AFC Foundation

AFC Foundation

AFC Foundation was set up by AFC India Limited in the year 2007 under the Indian Trust Act, 1882 as a non-profit organization to address the multifaceted development challenges of the country. It aims to empower the most vulnerable categories in India to break out of the bondage of poverty through education and entrepreneurship. The credo of the organization is to disrupt poverty and catalyze social & economic change in India.

AFC Foundation ventured into retail microfinance operations on a large scale in the States of West Bengal and Maharashtra in the year 2009. It is now entering into new areas through high impact interventions in Education, Livelihood, Health, Natural Resource Management and leadership development.

AFC Foundation looks forward to collaborate and partner with reputed institutions at the National level and civil society organizations engaged in innovative and sustainable initiatives to make a visible difference. The endeavor is to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to improve the lot of the poor and marginalized.

Professional Capacity

The core team at AFC Foundation is drawn from rural management and social development background with rich expertise in grassroot level project implementation, livelihood promotion, micro-enterprise development, training & capacity building. Our experience, capability and commitment allow us to involve ourselves as a technically qualified and committed professional group in the areas of sustainable livelihoods, natural resource management and rural technology.

AFC Foundation involves itself with project delivery mainly in the form of strategizing, project planning and monitoring. The operational aspects are addressed through a credible and competent partner implementing agencies grounded to the project area, better enabled for local delivery. Such a collaborative approach helps in contributing to improved development focus and a wider delivery capability.

Focus Areas:

  • Formulation, appraisal and implementation of development projects
  • Technical Backstopping Agency providing support to development projects
  • Research and strategy development partner to meet development goals
  • Monitoring & Evaluation to evaluate project deliverables, mid-term & ex-post
 


Key Thematic Areas


Livelihood & Entrepreneurship Development

AFC Foundation strives to impact the lives of the poor by developing sustainable solutions for upscaling their income generation activities. We believe in partnering with key stakeholders in the sector in order to develop mutually reinforcing strategies and to bring convergence of competencies.

The major services provided in the livelihood sector are:

  1. Promotion of Livelihoods (Farm, Off-Farm, Non-Farm Livelihoods in rural and semi-urban areas)
  2. Technical Support Services (ICT and Technological Applications)
  3. Livelihoods for Special Groups (Tribal, Disabled, Occupational Groups, Labour, Artisans)
  4. Capacity Building (Training, Exposure Visits, Workshops, Module Development)
  5. Institution Building (suitable institutional designs for collectives)

AFC Foundation also provides support services to the following categories of organizations:

  • Core agencies – NGOs, MFIs, Funding Agencies, Government Departments, CBOs, PRIs, Networks
  • Corporate agencies – Working or associated in the areas of livelihoods, rural markets and urban-rural markets, services and non-farm sectors


Some of the niche areas in which we provide support are:

  • Action Research
  • Market Research, Market Surveys, Buyer / Seller Interface & Linkages
  • Value Chain Analysis
  • Situational Analysis
  • Potential & Feasibility Studies
  • Community Mobilization
  • Preparation of Project Profiles
  • Cluster Development
  • Identification of Income Generating Activities, Management and Development
  • Capacity Building, Training & Skill Development / Upgradation

Micro Finance, Micro Insurance, Financial Inclusion & Literacy
  • Promotion, nurturing and credit linking of Self Help Groups (SHGs)
  • Management of Savings and Credit Programs
  • Record Keeping and Account Maintenance
  • Identification of Income Generating Activities, Management and Development
  • Rating of mFIS
  • Designing suitable location-specific operational model and prototypes for financial inclusion
  • Conducting research & evaluation studies relating to technological interventions for financial inclusion
  • Conducting promotional activities such as Seminars, Conferences etc. aimed at increasing technology adoption, effective management of assets, nurturing entrepreneurial capacity and increasing financial literacy
  • Training & Capacity Building of Bankers / Government officials / MFIs / NGOs / Business Facilitators / Banking Correspondents

Agribusiness Development through Farmers’ Collectives and support services
  • Promotion and nurturing of Farmer Producer / Commodity Groups at Village level
  • Formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) at Block / District level
  • Capacity Building of Farmers through agricultural best practices for enhanced productivity
  • Providing Farm Advisory Services including real-time weather data, weather alerts, market information etc. through Information Technology (IT)
  • Arranging logistics from farm to market including Post Harvest Management, Storage and Transport infrastructure, Identifying Aggregators and linking Producer Groups to market
  • Development of Business Plan for agri-business projects
  • Conducting feasibility Study & Detailed Project Report (DPR)
  • Project Development & Implementation Support

NGO/Voluntary Sector Development & Capacity Building
  • Organizational Assessment
  • Organizational Development Intervention
  • Restructuring and Change Management
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Networking
  • Capacity Building & Training of NGO Staff

Environment & Natural Resource Management
  • Project Planning, Implementation & Management
  • Environment Audit
  • Impact Assessment
  • Environment Awareness
  • Waste Land Development
  • Solid Waste Management
  • Pollution Control & Mapping
  • Needs Assessment In Watershed, Social / Community Forestry
  • Value Addition of Minor Forest Produce
  • Market Research & Marketing Of Minor Forest Produce
  • Qualitative & Quantitative Research

Education, Health & Nutrition
  • Needs Assessment
  • Capacity Building of Project Staff
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Research
  • Impact Assessment and Evaluation Studies
  • Communication Strategy
  • Advocacy Strategy
  • Community Mobilization