# MBA students can be a resource for NGOs

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/06/23/mba-students-can-be-resource-ngos/
- Published: 2008-06-23T15:54:38+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

I have just returned from Hyderabad in India where Resource Alliance is partnering
with ICFAI Business School (www.ibsindia.org)to establish a foundation course in
fundraising for NGOs in the South of India. This is the fifth course we have set
up – others are already running in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bubaneshwar.

While I was at IBS I had the pleasure of meeting around 40 MBA students who last
year volunteered to do their internships with NGOs, rather than go the usual route
of working in a corporate. Interest amongst students in working with the voluntary
sector has been growing over the last few years.

One group of students worked with Byrraju Foundation on a range of projects, including
the rural tourism and village telecentres mentioned in my previous blog. Others 
worked on a survey of rural business process outsourcing enterprises and organised
a conference to connect the BPOs with businesses. There is now a website listing
rural BPOs – www.gramit.in – many of which are run by NGOs. A third group worked
with CAP Foundation (www.capfoundation.in) on their employbility training programme,
helping to ensure the training being offered matched employers needs, and therefore
would attract funding.

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In previous years students have worked on projects relating to direct marketing 
for NGOs including WWF.

One young woman told me that at the start she had been full of trepidation about
working for an NGO. But the experience had turned out to be highly rewarding. Another
student, a young man, told me he had decided he wanted to work in the voluntary 
sector as a result of the experiences he had had.

India is well known for the calibre of its business schools and a number now encourage
students to work on projects for the social sector. Other countries also have strong
business schools. MBA students and faculty can be a useful resource for NGOs, and
engaging with them helps bring more young talent into the sector.

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