Alva Foundation

ALVA is regularly engaged with business houses and institutions such as FICCI, ASSOCHAM, and CII. Its primary objective is to establish partnerships and promote CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) practices by encouraging these institutions to increase their support to voluntary organizations. By establishing these linkages, ALVA aims to cultivate a collaborative effort with numerous Foundations and Trusts, envisioning a transformative approach to social work. Through such collaborative endeavours, they can leverage each other's strengths and differences, leading to mutual benefits and the pursuit of common goals.

Capacity building of voluntary organisations has been one of ALVA's main focus. It provides training on advocacy, NGO governance and management and facilitates exchange of ideas through forums and seminars. ALVA holds an annual convention that is organised around a theme relevant and useful to its members. Experts and leading figures in civil society and government are invited to speak or conduct seminars and workshops.

ALVA has been promoting good governance among its members in order to have credibility and legitimacy to seek the same from the Government and other actors in society. It has initiated the process of self-evaluation and assessment among NGOs based on a set of norms and practices and motivated them to abide voluntarily. This programme has evolved into what is now Credibility Alliance, a group that promotes accountability, democracy and transparency through a process of certification. ALVA has been instrumental in promoting this process among NGOs.

"ALVA actively campaigns to create a favorable legal and fiscal environment for India's voluntary sector at both the national and state levels. The organization highlights certain outdated provisions within laws governing voluntary organizations, such as the Societies Registration Act of 1860, the Indian Trusts Act (1882), the Charitable and Religious Trust Act (1920), Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act (1950), and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act of 1976 (FCRA). ALVA emphasizes that these laws hinder rather than support the work of voluntary organizations, stressing the need for promoting voluntarism rather than excessive regulation.

In collaboration with other voluntary organizations, ALVA calls for a comprehensive assessment and amendment of these laws to create policies that enhance the space for voluntary action in India. The organization actively pushes for the adoption of a National Policy for the Voluntary Sector.

Organizes national and state-level meetings for voluntary organizations. They serve as a repository of thematic research on the voluntary sector and conduct educational workshops for NGOs and the government. These workshops focus on providing insight into the legalities and provisions of laws that govern the functioning of the voluntary sector, such as FCRA, Companies Act, and CSR regulations.

Provides information on Government programmes and policies and donor organisations to its members. It provides information and perspectives on issues that affect the voluntary sector and its members, especially those grass-root organizations that do not have convenient access to mainstream media and national government offices. Information is disseminated through its bi-monthly newsletter E-ALVA and also publishes books, monographs, conference proceedings and primers on themes concerning NGOs and civil society in general. The purpose is to educate, update and form an interactive platform with its members and associates which faces myriad of issues in the operation of their organizations.