Development of Humane Action (DHAN) Foundation, a professional development organisation, was initiated on October 2, 1997. It brings highly motivated, educated young women and men to the development sector. They would make new innovations in development to root out poverty from the country, in thus achieving the Mission of the organisation. The Foundation works to make significant changes in the livelihoods of the poor through innovative themes and institutions.

DHAN lays high emphasis on thematic focus. It builds social capital by organising the unorganised poor communities around the themes of water, microfinance, rainfed farming, information and communication technologies, and local governance. Localised Peoples’ Organisations are built in urban, rural, tribal and coastal contexts. It is the most critical step in building the capabilities of the communities to handle the development processes and its outcomes for ensuring their entitlements by acquiring bargaining power. These Peoples’ Organisations provide platform for nurturing innovations at the  grassroots, scaling–down technologies and contextualising those technologies for addressing the issues of poverty, which are highly complex and contextual.

Programmes

DHAN Foundation works in a highly decentralized manner in keeping with the diversity of themes, contexts, technology etc. with which it is working. DHAN Foundation's two thematic programmes, Kalanjiam and Vayalagam are scaling up in a significant manner. DHAN Foundation is continuously on the lookout for new innovations in development, which can impact the lives of the poor in a sustainable manner. These initiatives provide new opportunities and challenges to DHAN Foundation.

• Tata-Dhan Academy
• Information Technology for the poor
• Rainfed Farming Development Programme
• Coastal Conservation and Livelihood Programme(CALL)
• Working with Panchayats - are the other programmes promoted by DHAN Foundation as a development initiative to address poverty

DHAN Collective

DHAN Foundation and its institutions form the DHAN Collective. It is to nurture and preserve the culture of collegiality, mutuality and solidarity. Shared purpose, core values and resources (human, financial and physical resources) bind the institutions of DHAN Collective. DHAN Foundation as the mothering institution would guide, support and regulate its family institutions on their mission, policies, strategies and values. Each institution would define its ‘own unique’ space.

• The Kalanjiam Community Banking Programme, one of DHAN Foundation’s pioneering initiatives and its first institution, has evolved into an institution, the ‘Kalanjiam Foundation’, to take up the promotional role. It would scale-up the theme of Kalanjiam Community Banking and guide the people institutions.
   
• Vayalagam Tankfed Agriculture Development Programme has evolved into the Vayalagam Foundation to work on the theme of conservation and development of small scale water bodies and stabilise the livelihoods of the farmers dependent on them.
   
• The Tata-Dhan Academy would be promoted in the coming year as the next thematic institution. Many such institutions would emerge in course of time – efficient, excellent and with unquestioned integrity – in the DHAN Collective of institutions

Centres for Integration
The Central office plays the integration role across themes, geographic locations, functionsetc. through innovative integrating mechanisms and events. It provides strategic support to the newthematic institutions promoted and help them to establish themselves. The central office also takes the responsibility for resource mobilization and its management, strategic planning, policy advocacy at higher levels and legal compliances.

- Centre for Human Resource Development
- DHAN People Academy
- Centre for Finance
- Centre for Facilitating Philanthrophy
- Centre for Development Communication
- Centre for Research
- Centre for Policy and Planning