Alumna Update: Anushka Siddiqui
Anushka Siddiqui is a 2017 scholar who pursued an MPP in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
This week she shares how her new position at The Bridgespan Group will enable her to support clients as they work on a cross-section of issues ranging from humanitarian and relief work to healthcare, education and climate change.
When I graduated with my Masters in Public Policy in May 2019, I could not possibly have imagined the two years that would lie ahead of us all. At the risk of being cliche, I will hark back to these evergreen words that still ring true in 2021: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
All of us in India are familiar with the despair around (and within) us as we battle this second wave of COVID. But I pray you’re also encountering small springs of hope, in the form of countless individuals who are working tirelessly to provide relief and care to us in our time of need. I count myself lucky to be surrounded by many such inspiring individuals and organizations as part of my work with NGOs and philanthropists at The Bridgespan Group, and throughout my graduate school experience at the Harvard Kennedy School.
As a strategy consultant, I aim to support clients as they work on a cross-section of issues ranging from humanitarian and relief work to healthcare, education and climate change. Unfortunately, my work with these incredible NGOs has also shown me that they often do not get the funding support that they deserve. In my longest running project at Bridgespan, my colleagues and I surveyed 380+ NGOs and interviewed 100+ stakeholders in the nonprofit sector to highlight how NGOs in India are being systematically underfunded. A staggering 83% of NGO survey respondents reported that they struggle to secure funding for their indirect costs, and >50% reported having fewer than three months of financial reserves. As a result of such underfunding, NGOs are unable to invest in crucial areas of organization development to improve their programs and scale their impact (for example, investments in innovation and development, talent management, strategy planning, core infrastructure and process management).
Thankfully, here too, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Building a stronger, more resilient NGO sector in India has to be a long term, collective effort- but a consortium of domestic and international funders have taken the first step with the multi-year “Pay What It Takes” initiative anchored by Bridgespan. Needless to say, Corporate Social Responsibility too has a big role to play here- another project I worked on highlighted a selection of corporates that are leading the way and embodying impactful CSR philanthropy to meaningfully contribute to sectors ranging from education and skill development, to rural livelihoods.
I’d like to conclude by thanking the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation for their generous support- not just in enabling me to get the education of my choice but equally in (financially) empowering me to return to work in the country and context I most care about! And lastly, for continuing this connection and profiling so many fellow Inlaks alumni who continue to serve as inspiration and spring(s) of hope in these challenging times.
Note: Views expressed are personal
