FAQ for
CSRs, Foundations, Funders
(GO-BLUE)s

If you are a Corporate, CSR Foundation, Funding organisation, Philanthropic group, Trust or an Individual Donor, wishing to support a GOOD-TO-GO Facilitating organisation (CSO/NGO) in your region, by providing a Vehicle, and/or supporting their operational expenses for the project, you are fit to join as a GO-BLUE. This is one of the best projects that can create a great on-ground impact through citizens' direct participation in development. It is a project that can give you a double advantage by combining destress routines of your employees with direct rural development, and a very high social visibility. 

GOOD-TO-GO works in a hub and spoke model, where the GO-BLUE drives the Hub of the network in a region. As a GO-BLUE, you can drive many such Hubs in different regions, or the same region.

You can find out an existing GO-GREEN in your region here. The zone of a GO-GREEN is defined as 100km radius around the GO-GREEN, reachable by road in 2 hours. You can then directly connect with the GO-GREEN, and they will hep you go through the process.

If there in no existing GO-GREEN that is max 100km from your village, and you want to register as a GO-RED, then please contact ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO.

It is actually very simple. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Read through this whole FAQ, especially the third question after this that talks about the expectations. If you have more questions (other than the ones answered here), please do not shy away from asking it, at the end of this page.

Step 2: Choose an existing GO-GREEN in your region, from the list here. See the performance rating of the GO-GREENs before you choose, and choose the highest one in your region. You can also see the pages of the GO-GREENs on this website, to see the kind of work they do through GOOD-TO-GO.

Step 3: If you do not find any GO-GREEN in your region, please write to GOOD-TO-GO at ensuredgoodtogo@gmail.com with
Subject: No GO-GREEN in my region
and wait for a response from GOOD-TO-GO.

Step 4: After you are satisfied with all answers, Register with ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO as a GO-BLUE, selecting the GO-GREEN in your region.

Step 5: You will receive a communication from GOOD-TO-GO Network, asking for some details, and ensuring that you have understood the concept well.

Step 6: The GO-GREEN you have selected, will get a notification of your support to their network.

Step 7: After checking the funding requirements with the GO-GREEN, ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO will authorise you to start.

Step 8: If you have any existing Rural development projects supported by you, please connect them with the GO-GREEN you intend to support. Please check if your supported rural development projects are within 100km range of the GO-GREEN.

Step 9: Wait for your GO-GREEN to get back to you with their funding requirement for expanding the GOOD-TO-GO network in this region.

Step 10: If you already have a network of Grassroot NGOs in rural areas being supported by you, then you can yourself start a GOOD-TO-GO Facilitating project in your organisation. That way you can act both as a GO-GREEN, and as a GO-BLUE. If you have many employees and their families, you can also encourage them to join as GO-PROs with GOOD-TO-GO network.

GOOD-TO-GO is committed to working everywhere, from the urban proximity villages to the remotest, virgin, nature rich villages of rural India. India has many sparsely populated villages which are extremely remote, a majority of which are reachable by road, but there are also a few which require a small trek to reach. 

ENSURED stands for enabling Environmentally Sustainable Urban and Rural Economic Development, and GOOD-TO-GO aims to encourage people with skills and potential to go out of their artificial comfort zones into the comforting laps of nature, with a good purpose and self satisfaction. The prime objective is to bring equality and ensure equity in our country, through Citizens. It is a project 'Of the Citizens, For the Citizens, and By the Citizens', with Humanity for Humanity.

So you can choose any/many functional domain and any/many geographical areas that you feel the most concerned for, and support the Facilitating organisations  (GO-GREENs) there to start / establish / grow this Citizens' Network.

A GO-BLUE can start by associating their existing social Projects as GO-REDs with the GO-GREEN they are supporting. The GO-BLUE can also register their employees who are involved with their CSR projects and/or interested in social development as GO-PROs. 

Any Grassroot NGO who have implemented / replicated your projects in the past or doing so now, or Community based organisation (CBO) in your own projects can be included as GO-REDs in the GOOD-TO-GO network. If you know other NGOs (not implementing your projects) but getting help from your Volunteering employees, you can include them too. The wider variety of NGOs and their functional and geographical domains will help you offer a wider variety to Volunteers (GO-PROs), as well as attract a variety of skills and Volunteers.

Please take care to include more rural based Grassroot NGOs than city based ones, for two reasons: 1) City based NGOs already have availability of local professionals to support them, whereas Rural NGOs lack the needed support; 2) City based professionals like to destress and unwind in nature filled open environments in rural areas, than concrete filled and cramped urban ones.

Grassroot NGOs addressing livelihood skill needs of the rural youth, will attract more urban volunteers. Projects related to teaching livelihood skills, entrepreneurship skills, marketing skills, setting up business models, product design, product profiling, setting up distribution infrastructure, social media workshops, gender workshops, multimedia art workshops, youth camps, health camps, and anything that is desired by the youth there, except money and material, will be desirable. The objective is not to give them the fish, but teach them how to fish.

Facilitating NGOs (GO-GREENs) that are ethically sound, and have a passion to start this initiative, but do not have the necessary financial support to start, are the best choice. With no limitation on any geography or domain, you can become the main driver behind such GO-GREENs. So if there is no GO-GREEN in your region, you can motivate a local ethical CSO/NGO to become one, with your support. If none, then you can yourself start the GOOD-TO-GO project as a GO-GREEN. If you find your region already saturated with GO-GREENs, then you can find / motivate and support a GO-GREEN in some other region of your choice. There is no geographical binding for GO-BLUEs.

• If required, please Donate a Vehicle to the GO-GREEN Partner (CSR/CSO) you are supporting, for the cause.

• Support the operational expenses of the local GOOD-TO-GO Project to the GO-GREEN Partner as per mutual agreed Budget and disbursement frequency.

• Encourage and motivate the parent company Employees, to register online with ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO.

• Take their feedback with respect to the functioning of the GO-GREEN Partner in their region.

• Monitor the supported GO-GREEN Partners’ work and fund utilisation, through the volunteering employees.

• Share your own feedback about the GO-GREEN Partner and Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) online in the national database.

• Engage Development Sector Professionals (part of the GO-BROWN group) to do impact assessment of the work done by your funded GO-GREEN Partners with their Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs) participating in ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO.

• Encourage and engage Celebrities and Influencers to promote and motivate young professionals to participate in ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO.

• Organise annual events to give recognition and awards to professionals with highest social credit accumulations.

You have complete autonomy with your network within GOOD-TO-GO. It is an open sourced project that can be initiated in any region by any GO-GREEN and supported by any GO-BLUE. If you have implementing Partners in other geographical regions, you can include them as well in your network. Just that you will have to think about facilitating movement of Volunteers (GO-PROs) in those regions as well. You can support more than one GO-GREEN or multiple GO-GREENs in the same or different regions.

You do not need to give any fund with others in the GOOD-TO-GO network, except your supported GO-GREEN. You also do not need to share information about fund given for the project. However please ask your GO-GREEN to maintain transparency by sharing their annual Audited Financial  Utilisation Statement for this project with GOOD-TO-GO network, as it will help in establishing high credibility among the citizen Volunteers, and also among all the other GO-GREENs and GO-BLUEs.

All Volunteers will register as GO-PROs with GOOD-TO-GO. As a GO-BLUE, you can also encourage your corporate employees and their families to register as GO-PROs, and enjoy the fun and adventure filled travel and camping at remote scenic virgin rural areas, while interacting will village community and sharing their skills with rural communities.

However the National Volunteer Database will be accessible only to the GO-GREENs in the country, including the one you support, but based on the skill requirements being raised by the GO-REDs they are connected with. This is to ensure that data privacy of the Volunteers is maintained, and the data is not used for any other purpose. However over a period of time as the Volunteers interact personally with the GO-Greens, GO-BLUEs and GO-REDs, they can decide whom to share their contact details with.

The Budget for a GO-GREEN is broken into two parts:

A) Budget supported by You and/or your Organisation (GO-BLUE) with the following suggestive components:

1) Cost of Vehicle (if required).
2) Cost of modification as Vehicle interior for lodging and boarding (if required).
3) Salary of Driver (if required).
4) Salaries of GO-GREEN Manager / Coordinator and Staff.
5) Health Insurance of GO-GREEN Staff, Manager, Driver (if required).
6) Liaising and Administrative Expenses.

B) Rest of the Budget is supported by each Volunteer (GO-PRO) for his/her visit to one of your Grassroot NGO (GO-RED), with the following components:

1. Transportation costs including airport / railway station pick up / drop, travel to remote village and back.
2. Basic but clean and comfortable stay at guest house/home stay/ Campervan at remote village (depending upon what is available).
3. Breakfast, Lunch, evening Tea and Dinner on all days.
4. Local trek and cultural tourism options (includes transport, if required)
5. Lodging boarding cost for the Driver (Not Salary), to travel with the volunteer and take care of his/her basic logistics.
6.  Accidental Insurance of Driver and GO-PROs.
7. Emergency pullout cost (fully refundable if not utilised).
8. Permit costs (if any).
9. Translator's costs (if any)

A GO-GREEN may add any additional components, or remove any of the above components as desired.

GOOD-TO-GO Network will not mediate or be responsible, for any financial dispute between the GO-PRO, GO-GREEN and GO-BLUE.

Foreigners are restricted in certain areas of India, and some other areas require special permits. If your / your Grassroot NGO's (GO-RED's) project is in an area, which require permits; please ensure that your GO-GREEN obtains it for the foreign origin Volunteer, before he/she travels to the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED). For areas where there are absolute restrictions for foreigners, please do not contact a Volunteer of foreign origin.

Prefer foreign Volunteers (GO-PROs) who come either through an organisation / university / network, not individual tourists, as it is difficult to verify their credentials. GOOD-TO-GO does not do any reference check of the Volunteers who sign up as GO-PROs. Since the engagement is between the GO-GREEN, GO-RED and GO-PRO, they will be responsible for any legal, financial, administrative or security issues. 

GOOD-TO-GO will neither mediate nor be responsible for any complications between them. However any negative feedback will affect their performance rating, and reduce chances of further engagement. 

If a Facilitating Organisation (GO-GREEN) contacts you for financial support for the GOOD-TO-GO initiative, please ask them to share the entire financial plan with you including the revenue coming from the Volunteers. This will give you a clear picture of how the GO-GREEN is going to maintain its finances, and how much do you need to support. If you do not find the financial plan perfect, please request one of your financial planning experts to help the GO-GREEN better its plan. Please also ask the GO-GREEN to declare the Budget heads being covered by other Funders, so that there is no duplicity of funds.

It is highly beneficial for every GO-GREEN to share its Audited Financial Statements for the GOOD-TO-GO Project, as it builds it's credibility among all the Volunteers (GO-PROs), its network of Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs), other GO-GREENs, and other GO-BLUEs. Sharing the Financial Statements also improves the Performance Rating of the GO-GREEN.

By supporting the GOOD-TO-GO Project in your region, you will get great visibility through the following:

• All GO-BLUEs will find a mention with their Logos on the 'Supporters of GOOD-TO-GO' Page on this website. This page will also carry the testimonials and posts of all GO-BLUEs, whenever they share them, sorted by date of posting. Your testimonials and posts will be searchable by clicking your Logo.

• All GO-GREENs will have their own Pages on this website, that will carry your Logo, if you support them.

• If you are donating a vehicle to the GO-GREEN or supporting its renovation, for commute of the Volunteers, then the Vehicle will carry Your / Your Company/Organisation Name and Logo permanently painted on the Vehicle.

• If your Company/Organisation Employees and their family members are volunteering as GO-PROs, they can sport dresses/wearables that display your name, logo, slogan, etc. 

• Videos of the Celebrities/Influencers you engage to motivate other youth, will anyway carry your Names and Logos.

• The Annual City based Events for recognising the highest contributing Volunteers (GO-PROs) that you will be organising with your GO-GREEN, will also be a great place for high visibility nationally.

Definitely. Whenever you wish your GO-GREEN will share the desired Picture and Videos of the work, for your documentation and making promotional videos. However, please take care so that the pictures and videos are not used for any commercial advertisements.

Yes, GOOD-TO-GO will expect feedback from you on the performance and transparency of the GO-GREEN you are supporting. In case you are visiting the Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs), then a feedback on what you observed will be helpful. If your Employees are volunteering, then a feedback from you about them, will also be helpful. All feedback will need to be submitted through online forms tagged with emails.

Your feedback will affect the Performance Rating of all of them. Your Ratings will will also improve, but only after your feedback and experience sharing is received.

GOOD-TO-GO will also take a feedback from the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED), Facilitating NGO (GO-GREEN), and the driver of your vehicle, after each volunteering trip, to evaluate your performance rating. The Volunteers (GO-PROs) will do complete research on all stakeholders before making a move, and will select only those with higher performance rating, for such Voluntourism opportunities.

It is not required. ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO will give Certificates to the registered Volunteers (GO-PROs), whenever they wish, mentioning their contribution and performance. Certificates will be given only to those who have contributed at least 15 days (not including travel) since joining, and their performance rating is above average (eg. at least 3.5 on a scale 1 - 5). 

With ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO, you:

• Will be able to see and show tangible work happening on ground with your support.

• Will be able to create good visibility about your organisation through the transport Vehicle / Campervan that will carry your Logo.

• Will be able to monitor the work directly through your employees / professionals involved as GO-PROs.

• Will be able to directly impact Grassroot NGOs with skills and resources, and create an entrepreneurial system in the region.

If you have gone through this FAQ, resonate well with the project and its objective and strong will to support the initiative, please register as a Supporting Organisation (GO-BLUE) with ENSURED - GOOD-TO-GO immediately here. 

If you want to recall the next steps, scroll to the top of this page and take a look at Question 2 and 3 in this FAQ.

Generally, the commuting expenses for taking the Volunteers (GO-PROs) to the Villages and back, are met by the Volunteers themselves. The travel support required by the GO-GREEN depends upon their Budget. 

If the GO-GREEN does not have a Vehicle, but its Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs) have places for the Volunteers to stay, then their Budget might include the cost of a Vehicle.

If the GO-GREEN does not have a Vehicle, and its Grassroot NGOs (GO-REDs) do not have places for the Volunteers to stay, then their Budget might include the cost of a Vehicle with customised interiors to make it liveable (Campervan).

The GO-GREEN taking the Volunteer (GO-PRO), and the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) being visited, will be responsible for the safety, security and comfort of the Volunteer during the visit. Anything wrong happening to a Volunteer will be reflected through the feedback submitted by all of them. The fault may lie with any of them, including the volunteer, but will affect everyone's performance rating. Hence it will be in the interest of all of them, to prevent any untoward incident from happening, during the visit.

If there is any legal issue arising out of any untoward incident, it will be dealt between them only, until and unless other stakeholders' names also pop out during their investigations.

That's a brilliant option, as it will save a lot of extra capital cost for you, and a lot of recurring cost like Insurance, maintenance, etc for the GO-GREEN you are supporting.

You don't have to do anything except supporting the GO-GREEN financially as per their Budget, for the GOOD-TO-GO project. Everything after that will be handled by your supported GO-GREEN. However in order to give the Volunteers their best experience, and proper utilisation of your funds, you can make surprise visits to both the GO-GREEN and GO-RED anytime with the visiting Volunteers or otherwise.

Some exceptionally skilled Volunteers (GO-PROs) might not be economically sound, to pay for the commuting expenses for their volunteering. Your supported GO-GREEN might approach you for sponsoring such Volunteers' (GO-PRO's) travel, food and stay. You can support them on a case-to-case basis after verifying their suitability.

This is possible, as many local Volunteers would prefer to drive down to the Village themselves. Although this works more cost effective for you and your supported GO-GREEN, but chances are that they are taking a whole set of people with them who are not Volunteers, but going there for family fun. Volunteers visiting by their own vehicles with their families should not expect the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) to take care of their families and entertain them, even at a price. GOOD-TO-GO is not Rural Tourism, but Voluntourism. 

But if a set of Volunteers (GO-REDs) chosen by the GO-GREEN based on their skills, wish to go together in one of their own vehicle, it can be considered. However the GO-GREEN needs to ensure that all essentials mentioned in the their FAQ are taken care of, by either one of the GO-GREEN staff or the Grassroot NGO (GO-RED) staff.

GOOD-TO-GO is a Citizen based initiative, independent of Governments and Politics. Hence it requires wide popularity among Citizens from all economic sections. As all other players in this initiative are from the social sector, with focus on the social objective and improving the experience of Volunteers, the they do not have enough capacities and bandwidth to do promotions as well. You can do this easily as follows:

1. Use the videos, pictures and bytes of Volunteer visits, to prepare promotional videos for mass circulation through social media in multiple languages.

2. Engage Celebrities and Influencers already engaged in promotion of your company's products and services, to do some pro-bono or subsidised  promotion for motivating youth and professionals towards GOOD-TO-GO. These Celebrities can also claim that they are a part of GOOD-TO-GO, so that it builds up their social image, and increases their fan following.

3. You can use GOOD-TO-GO Logo and your association with it, wherever you feel appropriate in your publications, website, product promotions and other documents of public interest.

Of course YES. Anyone and Everyone can be a part of GOOD-TO-GO, by choosing the role they would like to engage as. They can engage as:

• a Volunteer (GO-PRO)

• a Sponsor (GO-BLUE)

• an Influencer (GO-YELLOW)

• in a group to start and facilitate the initiative in a region as GO-GREEN

• as a Travel service Provider, Essential items supplier, or anything that they see as and engagement opportunity within GOOD-TO-GO.

Of course YES, But as Volunteers (GO-PROs), or for official surprise checks only. Please take care not to expect, request or demand any favour from the Projects, as GOOD-TO-GO's objective is to give, not to take. Also please do not let them know that you / your organisation are supporting their project. We wish to create a Citizen-Citizen relationship, and not a Donor-Beneficiary relationship.

Definitely. You can bring as many Celebrities / Influencers on board to motivate your employees. Ideally you should first take the Celebrities to some of the Projects connected with the GO-GREEN you are supporting, and record Videos and Bytes of the Celebrities volunteering there. Later you can ask the Celebrities to interact with your Employees, and share their experiences, motivating them too. Clips of the videos recorded there will add to their motivation.

You can also circulate these videos in other networks, to motivate others.

Please check before you engage the Celebrities, if they have any recent negative image among the public, or any criminal proceedings going on against them, as it may adversly affect the initiative.

Every Funder has its own Evaluation Parameters and SOPs, to monitor its funded Projects. So feel free to use your own SOPs and Parameters. GOOD-TO-GO will suggest you some additional parameters, that will help in comparing GO-GREENS across the country, funded by different GO-BLUEs.