employment and civic leadership.
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RNW Media
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Media & Digital Health Partner | Sexual & Reproductive Health
RNW Media, the global home of Love Matters, is a trusted long-term partner for DC's Love Matters India initiative. Together, we have built one of India's most credible digital platforms for sexual and reproductive health — serving over 824,000 users annually with stigma-free, inclusive information and support.
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American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
Global Foundation | Gender & Social Justice
AJWS supports DC's work on gender equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, and social justice — investing in the frontline organisations and movements building a more just and equitable India.
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Dimagi
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Technology Partner | Data & Monitoring
Dimagi's CommCare platform powers real-time data collection and monitoring for Project Ansh, provided on a pro-bono basis. This collaboration enables systematic, data-driven insights that are directly improving neonatal care outcomes in Rajasthan.
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Foundation for Equal Citizenship (FFEC)
Civil Society Partner | Community Empowerment
FFEC is DC's implementation partner for Project Buniyaad in Trilokpuri, East Delhi. Together, we work to break cycles of intergenerational disadvantage — connecting marginalised urban families to nutrition education, legal identity, and civic entitlements.
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Advocates for Youth
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Youth Advocacy Partner | Sexual Health & Rights
Advocates for Youth brings a global perspective on youth rights and sexual health to DC's programming. Their partnership strengthens our efforts to ensure young people in India have access to accurate, affirming, and rights-based health information.
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Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI)
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Mental Health Foundation | LGBTQIA+ & Community Mental Health
​MHI is a key partner for DC's Dhanak initiative, providing advanced community-based mental health and inclusion support for LGBTQIA+ and marginalised groups. This partnership ensures that mental health is integrated into DC's broader rights-based work.
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Charity Entrepreneurship
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Incubator | High-Impact Program Design
Charity Entrepreneurship's rigorous approach to identifying and incubating high-impact initiatives has shaped some of DC's most evidence-backed programmes. Their partnership ensures DC continues to explore new frontiers in cost-effective development.
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LEAP (Legal Empowerment & Advocacy Platform)
Rights-Based Partner | Gender & Legal Aid
LEAP strengthens DC's Dhanak initiative with legal empowerment and advocacy support for individuals facing violence or discrimination in interfaith and inter-caste relationships across 11 states.
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