With her current work focusing on livelihoods, promoting philanthropy, sustainability in the sector, she was previously Amita Puri is the Executive Director of the All India Artisans and Craft Workers Welfare Association (AIACA - www.aiacaonline.org), a nonprofit organization based in New Delhi, India. AIACA works to raise the standard of living of craft workers and to create a favorable policy environment for the crafts sector.
It does this by setting benchmarks and certifying handcrafted products through its Craftmark Initiative, providing capacity building and market linkages support to craft groups, and undertaking research for policy advocacy linked work. Ms. Puri’s interests include work that addresses issues affecting women and children, and building sustainable resource mobilization strategies and institutions that support this work.
Before joining AIACA, Ms. Puri was the Chief Executive of Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), India. A member of the CAF International Network, CAF India works in the philanthropy space with a mission to promote effective giving, and increase the flow of resources from individuals and institutions to the not for profit sector in India. Prior to CAF, she worked for nine years with CRY, India’s leading advocate for child rights. She is on the India Advisory Group of the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network and serves on the Board of the Centre for Advocacy and Research. She has a master’s degree in business administration, and is currently pursuing a diploma in human rights law.