Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Papers and Publications
Projects And Presentations
Websites
Advisory And Consultation
Personal Information
Affiliations
Languages
Accomplishments
References
Timeline
Generic
Sonya Fernandes

Sonya Fernandes

Bangalore

Summary

I have over 18 years of Philanthropy experience managing over & 30 million worth grants and over 200 diverse NGO partnerships. As the Chief Programme Officer at Ashraya Hastha Trust - a Philanthropy started by Infosys Co-founder, I lead programmatic giving across the themes of Climate Change, Mental Health, Livelihood, Education, Disaster response, resilience, and mitigations. I develop philanthropic giving strategic and operational roadmaps and set organograms and processes to streamline reporting lines, that allow for effective and impactful giving. With my effort and engagement, the teams now have 100% success in the grant-making effort, we have increased the quantum of funding, diversity and number of partnerships. My role here amongst many things is to set up grant-making, partnership management, evaluation frames, set quality standards, impact measuring frames and financial rigors along with developing systems, practices, and processes that help set philanthropy on the path of programmatic and futuristic grant-making. It is also developing the strategic giving direction for the foundation, designing ways of giving for the long and short run. I also worked with large domestic and international funding and research organizations like REEEP (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership - Vienna), TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute) and Azim Premji Philanthropy, the largest Philanthropy and Funding Entity for Civil Society Organizations, Think Tanks and NGOs in the South Asia Region. A gender, climate change and sustainability specialist, a strategic leader and effecient grant and fund manager actively working with foundations, multilaterals, bilateral and philanthropies, I have pitched over 150 social sector proposals to governing board, funders, trustees and grants committees and got an approval of over $ 30 million worth grants. Managed philanthropy funds, built donor understanding and investment in the issues, developed thematic priorities and focus, strengthen civil society organizations and NGO’s, grant making to social enterprises. I also developed funding strategies and organization development plans for NGOs to develop winning proposals and have demonstrated a 90% success rates in getting resource and funds. Developed strategic frameworks for programmatic models to engage women in climate change and sustainable development discourse; promote the water, food, clean energy, and livelihoods nexus; and support social enterprises working on energy efficiency and decentralised renewable energy. Conduct studies, policy consultations and dialogue in the areas of low carbon technologies, green building and renewable energy.

Overview

19
19
years of professional experience

Work History

Chief Program Officer

Ashraya Hastha Trust Philanthropy
Bangalore
06.2023 - Current
  • Developing and executing the organizational thematic and fund-giving strategy
  • Hiring talent and building team skills to deliver on the strategy
  • Networking and developing partnerships in the philanthropy space with AVPN, Dasra, GivingPi etc..
  • Representing the organization in key platforms and participating in theme-specific dialogues
  • Regular reviews and decisions on programmes to be supported and pitched to the board of trustees
  • Evaluated programs regularly using qualitative and quantitative metrics to measure effectiveness and impact.
  • Developed and maintained a comprehensive program management system to track progress, performance, and outcomes.
  • Established relationships with external partners to expand programming initiatives.
  • Identify training needs of staff members involved in the delivery of programs and developed appropriate training materials accordingly.
  • Supervising teams who monitored budget allocations for each program activity to ensure accuracy and proper utilization of funds.
  • Led strategic planning sessions focused on identifying innovative approaches that will improve overall program performance.
  • Ensure projects are reviewed to maintain quality control standards
  • Developed policies, procedures, protocols, standards, systems or other documents related to the organization's programs as required.
  • Managed contracts with vendors providing services related to specific programs ensuring quality service delivery.
  • Participated in community events or other public forums representing the organization's programming portfolio.
  • Leading fund giving across multidisciplinary themes and manage programmes worth $ 11 million managing over 120 partnerships across education, climate action, livelihood, mental health and animal welfare.

Senior Manager and Thematic Lead – Gender Justice/Gendered Violence

Azim Premji Foundation
Bangalore
11.2015 - Current
  • Leading teams working on gender-based violence and gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQAI spectrum) and managing due-diligence of programmes and NGO partnerships across the board
  • Key decision maker on assessing the efficacy of the organizations and programme and recommend next level discussion
  • Assess organization development and funding strategies of NGO’s and provide sound advice on improving compliances, systems, processes and robustness of the programmes
  • Pitched over 60 grant proposals, ideas and support recommendations to the funders and board with fund approval success rate of 90%
  • Over 1 million Euros value grants approved to meet annual giving targets
  • Built and managed over 50 complex partnerships and organizations focused on working on gender equity, adolescent girls - voice and agency, modern day slavery, disability, child sexual abuse, anti-trafficking, sustainable practices and services survivors of violence and discrimination (valued at over 8 million Euros)
  • Extensive experience and understanding of the anti-trafficking landscape and preventing violence landscape
  • Leading fund giving across multidisciplinary themes and manage programmes worth over 80 million rupees
  • Streamlined grant management and reporting systems that has improved grant management efficiency allowing higher investment in giving and grant making
  • Establish funding priorities, operational plans to achieve strategic goals, establish systems and processes for grant making and management, hire and onboard staff, induct new colleagues to build ideological understanding within the team
  • Built solidarity and alignment with funders like Empower India, Dalyan Foundation. Edelgive Foundation to strengthen holistic giving frames
  • Focused on strengthening policy frameworks, judicial redress mechanisms, and government programmes to enable greater access to gender-responsive welfare and services.

South Asia Regional Coordinator and Associate Fellow

REEEP (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership)
06.2007 - 04.2015
  • Lead the REEEP South Asia Secretariat office in India, managing over 600,000 Euros worth of projects and partner relationships in the region
  • Manage partnerships, expectations, and collaboration goals, including overall planning, execution, and implementation of operational plans
  • Develop high quality business plans, communication and financing strategies and conduct clean energy policy consultations in Nepal, Sri-lanka and Bangladesh
  • Programme design and development focused on energy access from a gender perspective
  • In-depth project evaluation, M&E, impact assessment of programmes
  • Develop regional strategy, policy and programme, establish reporting formats and internal management systems
  • Conduct regional needs assessments; identify policy gaps and produce publications and research studies on sustainable initiatives and global best practices in sustainable development
  • Grant writing and proposal development for research projects on low carbon sustainability and livelihood linkages with support from UK aid funds, DFID and EPSRC
  • On-the-ground project monitoring, evaluations, and impact assessments to identify beneficiaries and indicators of success achieved through grants and investment funds
  • Measuring the impact of donor funding at the grassroots level, the viability of business and financing models, and their ability to mobilize private investment
  • Build networks and partnerships with social enterprises such as SELCO, SIMPA networks, S3IDF, and Nurulights to gain a comprehensive understanding of socioeconomic issues impacting sustainable development and the social environment in the South Asia region
  • Develop guidance documents and identify regional priorities for donor funding and interventions
  • Design and implement calls for proposals for programs (CfPs)
  • Develop and support REEEP sub-networks (REIL, EEC), regional networks (Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka), and strengthen relationships with REEEP partners, key regional decision makers, and governments at all levels in the areas of energy, climate change, and sustainable development
  • Design newsletters, organize outreach events, conferences, and workshops.

Programme Associate and Researcher

Bombay First and Bombay Chambers of Commerce and Industry
05.2005 - 05.2007
  • Plan Urban development and city betterment strategy in the Social health, education and environment, undertake research, prepare reports, compile and analyze information on projects
  • Develop the structure, content and objectives of new programs and provide inputs to publications on urban issues and support decision making
  • Work with the corporate sector, city government agencies on better planning and development of the city
  • Oversee the functionalities of the different strategic groups, governing board, Bombay first committees and CAG(Citizen Action Group) chaired by the key political leaders
  • To undertake and support various specific projects that emerge from the action plans of the Advisory Council/Expert Committees
  • Assist in the formulation of a Communication Strategy for Bombay First and the City of Mumbai.

Education

Masters in Environmental Science and Sustainability (MSc) -

Institute of Science, India

Bachelors in Microbiology, Biochemistry and Environmental Science (BSc) -

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India

Skills

  • Philanthropy Advisory
  • Developing Funding Giving Strategy
  • Grant Making and Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Collaborations and Partnership Development
  • Team Management, Talent Development
  • Program and Operation Planning
  • Innovation management
  • Cross-functional team leadership
  • Influencing and negotiating
  • Internal and External Communications
  • Documentation And Reporting
  • Organizational improvement
  • Data-driven decision-making
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Organizational Development
  • Process Improvement
  • Project Planning
  • Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Grant Fund Management
  • Grant management and monitoring tools/software – FLUXX, ZOHO, Tableau PMIS, Salesforce and related ERP tools
  • Due Diligence, Programme and Finance assessment
  • Risk assessment
  • Monitoring and evaluation
  • Organization leadership development
  • Budget validations and rationalizations
  • Streamlining and simplifying systems and process
  • Problem solving and troubleshooting complex people and partnership challenges
  • Log frames and result frames designing
  • Deep Understanding of Social Issues, NGO sector across the Board to Enable Seamless Engagement with Donors, develop funding strategies, Pitch Proposal, Programmes, and Ideas
  • Have deep programmatic and funding expertise in addressing gender justice, climate action and sustainability
  • Design programmes and interventions models
  • End To End Grant Making and Partnership Management
  • Understanding of Programmatic, Finance and Budgetary frames
  • Building Thematic Understanding and Strategic Outlook – Organizational And Programmatic
  • Upward Management of Expectation And Programmatic Understanding
  • Program Management, Project Implementation
  • Writing Research Proposals and Designing Policy Frameworks
  • Outreach And Communication, Workshop, and Training
  • Gender Justice, Climate Change, Sustainability

Papers and Publications

  • Tech Monitor, http://www.techmonitor.net/tm/images/f/f6/09may_jun_sf2.pdf,
  • SERN(Sustainable Energy Regulation Network) Publication, University College London – Energy Institute (UK), for reviews, Promoting clean energy business models in small and medium enterprises,
  • http://ceebip.org/reeep-authored-article-on-smes-in-india/, REEEP and the Alliance to Save Energy Program, Help Rice Mill Cluster to Save Energy, Tamil Nadu, India, https://www.ase.org/sites/ase.org/files/sme_rice_mill_cluster_ee_program_in_india.pdf,
  • Working paper on Livelihood linked Clean Energy Models: Case Studies from India, EPSRC/ DfID funded collaborative research project on Decentralized off-grid electricity generation in Developing countries: Business Models for off-grid electricity supply,
  • http://www.oasyssouthasia.dmu.ac.uk/, Decentralized energy solutions for women empowerment: A case study of SELCO – SEWA bank model in Gujarat, UNESCO Tech4development conference,
  • Expanding rural energy access and improving agro-industrial energy efficiency through targeted interventions, WSED Conference 2013, Wels Austria
  • Smart financing ideas for small solar lighting systems, Solar Quarterly, Vol. no. 2(2) pp. 50–55, Fernandes S. 2010, Creating Networks And Partnerships To Improve RE And EE Uptake, Asian Energy Institute. 2009

Projects And Presentations

  • Moderated and Presented at the Restorative Justice World Conference Panel on Restorative Practices for Gender-Based Harm in India (2022)
  • Qualitative and Quantitative evaluation of programme focusing on Mental illness, (Akshaya Trust), Anti Trafficking – Rescue, legal and rehabilitation of survivors.
  • Survey and RCT’s on programmes around sustainable farming practices, forest rights and livelihood.
  • Panel discussion on Transforming Gender Norms: The Funder Enabling Panel (2021), organized by Equal Community Foundation and Prajnya Foundation
  • Study for development on Small Wind Power, Small Hydro Power and Lignocellulose Biofuels in India, supported by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan
  • Energy Mapping and Assessment of RE and EE potential in India (Study), University of Cape Town, South Africa for Swedish Donor Agency (2015)
  • Norwegian Collaborative Project on Assessing Efficient and Clean Energy Technology for India (2009-2011)
  • Decentralized Clean Energy case studies: Socio-economic Impact Assessment: EPSRC/DFID (2013-2014)
  • Decentralized Off-Grid Electricity Generation in Developing Countries: Business Models for Off-Grid Electricity Supply: Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Councils, UK and DFID, UK (2013-2014)
  • Applied for EU grants programme on cross-country institutional partnerships and presented initial pitch of the programme idea
  • Project on Rural Development and Green Growth, Global Green Growth Institute (2013-2014)
  • Presented on RE solutions for rural households, Delhi Sustainable Development Summit Special Event, Special Event (2013), TERI
  • Presentation on Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Practices in India- Focus on RE and EE technologies, Krishi Dhan (2012), Mumbai
  • REEEP’s role and strategy in RE (renewable energy) and EE (energy efficiency) market acceleration Presented at GERES (France) Workshop on Energy and Climate Change Leh, Ladhak(2009)
  • Presentation on Partnership Driven Energy Access Solutions in the Developing World at the Rural Energy Security through Distributed Clean Generation Conference, Indian Merchant Chambers, 18th – 19th March 2011, Mumbai, http://rudicon.in/Past-Events2011.html

Advisory And Consultation

  • SWAJAL Social enterprise, Impact Investment and fund raising
  • CUTS International, Project Advisory Role for "Demand Side Management & Renewable Energy in India: Capacity Building for CSOs (DREC Project)", http://www.cuts-ccier.org/drec/pdf/drec-brochure.pdf
  • United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), Partner advisory role for Education for sustainable development (ESD) programme for India – Western region and part of the Regional centers of Expertise (RCE) – REEEP representative
  • Reap Benefit, Early advisory and knowledge support partner focusing on behavioural change in school children to adopt sustainable living and environmental awareness

Personal Information

  • Specialization: Gender Justice, Climate Change, Sustainability
  • Title: Chief Programme Manager and Philanthropy Advisor

Affiliations

  • I am an avid traveler with the discipline of traveling to the remotest and most inaccessible regions of the country to meet communities that we intend to support, seeing firsthand the impact of disaster, disappearing islands, biodiversity, and its impact on women and children. I regularly donate to causes and believe that I do not need to be rich to be a philanthropist. Philanthropy comes from the heart and the heart lies with everyone.

Languages

English
First Language
Hindi
Intermediate (B1)
B1

Accomplishments

  • Received recognition of getting the highest score in Environmental Management and Science in my Post Graduation
  • Recognized by Institutes to be the best grants manager with great people skills and empathy in managing partnerships

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Chief Program Officer

Ashraya Hastha Trust Philanthropy
06.2023 - Current

Senior Manager and Thematic Lead – Gender Justice/Gendered Violence

Azim Premji Foundation
11.2015 - Current

South Asia Regional Coordinator and Associate Fellow

REEEP (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership)
06.2007 - 04.2015

Programme Associate and Researcher

Bombay First and Bombay Chambers of Commerce and Industry
05.2005 - 05.2007

Masters in Environmental Science and Sustainability (MSc) -

Institute of Science, India

Bachelors in Microbiology, Biochemistry and Environmental Science (BSc) -

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India

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