Atma

What Atma does

Atma is an Indian non-profit organization founded in 2007 by Adrienne Monteath-Van Dok and Hayley Bolding, headquartered in Mumbai (Malabar Hill) and operating virtually since March 2020. The organization provides capacity-building and organizational development (OD) services to education and development-focused NGOs working in low-income communities across India, addressing what it describes as a structural gap: most NGO founders come from the sector without entrepreneurial backgrounds and need help building the systems to sustain and scale. Since founding, Atma claims to have worked with over 1,000 NGOs across 22 Indian states, supported by a team of approximately 30 staff and a volunteer network of 500+ individuals from more than 28 countries.

Atma's core offering is consulting expertise, not software. Its flagship is The Accelerator, a 3-month to 3-year intensive OD programme covering 10 functional areas (strategy, programmes, fundraising, leadership, HR, digital, marketing, M&E, governance, finance), supported by an Organisational Capacity Diagnostic used to baseline each partner. Surrounding programmes include The Lab (a collaborative hub for experimenting with new capacity-building models), the Future of Impact (FOI) Collaborative (an ecosystem-level network that engaged 700+ NGOs across conferences, masterclasses, and mentorships in its first cycle), and Gati (a consortium for inclusive education of children with disabilities). Atma has also developed proprietary content assets: the Atma Network resource platform, a Social Stock Exchange Guidebook for NPOs, an Intermediary Database of 100 OD providers (built with Bridgespan), and an Outcomes Readiness Self-Assessment tool (co-developed with British Asian Trust and ISDM). The technical stack is standard: Slack, Zoom, and GSuite for delivery, and SQL/BigQuery for MEL.

The business model is donor-funded non-profit. Core accelerator services are free for partner NGOs; revenue derives from individual donations, corporate CSR partnerships (Wipro Foundation, Credit Suisse, EY GDS), international grants (British Asian Trust, Bridgespan's Pay-What-It-Takes India Initiative, 360 ONE Foundation, Forbes Foundation, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, SVP, Sahayog), and Atma Australia's fundraising arm. The only priced offerings are occasional paid capacity-building workshops and the TaRa AtmaNirbhar grant, which provides INR 2.5 lakhs in customized OD support plus INR 2.5 lakhs in unrestricted funds to 7 selected NGOs in Pune. Revenue and audited financials are not publicly disclosed on the website, though annual reports and FCRA declarations are produced for regulatory compliance.

Name

Atma

Legal name

Atma Education NGO Accelerator

Website

https://atma.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atma is an Indian non-profit founded in 2007 that provides organizational development and capacity-building services to NGOs across India, having supported 1,000+ NGOs in 22 states through free accelerator programs, donor-funded consulting, and ecosystem-building partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

NGO Capacity Building Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC)

Keywords

• NGO capacity building
• Organizational development consulting
• Nonprofit advisory services
• Social sector accelerator
• NGO strategic consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Peth

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Atma is a non-profit organization that funds its operations through donations from individual supporters, corporate CSR partnerships, and international partners. The organization publishes annual reports and FCRA declarations indicating compliance with Indian regulatory requirements for foreign contributions.
2. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funding: Corporate partners (such as Wipro Foundation, Credit Suisse, and others) provide funding as part of their CSR mandates to support Atma's capacity-building programmes for NGOs.
3. Volunteer Programme Service Fees: An optional service fee may be charged to volunteers upon acceptance into the programme. The volunteer programme is primarily unpaid but Atma invests approximately 100 hours of support per volunteer over a three-month engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Atma is a nonprofit NGO accelerator that provides tailored, one-on-one organizational development (OD) capacity-building support to NGOs across India. It delivers The Accelerator (3-month to 3-year intensive OD support across 10 areas), The Lab (collaborative innovation hub with funders and intermediaries), and the Future of Impact Collaborative (ecosystem-level Common Minimum Programme for grassroots NGOs), supplemented by a resource library (Atma Network), an Intermediary Database, and the Gati inclusive education consortium.

Product overview

Atma is an NGO accelerator that operates as a single integrated platform offering capacity-building services rather than a modular software product. The core offerings include The Accelerator (a 3-month to 3-year intensive organizational development programme), The Lab (a collaborative hub for innovation and experimentation), and the Future of Impact Collaborative (an ecosystem-wide support network). Supporting resources include the Atma Network (a resource library), the Intermediary Database (a curated directory of 100 OD service providers), the Social Stock Exchange Guidebook, and the Outcomes Readiness Self-Assessment tool. Additionally, Gati is a specialized consortium focused on inclusive education for children with disabilities. Together, these products and resources form a comprehensive ecosystem designed to build NGO capacity across 10 organizational development areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Accelerator: 3-month to 3-year support programme focusing on NGO organisational development to boost capacity and propel growth in the social sector.
• The Lab
• Future of Impact Collaborative
• Gati

Products and services

• The Accelerator Atma's flagship 3-month to 3-year capacity-building programme that provides NGOs with hands-on organisational development support across 10 key areas including strategy, programmes, fundraising, leadership, HR, digital, marketing, M&E, governance, and finance. Includes 10-16 tailored OD projects annually, 1-2 field visits per year, 1200+ hours of support each year, and sector connections.
• The Lab A collaborative hub where Atma partners with funders, intermediaries, and volunteers to drive experimentation, foster innovative models, enhance organisational development resources, and develop human capital for NGOs across India.
• Future of Impact Collaborative An ecosystem-level collaborative supporting grassroots NGOs through the Common Minimum Programme, focusing on building critical organizational capacities in financial planning, programme design, talent management, fundraising, and digital presence.
• Gati A consortium of organisations and schools driving inclusion in education, helping educators serve students with disabilities effectively through awareness campaigns, needs assessments, and in-school support across curriculum, pedagogy, professional development, and infrastructure.
• Atma Volunteer Programme A 3-month minimum commitment volunteer programme that engages 500+ volunteers from 28+ countries in supporting NGO capacity building across Finance, Fundraising, Governance, HR, Leadership, M&E, Marketing, and Programme verticals. Atma invests approximately 100 hours of support per volunteer over the three-month engagement.
• TaRa AtmaNirbhar Grant A grant programme providing INR 2.5 lakhs worth of customised organisational development support plus INR 2.5 lakhs in unrestricted funds to selected high-potential NGOs in Pune. Partnered with Tarachand Ramnath Seva Trust and TBL Consultancy Services.
• Intermediary Database An online database launched as part of Bridgespan's Pay-What-It-Takes India Initiative, providing curated access to 100 organizations and independent professionals specializing in organizational development support to NGOs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4x average increase in stakeholders for partner NGOs
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Asian TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020The British Asian Trust, in collaboration with Atma and Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), with support from 360 ONE Foundation, launched the Outcomes Readiness Framework to define, measure and enhance preparedness for outcomes-based financing among non-profits in India. A 24-month programme starting August 2020 with three phases: due diligence and NGO selection, diagnostic and planning, and capacity building plan implementation.
• Indian School of Development Management (ISDM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Co-developed the Outcomes Readiness Framework and Self-Assessment tool with British Asian Trust and Atma to help non-profits assess readiness for outcomes-based financing.
• Credit Suisse (Community Connections India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018CCI connects Director and Managing Director level employees of Credit Suisse with NGOs across India for strategic advisory projects. Across 4 cycles, 102 Credit Suisse Directors, 49 NGOs, and 52 projects have been completed. Now on Cycle 5. Both NGOs and CS employees gain lasting relationships and capacity-building outcomes.
• Atma AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Atma Australia is led by Atma founder Hayley Bolding. It supports Atma India by identifying and recruiting skilled volunteers, organising fundraising events, running crowdfunding campaigns, and aiding Atma India's international outreach efforts.
• Future of Impact CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvened by Atma in collaboration with other sector intermediaries at the start of the Covid-19 crisis. FOI 1.0 conducted 4 quarterly conferences, 7 monthly masterclasses, and 138 individual mentorships impacting 700+ organisations. FOI 2.0 (Cohort 3) focuses on Common Minimum Programme for grassroots NGOs. Supported by Forbes Foundation, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, SVP, Sahayog and Sattva Consulting.
• Tarachand Ramnath Seva Trust (TRST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to design and implement the TaRa AtmaNirbhar Grant, providing customised OD support worth INR 2.5 lakhs plus INR 2.5 lakhs unrestricted funds to 7 high-potential NGOs in Pune. Atma is the implementing and capacity-building partner; TBL Consultancy Services is also involved.
• TBL Consultancy ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implements the TaRa AtmaNirbhar Grant alongside Atma and TRST, providing organisational development expertise.
• EY Global Delivery Services (EY GDS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY GDS volunteers support participating NGOs on knowledge enhancement, skill building, system and process creation, and programme delivery through mentorships, workshops, project-based support, and short-term volunteering.
• SahayogminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Future of Impact Collaborative (FOI 2.0).
• Sattva ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Future of Impact Collaborative (FOI 2.0) and conducted an independent impact evaluation of Atma's Accelerator programme in 2022.
• Bridgespan GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtma launched an online 'Intermediary Database' as part of Bridgespan's Pay-What-It-Takes India Initiative, providing access to 100 organisations and professionals specialising in OD support to NGOs.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bridgespan Group: Global social-sector consultancy with a dedicated India presence. Atma is a partner on Bridgespan's Pay-What-It-Takes India Initiative and produces the Intermediary Database for them. Broader portfolio than Atma but overlapping client base.

Direct peers

• Sattva Consulting: India-based social impact consulting firm supporting nonprofits, CSR programmes and social enterprises — including conducting Atma's 2022 independent impact evaluation. Direct competitor for OD advisory engagements with NGOs.
• Dasra: India's leading philanthropic intermediary that builds capacity of high-impact nonprofits. Directly comparable as a domestic NGO capacity-building platform operating in the same 252,000-strong NGO landscape.
• Indian School of Development Management (ISDM): Indian institution developing social-sector leaders through formal management programmes. Co-developed the Outcomes Readiness Self-Assessment with Atma and British Asian Trust — directly competing for the same NGO capability-building mandate.
• TBL Consultancy Services: India-based organisational development consultancy serving NGOs and social enterprises. Co-implementer of the TaRa AtmaNirbhar Grant with Atma and TRST. Direct peer providing competing OD consulting capacity.
• N/Core: Nonprofit accelerator and ideas lab backing high-potential early-stage nonprofits through funding and capacity support. Closely parallel business model to Atma's Accelerator programme.
• Samhita: Indian organisation enabling CSR partnerships and strengthening NGO capabilities through advisory and programme implementation. Closely overlaps Atma's capacity-building-plus-CSR-channel model.
• Social Venture Partners (SVP) India: Venture philanthropy organisation funding and capacity-building early-stage nonprofits. Active FOI 2.0 collaborator with Atma and competing for the same NGO partner pipeline.

Others

• EY GDS Foundation: EY's CSR/skilled-volunteering programme places EY professionals with NGOs for capacity-building projects in India. Documented as an Atma volunteer partner and a parallel corporate-led NGO capacity-building channel.

Emerging players

• British Asian Trust: UK-based charitable foundation that runs major programmes in India (education, livelihoods) often through NGO intermediaries. Co-runs the Outcomes Readiness programme with Atma; functions as both a partner and a competing donor-intermediary.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/atmaorg
• Xx.com/atmaorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atma