Shwas: Breathing life into or just breathing?

On 22nd September 2022, the authors of this case met with Kinjal Shah, the co-founder of Shwas, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works for the development of underprivileged children in Ahmedabad. During a meeting over a cup of cold coffee, Kinjal discussed the functioning of NGOs and their ecosystem in Ahmedabad, highlighting the importance of staying afloat to ensure the organization's daily activities and growth.

Kinjal was aware that relying solely on contributions from regular donors, who typically provided lump sums, was becoming increasingly difficult. The higher rents for their premises had been a problem for some time, and now the retention of teachers was also becoming an issue. When potential donors were asked about their interest in organizations operating in Ahmedabad, they showed a preference for well-known NGOs such as Andhjan Mandal, Manav Sadhana, and Sewa PETA. Shwas, which was still known as a smaller NGO, struggled to gain recognition. The main interest of potential donors was the social media fame associated with such organizations. The lure of "15-minute fame" was one of the reasons for being associated with larger NGOs.