Giving Compass' Take:

• This Michael & Susan Dell Foundation highlights the work of iMerit, a company that looks to empower underprivileged communities by training them for jobs in the digital economy.

• What can other organization's learn from iMerit's model? How can we encourage more risk-taking in philanthropy to reach our most lofty goals?

• Here's more about how we can think about risk at nonprofit boards.


One of our guiding principles here at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, “Take the Risks Your Challenge Deserves,” comes from an understanding that the greatest challenges require us to do things differently, to push the boundaries and be willing to take risks in order to realize the greater impact.

In this podcast episode [and video], you’ll hear about the work of our partners at iMerit. Founder and CEO Radha Basu is someone who has consistently and persistently pushed the boundaries of traditional risk to realize her vision of empowering young marginalized Indians to work in digital jobs. We sat down with Radha and Zarin Fatma, a senior technical associate at iMerit, and spoke about the incredible impact iMerit has had on their lives and communities.

Watch the video about iMerit's work for social impact at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.