CAP: The year gone by

"With this being the first year for the new CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy getting off the ground, much time and thought has been spent by the team in helping companies understand the scope and implications of the new law, stay compliant, draft appropriate CSR policies… and understand how money allocated can be wisely and effectively disbursed,” wrote Rati Forbes in the Chairman’s Note of the annual report of the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy (CAP) for the year 2014-15. "While CAP has continued to offer its well reputed, effective services in the legal advisory space, it has also set up a team, which has provided bespoke, high quality training and consultancy to non-profits on a range of issues.” She also expressed her concern over "finding sustained sources of funding.”

"Legal and related compliance for the social sector” is prominently printed on the glossy cover of the attractively designed report in which CAP acknowledges its debt of gratitude to The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust for their grant which has enabled the organization to scale up it programs and outreach in the past three years. Details of the resources, activities, inputs and outcomes related to the Trust find mention in the report.
Noshir Dadrawala, chief executive officer of CAP mentions in his message that the Charity Commissioner’s office "is starting to finally get tech savvy. It may soon start with online registration and online filing of returns… The NPO (nonprofit organizations) sector needs to be empowered with sound knowledge of not just legal and fiscal compliance but also skills in good governance, responsible communications and effectively manage resources, especially human resource. CAP’s role in providing advisory services… as also outreach through our newsmagazine, blog and soon an interactive website” is growing.
Encapsulating its mission, detailing programs at CAP, and with several pages of positive feedback from client concerns, the report also provides a pictorial presentation on the people behind the organization. Featured therein are, among others, founder director industrialist Darius Forbes, member of the advisory panel solicitor Bahram Vakil of AZB Partners, and Meher Gandevia Billimoria, chief operations officer who has compiled Cuisine for a Cause, a cook book as a fundraiser for CAP.
Darius Forbes is the only surviving founder member of CAP. The others in the public spirited team comprised H. T. Parekh, Russi Lala, R. R. Chari, M. R. Pai, Ramu Pandit and Arvind Deshpande.