Research
Research and writing
Raghu Vamsi Kadiri writes as a practitioner: research briefs on youth volunteering, India’s nonprofit sector, CSR money and CSR audits, a working paper on SSRN that sets out Volunteer-First CSR, a book for first-time NGO founders, and 140+ articles.
Research briefs
Public data on the questions Raghu is asked most, cited line by line, with a practitioner’s reading of what it means.
Youth
Youth and volunteering in India, 2026
37 crore young people, how many volunteer, NSS and MY Bharat, and why access matters more than willingness.
Nonprofits
India’s nonprofit sector in 2026
How many NGOs there are, where the ₹27 lakh crore comes from, the FCRA squeeze and the new Income-tax Act.
CSR money
CSR in India: where the money goes
A decade of CSR spend by year, sector and state, unspent CSR rules and the 2026 amendment Bill.
Assurance
CSR audit and impact assessment
What auditors, CFOs and assessors must check, BRSR Core, common mistakes and a checklist.
Working paper
SSRN, 2026
Volunteer-First Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Goal Localization: Evidence from India’s Largest Volunteer-Led Social Impact Network
The paper examines volunteer-first CSR as a way of localising the Sustainable Development Goals, using operational data from Marpu Foundation’s CSR work with companies across Indian states. It introduces the Volunteer-First Impact Model (VFIM) and proposes the Volunteer-SDG Alignment Matrix (VSAM), a tool for designing volunteer-anchored CSR programmes around specific SDG indicators.
| Author | Raghu Vamsi Kadiri |
| Published on | SSRN, 2026 |
| DOI | 10.2139/ssrn.6323138 |
| Author IDs | ORCID 0009-0004-8602-7761. SSRN author page |
How to cite it
APA
Kadiri, R. V. (2026). Volunteer-first corporate social responsibility and sustainable development goal localization: Evidence from India’s largest volunteer-led social impact network [Working paper]. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6323138
Chicago
Kadiri, Raghu Vamsi. 2026. “Volunteer-First Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Goal Localization: Evidence from India’s Largest Volunteer-Led Social Impact Network.” SSRN Working Paper. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6323138.
Book
How to Start an NGO in India, A Step-by-Step Guide
Inspired by the Marpu Foundation journey, for first-time founders who want to start properly.
Writing, by topic
Field notes published on this site, almost every day.
Volunteer-First CSR
The framework and the operating playbook for volunteer-led CSR, from definitions to measurement.
NGO building
Starting, registering, scaling and running NGOs in India: compliance, governance and funding from the inside.
Social entrepreneurship
Founder lessons and the reality of building purpose-led ventures in India.
Career and youth
Careers, internships, networking and first jobs for students and early-career professionals.
AI and tools
How AI is changing CSR, NGO operations and social impact work, with practical prompts and cautions.
India 2026
Policy, ESG and the structural shifts shaping India’s social and economic landscape.
Research collaborations
Universities, think tanks and students are welcome.
If you study volunteering, CSR or nonprofit operations, Raghu is open to interviews, case studies and joint work. Marpu Foundation’s network across 23+ states is an unusual setting for research on volunteer retention, employee volunteering and SDG localisation.
Requests that involve personal data of volunteers or communities follow India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and Marpu’s own policies, so expect anonymised or aggregate data. Write through the contact page.
Good to know
Has Raghu Vamsi Kadiri published research?
Yes. His working paper, Volunteer-First Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Goal Localization: Evidence from India’s Largest Volunteer-Led Social Impact Network, is on SSRN (DOI 10.2139/ssrn.6323138). A working paper is shared publicly before formal peer review.
Where can I read the full Volunteer-First framework?
In the SSRN working paper. The Volunteer-First CSR page gives a plain-language summary.
Can I interview Raghu for a thesis or a research project?
Yes. Students and researchers are welcome to write through the contact page with the research question, the institution and the format.
Can researchers study Marpu Foundation’s data?
Collaboration requests are welcome. Anything involving personal data of volunteers or communities follows India’s data protection law and Marpu’s own policies, so expect anonymised or aggregate data.
Studying volunteering or CSR?
Tell Raghu about your research question. Students, researchers and journalists welcome.
Read the working paper
Volunteer-First CSR and SDG localisation, with the VFIM and VSAM models.