Vigyan Foundation

What Vigyan Foundation does

Vigyan Foundation is a non-government charitable organization registered in 1988 under the Society Registration Act, 1860, headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It operates as a rights-based development organization serving marginalized communities—children, adolescents, women, migrant and unorganized-sector workers, and homeless populations—across urban and rural settings in Uttar Pradesh. Programmatic focus areas include education, water and sanitation, shelter and housing, menstrual health, adolescent rights, urban poverty, migrant worker welfare, livelihoods, and rights-based campaigns.

The organization's primary operational assets are GIS-based maps of urban poor settlements in Lucknow and Kanpur, complemented by manual mapping of labour posts and homeless populations across multiple UP cities. It functions as an Urban Resource Centre, producing studies on occupational groups, the urban poor, and homeless populations, and disseminating findings through newsletters and publications. Programme-level data assets include documentation of 787 slum settlements, outreach to 5,000+ workers, 500 sponsored children, 1,500 women in literacy programmes, and 800 children enrolled in non-formal education.

Vigyan Foundation's revenue model is entirely donor-funded. It accepts contributions from Indian and foreign individuals and institutions and receives grants from international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral bodies, and Indian philanthropic foundations—explicitly listed partners include UNICEF, Oxfam India, ActionAid, WaterAid, Save the Children, Azim Premji Foundation, ILO, EU, Google, TATA Trust, Catholic Relief Services, Phia Foundation, TCS, Saphara, and Change Alliance. The organization holds FCRA registration and 12A/80G tax-exemption certification. There is no commercial revenue; operating scale is implied by a programme footprint spanning 15+ districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Name

Vigyan Foundation

Legal name

Vigyan Foundation

Website

https://vigyanfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vigyan Foundation is a 1988-founded charitable NGO based in Lucknow, India, running rights-based programs for marginalized communities across 15+ districts of Uttar Pradesh, including children, women, migrant workers, and homeless populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD), Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Health, Wellness & Self-Care Skills (Sleep, Nutrition, Habits) (EDAMAIAJ)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Child education initiatives
• WASH programs
• Livelihood training
• Social welfare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lucknow

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vigyan Foundation is a non-profit charitable society registered in 1988 under the Society Registration Act, 1860, that designs and implements community development programs for marginalized communities in India. Its core work spans child education, gender equity, livelihood promotion, social security access, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), and employability training, delivered free of charge to underserved beneficiaries. Programs are executed in collaboration with civil society organizations and through direct field engagement with target communities.

Product overview

Vigyan Foundation operates as a charitable non-government organization offering a portfolio of social programs and community initiatives rather than commercial products. The organization provides thematic interventions including Education, Water & Sanitation, Shelter & Housing, Menstrual Health, Adolescent Rights, Urban Poor & Migrant Workers support, Dignified Wages & Work, Livelihood programs, Campaigns, Emergency Response, and Action Research. Key programs include child sponsorship (Bachpan), street child protection (Udaan), digital literacy (Internet Saathi), WASH initiatives (Clean Slum Healthy Slum), education campaigns (School Chalo Abhiyan), and homeless support services. These programs are implemented through community mobilization, CBO formation, capacity building, and advocacy with government stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 permanent night shelters and 30+ temporary winter shelters opened for homeless
• +7 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-convened three-day climate change conclave in Lucknow (March 13-15) with Action Aid Association, bringing together stakeholders from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
• Magic Bus India FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBabita Ji from Magic Bus India Foundation spoke at National Girl Child Day celebration, discussing girl child empowerment and protection.
• ATSEC India (Action against trafficking & sexual exploitation of children)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational level network committed to protecting children and women from trafficking and sexual exploitation, with state chapters across India including Uttar Pradesh.
• FORCES (Forum for Crèche and Child Care Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork committed to early childhood care and development including crèches for children of women in unorganized and informal sector, founded January 17, 1989.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest education NGOs running school-readiness, remedial learning, and adolescent programs at scale. Directly comparable as a peer in primary-education access, government-school strengthening, and adolescent life-skills work — Vigyan's core thematic areas.
• Smile Foundation India: Pan-Indian NGO running education, healthcare, and women's empowerment programs for underprivileged communities through direct program delivery and CSR partnerships. Comparable peer in mission scope (children, women, livelihood) and in operating model (thematic verticals, donor-funded programs).
• Oxfam India: Large INGO focused on urban poverty, education, and inequality in India. Directly comparable — Oxfam has funded Vigyan's Urban School Strengthening, Urban Poverty, and Bridging the Gap programs and operates in overlapping UP geographies.
• ActionAid India: National INGO with a rights-based approach working on women, children, urban poverty, and migrant workers across India. Directly comparable as a co-implementer and repeat funder of Vigyan's programs (Udaan, EC-PIE, PIE, climate change conclave).
• Save the Children – Bal Raksha Bharat: Major child-rights INGO running sponsorship and education programs for underprivileged children in India. Directly comparable as the funder of Vigyan's Bachpan sponsorship program and as a peer in child health, nutrition, and education.
• Haqdarshak Empowerment Foundation: Indian social enterprise focused on helping informal-sector workers and citizens access government welfare schemes and social-security entitlements. Directly comparable to Vigyan's EC-PIE/PIE work with unorganized workers on social protection awareness and scheme enrollment.
• Catholic Relief Services (India): International humanitarian agency running education and peace-building programs in India. Directly comparable as a long-term Vigyan partner (Peace Building/PAHAL 2004–06, Cluster Education Program 2004+) and a peer working on teacher training and inter-community peace work in UP.
• Magic Bus India Foundation: Youth-focused NGO using sports and life-skills curriculum for adolescents from low-income communities. Directly comparable as a peer on adolescent empowerment, life-skills training, and girls' education — Vigyan co-hosted a National Girl Child Day event with Magic Bus.
• WaterAid India: WASH-focused INGO working on urban slum sanitation and safe drinking water. Directly comparable as Vigyan's WASH partner (Clean Slum Healthy Slum program in 50 Lucknow slums) and as a peer delivering similar water-sanitation interventions in Indian slums.

Broad incumbents

• Azim Premji Foundation: One of India's largest education philanthropies with state-scale programs in school governance, teacher capacity, and adolescent life-skills. A peer and current Vigyan partner (Peer Leader Program across four UP districts) operating at materially larger scale and budget.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VigyanF
• Facebookfacebook.com/vigyanfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vigyan-foundation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vigyan Foundation