Who we are
We build institutional and leadership capacities of community organizations, civil society organizations, networks, and their leaders and members, enabling them to grow, thrive, and sustain their impact independently.
The Grassroots Resilience Institute (GRI) was established in 2022 as an initiative of Jan Sahas with a simple but powerful belief: when grassroots organizations are strong, communities can drive lasting and dignified change. We partner with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) led by Dalits, Adivasis, women, minorities, survivor leaders, and LGBTQI+ individuals; organizations that are deeply rooted in their communities and at the forefront of addressing entrenched challenges such as caste-based discrimination, gender injustice, unsafe migration, labor exploitation, bonded labor, manual scavenging, and violations of dignity and rights. Despite their deep impact and trust on the ground, many grassroots CSOs face structural barriers related to financial management, governance, fundraising, communication, leadership development, strategic clarity, and measuring impact, which often limit their long-term sustainability. GRI works to bridge this gap through a need-based, cohort-driven, and hands-on capacity-building approach designed specifically for grassroots realities.
Our support combines one-on-one, tailored handholding with cohort-based peer learning and is strengthened through a Learning Resource Centre supported by a dedicated Learning Management System (LMS) platform, where practical tools, templates, and learning resources are available in multiple regional and local languages, alongside a helpline for real-time guidance. We work across seven core service areas: financial management and compliances, policy and governance, fundraising and donor management, communications, strategic clarity, leadership and organizational culture, and monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that support is accessible, contextual, and delivered with dignity. Partner organizations typically engage with GRI for 1.5 to 2 years of intensive support, followed by continued accompaniment, enabling them to build resilient systems, strengthen leadership, and independently sustain and expand their impact, so that change continues long after our formal support concludes.
Our Vision
To build a resilient and interconnected civil society ecosystem where CSOs lead sustainable and transformative change.
Our Mission
To strengthen the strategic and operational capacity of CSOs, GRI adopts a systems change approach that connects them across sectors to collectively address complex social challenges
