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This report draws on a mixed-methods research design combining a quantitative survey of NGOs working in India with qualitative key informant interviews (KIIs) with sector experts and practitioners. The primary research tool was a self-administered survey distributed via Zoho Survey, open from January through March 2026 with 169 responses, complemented by 38 interviews with sector experts and practitioners.

Survey Sample

To estimate an appropriate sample size for this research, we used NGO Darpan's Women Empowerment category as a proxy for the population of relevant NGOs. This category comprises 144,321 registered organizations. Using this estimate, we calculated a minimum required sample size using Cochran's formula, with a 90% confidence level, a 7% margin of error, and p=0.5 (given the absence of a prior baseline estimate). This indicated a minimum sample size of approximately 139 respondents. Outreach continued beyond this threshold, and the survey closed with 169 unique responses after data cleaning.

Organizations were not required to be exclusively gender-focused to participate. To better understand the role of gender within participating organizations' work, respondents were asked to classify their primary interventions as gender-transformative, gender-responsive, or gender-neutral, based on standardized definitions provided in the survey. Respondents were also required to provide a written justification for their classification.

Given the subjective nature of self-classification, the research team reviewed each organization's rationale and, where necessary, cross-checked responses against broader survey submissions to ensure consistency with the definitions provided. This approach enabled a distinction between organizations working primarily on gender equity and those addressing gender alongside broader development objectives. 57% of organizations in the final sample were classified as having gender-transformative interventions.

The survey did not collect data on whether organizations were formally women-led. However, it did capture the presence of women from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities in senior leadership positions, including founders and/or C-suite executives. Of the organizations surveyed, 73% reported having women from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities in senior leadership positions.

Survey Design and Administration

The survey was administered in Hindi and English to improve accessibility and comprised 50 mandatory questions across multiple-response, open-ended, and numerical formats. Built-in validation checks helped minimize data-entry errors, and only fully completed submissions were included in the final sample. Responses were collected through a combination of direct outreach, social media recruitment, and follow-up reminders. The survey was open to NGOs across India, with no geographic restrictions on participation.

Key Informant Interviews

To complement and validate the survey findings, the research team conducted 38 interviews with practitioners and sector experts. Interviews were conducted with participants' consent to be recorded and quoted.

Transcripts were analyzed in Atlas.ti using a combination of inductive coding to identify emerging themes and deductive coding to examine, contextualize, and validate patterns observed in the survey data. This approach enabled both the generation of new insights and the triangulation of quantitative findings with practitioner perspectives.

Data Privacy and Confidentiality

Respondent and organizational information was collected solely for verification and data-quality purposes and was not shared externally. All data was stored securely and accessed only by the research team. Findings presented in this report are aggregated and do not identify individual respondents or organizations.