As part of this project, the Infosys Foundation engaged LEAD to undertake impact assessments of its grantee portfolio.
Background
Established in 1996, the Infosys Foundation supports programs in the areas of education, rural development, healthcare, arts and culture, and destitute care. Its mission is to work in remote regions of several states in India. In the 2014-15 financial year, the Foundation commissioned LEAD to undertake a national-level impact evaluation of 25 of its largest grantees. These assessments have been conducted annually for the years 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2021-22.
These assessments was carried out to gain an insight into the grantees scope of work and the accomplishments of the programs till date and evaluate their progress towards the stated objectives and long-term goals.
Approach
Grantees were evaluated on the broader theory of change categories of: inputs, outputs, outcomes, and potential impact. This was achieved through closer examination of: effectiveness of planning, implementation, strengths and issues, level of stakeholder engagement and beneficiary satisfaction. The nature of the grantees and funding purposes vary greatly. Hence, there was a need to maintain flexibility in our approach and metrics. The metrics used were specific to the purposes for the funding and the donor’s overall vision for change expected when grants were made. Most grants are for multiple year projects and as activities are still underway, the study team relied on observations of their processes and outcomes and benchmark it on the achievability of stated objectives to derive our overall assessment of the grantees.
Implications
The assessments provided valuable insights and actionable, timely and comprehensive data regarding the situation on the ground – informing the Foundation’s philanthropic strategy and approach for subsequent funding cycles.
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