Reimagining CSR: From Grant Giving to Blended Finance & Outcome-Based Funding

Date and Time:

Monday, 16 June 2025
(03:00 PM – 04:30 PM IST)

 

INTRODUCTION:

360 ONE Foundation, in partnership with Sattva Consulting and Nishith Desai Associates is pleased to invite you to a webinar on Reimagining CSR: From Grant Giving to Blended Finance & Outcome-Based Funding.

India’s CSR landscape is undergoing a powerful transformation. As corporates aim to achieve deeper, measurable impact, the ecosystem is witnessing a shift from traditional grant-giving linked to inputs, activities, or output milestones, towards more collaborative, outcome-driven approaches. In response to this, 360 ONE Foundation, Sattva Consulting, and Nishith Desai Associates have co-developed a toolkit that exemplifies case studies from 360 ONE Foundation. It offers a clear, practical guide for evolving CSR strategies from one-time grants to more catalytic, outcome-oriented models powered by Blended Finance (BF) and Outcome Based Funding (OBF) that deliver exponential impact.

The webinar will unpack key insights from this toolkit, and explore how CSR can not only increase the quantum of development funding by unlocking public and commercial capital (BF), but also sharpen measured outcomes and encourage improved performance (OBF)

The webinar is particularly valuable for CSR donors who are seeking to align with emerging CSR trends but often face uncertainty around BF & OBF structures, operationalizing them, and legal and regulatory considerations. It will introduce participants to innovative approaches like Returnable Grants, Risk Guarantees, and Social Impact Bonds; cover essential legal and regulatory aspects under India’s CSR framework; articulate what changes in program management and monitoring; and demonstrate how 360 ONE Foundation has driven systemic impact, accountability, and outcome alignment in CSR initiatives.

We welcome CSR & ESG leaders, Foundations, Legal & Compliance Teams, Social Entrepreneurs, Non-Profits, Grantmakers, and Development Finance experts to join us for a meaningful and interactive discussion on how a catalytic approach to CSR can enable a multiplier effect and deliver exponential impact.

For any questions, please write to us at CSRBlendedFinance@nishithdesai.com

Speakers

Saumya Lashkari Director & Board Member 360 ONE Foundation

With 28 years of experience with multinationals, foundations and family offices, Saumya has built a successful career in corporate sustainability and strategic philanthropy.

After a decade at General Electric USA in various technology-related roles, Saumya’s passion for inclusive growth and social impact led her to relocate home to India in 2007. Since then, she has operationalised and led global sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility platforms at conglomerates like Genpact and Godrej Industries, consulted with leading non-profit organizations such as Magic Bus, and advised UHNI donors across the lifecycle of philanthropic portfolios. Under her leadership, 360 ONE Foundation has reimagined traditional philanthropy and pioneered a more catalytic approach powered by blended finance and outcomes-based financing, to maximize social returns and generate higher leverage on grants. Throughout her tenure in this sector, Saumya has been a change agent to optimize giving: making philanthropic capital more outcome-oriented, efficient, and effective. She has helped design and promote innovative financial instruments - like impact bonds and risk guarantees - that blend grants with risk capital.

Saumya began her career in 1997 with General Electric USA, through the Information Management Leadership Program (IMLP) - a fast track, rotational program designed to develop high potential candidates for GE's leading management positions. She is an Aspire Circle fellow (Cohort 4, 2017). After having lived, studied and worked in four continents, she is currently based in Mumbai

 

Saloni Gupta Associate Principal Sattva Consulting

Saloni Gupta brings 14 years of holistic work experience in the social impact space working across social enterprises and micro-finance institutions. She has gained hands-on experience in strategy consulting, business planning, financial transformation, and impact analysis.

As the Regional Head (West) – Corporate Advisory at Sattva, her role involves influencing and enhancing the impact path for corporates through CSR. She leads the delivery for West and the overall business unit.

 

Rahul Rishi Head of Social Sector and Blended Finance Practice Nishith Desai Associates

Rahul leads the Blended Finance and Social Sector Practice of the research and strategy driven international law firm, Nishith Desai Associates.

He has extensive experience in advising clients on social impact bond, impact investing, foreign contribution laws, CSR and cross-border philanthropies. With background in law, public policy and development economics, he has been involved in advising some of the biggest non-profit institutions and funding agencies on cross-border and complex impact bonds including structuring and negotiating such transactions. He has advised and structured 1B$ education outcomes fund and has been the lead counsel on behalf of the consortium partners in relation to India’s first skill development bond. He has advised some of the largest foreign charitable institutions on foreign contribution, social stock exchange, climate finance, charity laws and has integrated his background in law and public policy to offer integrated and holistic advice from a legal, regulatory and cross-border tax perspective.

As part of his role, he leads the Blended Finance, Social Sector and ESG vertical at NDA and advises a plethora of foreign as well as domestic foundations, multi-lateral funding agencies and the like. He is also a part of Start-up and Climate Practice group at the Firm and actively contributes to policy advocacy in terms of streamlining the regulatory framework for such verticals.

 

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

360 ONE Foundation, part of 360 ONE WAM (a leader in wealth and asset management), reinforces the group’s commitment to maximise both financial and social returns. The Foundation has re-imagined traditional grant-giving and pioneered a more catalytic approach powered by blended finance and outcome-based financing. By unlocking further capital, recycling funds, co-funding, and a strong focus on achieving measured outcomes, the Foundation’s innovative approach generates higher leverage on its grants, thereby delivering exponential impact for underserved communities.

To learn more, please visit www.360.one.

 

 

Sattva’s mission is to “co-create inclusive businesses that are sustainable, scalable and global” and that can address the needs and aspirations of people in under-served and emerging markets. Sattva works with a variety of stakeholders including non-profits, social-enterprises, corporate and funding organizations to realize its mission.

To learn more, please visit www.sattva.co.in.