Corporate Partnership Experience With S M Sehgal Foundation

Q: Why do many corporates choose S M Sehgal Foundation as their CSR partner?

Because SMSF does not merely build infrastructure—the SMSF team builds rural capacities by working with communities to ensure real participation and ownership. Corporates appreciate SMSF’s transparency, data-based impact tracking, and proven record of turning CSR spending into meaningful social change that is measurable and visible on the ground.

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How S M Sehgal Foundation Works With Corporate Partners for Sustainable Impact
- By Arti Manchanda Grover
- 28 Nov 2025

S M Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) has been working since 1999 with a mission to strengthen community-led development initiatives across rural India, leading to positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes. SMSF partners with corporates, treating each partnership as a shared-value endeavor where corporates bring CSR budgets and strategic mandates, and SMSF generates rural know-how and implementation capacity backed by community trust.

S M Sehgal Foundation’s Approach to Partnerships

The foundation’s core programs are in alignment with the CSR mandate and the objectives of corporates, and responsive when corporates reach out to SMSF with their needs.
The foundation team scouts and proposes projects and, once agreed upon, initiates work and runs the field operations in rural areas, engaging local communities, building capacities, implementing interventions, and monitoring outcomes.
The partnership is structured around sustainability, scalability, and alignment with goals rather than a single action. Many SMSF partnerships have been long-term, ensuring continued presence in an area.

For corporates seeking long-term impact across rural development, S M Sehgal Foundation has emerged as a partner of choice, given its rich experience in the rural development sector, a strong expert team, and transparency and credibility in the sector.

Going the Extra Mile: Innovation, Accountability and Long-Term Partnerships

S M Sehgal Foundation work goes beyond implementation, leading communities to take ownership of the work results. The objective is to make all SMSF partnerships and collaborations robust with key components:

Innovation: SMSF offers demonstrations of new techniques and innovative models to a group of farmers under a project or intervention to enable the communities to see the results. These models do not remain restricted to the select group and for a particular project timeline. Research analysis indicates continued adoption of advanced practices even after SMSF project work is completed in an area. Continued sharing with other villagers leads to further adoption of practices for better results.
Research: Inclusion of participatory research, impact assessments, and evidence collection ensure that the corporate partner can see tangible metrics of success. SMSF teams follow a theory of change for all projects and utilizes a logical framework planning tool that guides the partnership and helps the team to align with the overall goal and purpose of the project.
Community Ownership & Participation: To ensure that village-level institutions will take responsibility for long-term sustainability of improvements, the SMSF team organizes the community into robust groups such as village development committees and water user groups to maintaining structures such as check dams, ponds, etc.
Long-Term View: All SMSF partnership projects are designed for multiple years, supporting scale and embedding the intervention into local practice and converging with government institutions for further support and replication.
Transparency & Recognition: SMSF has received awards and external recognitions that further indicate the success of interventions.
Outreach and Visibility: To ensure that communication flows effectively from corporate organizations to grassroots stakeholders, the foundation has implemented outreach approaches, including the use of participatory games for awareness building, which help bridge communication gaps and ensure that information is shared seamlessly at every level.

Over to You

Within India’s evolving CSR landscape, companies seek impact, alignment with Sustainable Development Goals, and credible partnerships beyond compliance. S M Sehgal Foundation provides a proven model rooted in rural transformation that addresses water security, agriculture development, women’s empowerment, better futures for schoolchildren and rural livelihoods. The SMSF approach aligns CSR with national priorities, builds shared value, and ensures measurable outcomes through long-term, community-owned projects.

Partnering with SMSF enables corporates to move beyond traditional philanthropy, creating sustainable development partnerships that drive lasting and scalable change across rural India.

FAQs

How can companies work with S M Sehgal Foundation on CSR projects?

Partnerships usually begin with a shared vision that matches the company’s CSR priorities with the foundation’s rural programs. Projects are designed in collaboration, whether it’s a water-harvesting initiative, a school upgrade, or a women’s livelihood program. SMSF manages on-the-ground implementation and reporting so that corporate partners can clearly see lasting outcomes from their investment.

Why do many corporates choose S M Sehgal Foundation as their CSR partner?

With over two decades of experience, the SMSF team builds rural capacities by working with communities to ensure real participation and ownership. Corporates appreciate SMSF’s transparency, data-based impact tracking, and proven record of turning CSR spending into meaningful social change that is measurable and visible on the ground.

Which SDGs do SMSF’s programs support?

Most SMSF work ties directly to global goals such as clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), zero hunger (SDG 2), quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17). Every SMSF project helps corporates connect their CSR outcomes with these wider sustainability goals as well as assuring credible reporting and compliance.

How does SMSF make sure projects remain sustainable over time?

Sustainability is built in from day one. Local village committees are involved in planning, training, and maintenance. Once a water structure or school improvement project is completed, communities take charge of upkeep and preservation. This ensures the benefits continue long after the corporate funding cycle ends.

Can smaller companies or start-ups also collaborate with S M Sehgal Foundation?

Absolutely. CSR impact does not only come from large budgets. If a company complies with CSR Act, the partnership can begin with one village or district project and gradually scale up over the years. The SMSF team looks for continued commitment from partners because India’s greater overall rural development is possible with expanding interventions.

About the Author

Arti Manchanda Grover
Senior Manager, Public Relations at the S M Sehgal Foundation

Arti Manchanda Grover, Senior Manager, Public Relations at the S M Sehgal Foundation, where she leads communication strategies, media outreach, and storytelling initiatives that support impactful rural development programs. With experience of more than 18 years in the nonprofit sector, she brings strong expertise in corporate social responsibility, community media, and development communication.

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407 villages covered

How can companies work with S M Sehgal Foundation on CSR projects?

Why do many corporates choose S M Sehgal Foundation as their CSR partner?

Which SDGs do SMSF’s programs support?

How does SMSF make sure projects remain sustainable over time?

Can smaller companies or start-ups also collaborate with S M Sehgal Foundation?

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