FAQ

1. What motivated the companies to start corporate NGO?
   
   Working for the development of the community is a hundred year old tradition of the TVS family. Long before the term CSR emerged, T.V.Sundaram Iyengar practiced it.
   
   TVS Motors and Sundaram-Clayton Ltd started the Srinivasan Services Trust (SST) in 1996. It is named after the late Mr. T S Srinivasan, the 4th son of T V Sundram Iyengar. Mr. Venu Srinivasan, son of Late T S Srinivasan, is the founder of this Trust.
   
   
2. What is the unique about SST?
   
   SST works for the integrated and sustainable development of communities. SST believes that development is possible only when lives of all in the community touched. SST’s focus areas are: Economic Development, Health, Education, Environment and Infrastructure. SST, is an NGO, facilitated by Corporate. Such Corporate NGO has the advantage of being able to tap the marketing, managerial and financial skills of the industry. These skills become available to the Corporate NGO at no financial cost. We, therefore, feel that Corporate NGOs starts with this advantage.
   
   
3. Does your partnership has a legal structure?
   
   Srinivasan Services Trust is registered U/s. 12A (a) of Income tax Act, 1961 at Sl. No. 240 / 95-96. Donors enjoy 50% exemption for their contribution to our institution under section 80G of the IT act.
   
   
4. What is the governance and accountability structure of the organization?
   
   Srinivasan Services Trust is a flat organization. The Trust has a team of 127 members consisting of qualified social workers, doctors, engineers, agriculturists, foresters, soil conservation experts and local animators.
   
   SST works in 703 villages. These villages are divided into 7 clusters. Each cluster has a team of social worker, engineer and local animator, who live and work from these villages only.
   
   
5. Why is community involvement important for success of corporate?
   
   We believe that in order to succeed industry should have a community that is financially strong and socially vibrant. Development becomes sustainable only when the community is empowered; even the marginalized in the community are able to take decisions, which benefit them.
6. How have the CSR initiatives benefited the donor company – this case, TVS Motors and Sundaram-Clayton?
   
   CSR initiatives have helped TVS build brand reputation, bring employee satisfaction and loyalty. It has given the community and the industry a sense of mutual trust and belonging. Today the environment around the industry is friendly and protective of each other. This becomes obvious from the fact that the attrition rate is low and the employee morale is high. Our employees enjoy high reputation with the communities.
   
   
7. What are the expectations of the communities you serve? How do you know them? How do you make sure that your initiatives are driven by the needs of the community?
   
   In the initial stages all communities expect the industry/NGO to provide employment, facilitate higher income, ensure good health care and make available good infrastructure. But with the passage of time and building of mutual trust people understand that they not only have rights but also have duties. At this stage, communities not only expect better quality of services they also feel responsible for ensuring sustainable development. Communities participates physically and financially in ensuring proper functioning of schools, keeping the physical environment clean and maintain the community infrastructure created.
   
   
8. Can the community be engaged in development on a partnership basis?
   
   Yes. According to us NGO’s can be catalyst for development. Sustainable development is possible if the community is empowered. Therefore for all sustainable development, community engagement is absolutely essential.
   
   
9. How will you determine the success or impact of the activity and how learning from the activity will be shared?
   
   SST has the best in–house planning, implementation and monitoring team, which review the project activities in various locations at the monthly and quarterly intervals. The same system would be extended to any projects executed. The project team are flexible to take forward the learning at every stage of the project and do course corrective measures.
   
   SST identifies measurable parameters before taking up the activities. Its success is measured by the results so achieved. Sustainability of the effort is yet another important feature. SST endeavor has been to ensure that community takes ownership of the projects. Once community takes ownership of the activities, development effort become self-sustainable.
   
   
10. How are the learning from the projects shared with the community?
    
    The results of the project are shared at village level meetings. Press releases, and media publicities also help to spread the news of changes brought about in the communities.
    
    
11. What is the cost and time required?
    
    In our experience if the projects are properly planned and benefits of various government schemes are availed, sustainable and holistic development is possible in 3 to 4 years. The costs range is about Rs.20 lakhs per year per panchayat. Typically, the panchayat is made up of 4-5 villages.
    
    
12. Do you accept donations?
    
    Yes. Donations can be in the name of “Srinivasan Services Trust” and addressed to The Chairman, Srinivasan Services Trust, Jayalakshmi Estates, 29 Haddows Road, Chennai 600 006, INDIA. Donors enjoy 50% exemption for their contribution to our institution under section 80G of the IT act
    
    
13. Are you willing to partner with other Corporate / NGOs?
    
    Yes. We have already partnered with 15 members.
    
    
14. Do you make use of Government grants?
    
    Yes, we complement with the work of government’s various schemes. Thus, we are partners with the government in bringing about the development process in the villages.