image
Systems Change
We believe that systems change is essential to effectively address India’s growth and developmental challenges. Achieving large-scale population impact requires a cadre of organisations that adopt a nonlinear approach, working collaboratively with the government to drive meaningful transformation.
What is Systems Change ?
A systems change approach is characterised by four building blocks.

Address Root Causes

Going upstream and tackling the entire web of root causes, rather than solving for the symptoms.

Population-Level Impact

Interventions are designed with an intent to solve at a population scale.

Sustainability

Impact is embedded beyond the period of intervention and does not regress to the old norm, through Government or Market adoption.

Shift in Mindset and Values

Impact results in a change in mindsets or values of the ecosystem.

Our Approach

At The Convergence Foundation, we incubate and support organisations that drive transformative, large-scale impact through systems change. These organisations, which we call System Support Organisations (SSOs), address critical capacity gaps, inform policymaking and introduce innovative solutions, working in close partnership with governments at various levels. Given the government’s pivotal role in driving social outcomes, with expenditure on social services amounting to nearly 8% of GDP, our vision is to make systems change, powered by government collaboration, the foundation of India’s developmental progress. This approach, we believe, is critical to impacting 1 billion+ Indians and beyond.
Knowledge and Narrative Building
We focus on knowledge and narrative building to champion systems change. By conducting research, sharing insights, amplifying success stories, and driving conversations on systems change, we inspire collective action and foster understanding. 
image

Systemic Impact Exemplars

The report profiles 20 of India’s leading SSOs and outlines frameworks for how social purpose organisations can adopt it.

image

New cadre of unicorns to build developed India

Once upon a time, in villages of the heavily forested Gadchiroli district tucked into the southeast corner of Maharashtra, the infant mortality rate (IMR) was a shocking 121 out of 1,000 live births. SEARCH for Health, a non-profit that works to improve public health in rural India, successfully reduced IMR from 121 to 30 by way of its intervention in Gadchiroli, bringing it down to less than a quarter of the previous levels. Their intervention was then adopted by the government of Maharashtra where IMR was reduced by 51%. Their programme has now been implemented across India. We refer to such organisations that are partnering with governments for population-level impact as System Support Organisations (SSOs).

image

Potential for accelerating India’s development goal still considerable, states report

Despite substantial investments by the Indian government, there is still potential for accelerating progress towards achieving India’s development goals, a report titled, ‘Systemic Impact Exemplars: Unique Approaches Towards Solving India’s Development Challenges,’ released by the Convergence Foundation, in collaboration with India Impact Sherpas, noted

image

How organisations can drive systemic change

Social change can be achieved through various pathways, each of which leads to deep impact when executed effectively. But when it comes to tackling complex issues at scale, adopting a systems change approach is likely to prove more powerful since it gets to the root cause of the problem and ensures sustainable solutions.

image

The Convergence Foundation and India Impact Sherpas Release a First-of-its-kind Report on Systems Change in the Indian Context

The Convergence Foundation, in collaboration with India Impact Sherpas, released their seminal report titled, ‘Systemic Impact Exemplars: Unique Approaches Towards Solving India’s Development Challenges.’ This report aims to identify and learn from organizations that have achieved significant impact by adopting the systems change approach.

Unlocking Systemic Philanthropy
Systemic Philanthropy strives for transformative change. By addressing root causes and enabling large-scale, population-level outcomes, it delivers the highest ROI. At TCF, we aim to inspire and empower philanthropists to embrace a systemic approach in their giving, fostering sustainable and meaningful development.
Building and Enabling System Support Organisations
We incubate and support organisations that drive transformative impact through systems change. System Support Organisations (SSOs) are a new class of "impact unicorns", distinguished not by billion-dollar valuations but by their ability to address India's major development challenges through strategic collaboration with the government, achieving meaningful, large-scale change.
To know more about opportunities to collaborate, write to us at [email protected]
image

The Convergence Foundation seeks to be a powerful catalyst in India’s development journey, by creating momentum around pivotal ideas that have the highest potential for transformational change.

Home

Financials and Reports
Contact Us

©2024-25 The Convergence Foundation

T&C | Privacy Policy

Designed with 🤍 by Sane Difference