Craftizen Foundation

Empowers marginalized communities and traditional artisans by fostering sustainable livelihoods through crafts and skill development.

  • Bronze Certified 2023
  • 80G
  • 12A
Transparency Rating:
Transparency Rating
The transparency rating is calculated based on the amount of information available for the organisation.
Claim this profile
Bronze Certified Bronze Certified

About

  • Headquarters

    Bangalore, Karnataka

  • Since

    2014

Craftizen Foundation operates as Craft Architects, effectively closing the divide between crafts and the corporate realm through a comprehensive strat Read moreegy that involves corporate social responsibility initiatives aimed at supporting craft-based livelihoods, tailored merchandise solutions, workshops, and engagement activities for employees. Its central mission revolves around establishing sustainable livelihoods rooted in crafts for marginalized communities, which encompass adults with intellectual disabilities, underprivileged women across urban, rural, and tribal settings, as well as traditional artisans. This is realized through collaborative group efforts dedicated to crafting handmade products, encompassing a diverse range of craft skills such as wooden toy crafting, hand-embroidery, folk art painting, and even recycling materials like Temple Flowers, Paper dust, and single-use plastics. Its impact extends to over 3,500 beneficiaries, distributed across livelihood centres located in various regions including Bangalore, Channapatna, Cheriyal, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The Foundation's overarching vision is to safeguard and evolve Indian craft and artisanal skills, ensuring their integral place within the cultural tapestry. Anchored in this vision, its mission revolves around empowering craft and artisanal skills as sustainable avenues for livelihoods for marginalized communities. Its strategic goals encompass providing structured and sustained developmental support to establish crafts as a means of income generation, bolstering the capabilities of marginalized communities and traditional artisans in craft-based enterprises, reviving the support for crafts through substantial and consistent interventions, fostering design innovation to enhance the utility of handicrafts, establishing platforms for sustainable marketing for artisans and craft groups, and actively promoting craft education and awareness through engaging programmes.

Impact

Craftizen's impact is evident through the upskilling of 3500 beneficiaries, the management of 25 Livelihood Centres spanning three states, positively influencing 300 traditional artisans, collaborating with 40 NGO partners, supporting 31 craft skills, creating over 350 unique designs, and successfully recycling/upcycling 50,000 kgs of discarded materials.

Programs

  • Kalashala – Finishing School for Artisans

    Craftizen's Kalashala is an innovative "Finishing School for Artisans," offering a tailored curriculum to practising craftspeople. This initiative empowers artisans to promote their craft, ensuring sustainable income. The interactive learning approach covers business skills, production planning, quality control, marketing, storytelling, and design thinking. Seed-funded by Harvard University and Tata Trusts, Kalashala now integrates with Craftizen's Patron Programme, benefiting unskilled individuals by imparting essential skills.

  • Artisan Support Programme

    Craftizen is bridging the gap between artisans and consumers by revitalizing handicraft designs through customized merchandise. In response to urbanization-induced disconnection, Craftizen enhances craft products' functionality and opens new marketing avenues. Turnkey projects for customized design development cater to various client themes, including corporations, Government bodies, educational institutions, and foundations. The organisation ensures fair pricing and artisans' access to working capital, benefiting over 200 traditional artisans across 8 states through design support and marketing assistance.

  • Corporate Engagement Programme

    Craftizen engages with corporations through selected events, including workshops held during family, annual, and experience days. These interactive sessions provide hands-on exposure to arts and crafts for participants of all ages, fostering engagement with activities such as flower and bottle sand art, origami, jewellery making, quilling, and more. Additionally, Craft Melas are organised to directly market artisans' creations, raising awareness of India's rich crafts heritage. With a network of artisans and craft groups across the country, Craftizen tailors events to client preferences. These initiatives have been successfully conducted in cities like Bangalore, Delhi, and Hyderabad, with clients including prominent names like Accenture, HSBC, SAP Labs, and Volvo.

  • Patron Programme

    Craftizen's flagship 'Patron' programme revives the tradition of patronage, nurturing craft-based livelihoods. This multi-faceted initiative revives corporate patronage for Indian crafts, impacting over 1,200 beneficiaries in Bangalore, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Collaborating with entities like Accenture India, Deloitte India, and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), the programme ensures structured CSR with tangible social impact. It empowers NGOs and artisan groups by providing market-driven projects, capacity building, skill training, design support, and marketing assistance. This transformative approach also engages donor employees in volunteering and consulting. Ongoing projects encompass "Green Skilling" in Bangalore, "Skill and Craft for Women’s Empowerment" in Kolkata, and the "Swayam Shakthi Project" in Hyderabad, fostering partnerships with corporate CSR departments and NGOs committed to livelihoods, women's empowerment, rural development, and disability rehabilitation.

Leadership Team

  • Maurya Balasubramaniam

    Founder & Chief Executive Officer

  • Savita Mahajan

    Advisor

  • Mathew Cherian

    Advisor

  • Karl Antao

    Advisor

  • M Gopakumar

    Advisor

  • Caroline S

Demographics & Structure

  • No. of Employees

    21-50

M&E

  • Internal, External Assessors

    No

Policies

  • Ethics and Transparency Policies

    No

  • Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy

    No

Political & Religious Declarations

  • On Affiliation if any

    No

  • On Deployment Bias if any

    No

Registration Details

  • PAN Card

    AAFCC6102K

  • Registration ID

    103805

  • VO ID / Darpan ID

    KA/2019/0233344

  • 12A

    AAFCC6102KE20213

  • 80G

    AAFCC6102KF20211

  • FCRA

    Not Available

  • CSR Registration Number

    Not Available

Location

  • Headquarters

    "844,1st floor, 7th main road, 2nd cross, HAL 2nd stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore, 560038

    Directions
  • Offices in Cities

Other Details

  • Type & Sub Type

    Non-profit
    Section 8 (formerly Section 25)