Primary Philanthropists/Funders:
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) (India and Ethiopia); USAID (global)
Grant Amount:
INR 169 crores (USD 25 million) from the Gates Foundation; INR 136 crores (USD 20 million) from USAID
Primary Focus:
Rural Livelihoods—Agriculture
Archetype:
Scale proven solutions Digital Green developed a comprehensive evidence base for its video-based knowledge sharing model, which it leveraged to scale the initiative’s reach and impact.
Key Partners:
- National Rural Livelihoods Mission and State Rural Livelihoods Missions (India)
- Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development (Ethiopia)
Why Bold?
Digital Green uses innovative technology and works through government systems to drive higher and more cost-effective adoption of best practices in agriculture among predominantly female smallholder farmers. A comprehensive evidence base of quantitative and qualitative studies serves as a testament to the success of Digital Green’s model. To date, the organization has scaled its reach to 1.9 million smallholder farmers globally through its video-based knowledge sharing model and is expanding its focus to include the dissemination of health and nutrition best practices to rural populations.
Key Learnings:
- Invest philanthropic capital in piloting innovations and scaling what works
- Use technology to help frontline workers deliver and scale programs more effectively
- Tailor messaging to maximize engagement and motivate behavior change
- Identify and partner with government entities that have wide reach and share similar goals in order to scale
- Continuously refine, adapt, and build on a model to accelerate its impact
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