Organisational Development at Keystone

Acts as an essential overarching structure that constantly develops and improves strategies, structures and processes that assist in driving organisational effectiveness.

The goal of the programme is to keep other programmes running smoothly, ensuring organisational policies and procedures align with legal compliances. Aside from maintaining our beautiful campus infrastructure, finances, media and IT services, we work hard to provide wider scopes for Keystone to achieve its intended goals.

The team’s interventions essentially facilitate employee and field staff resource requirements, furnishes financial information for donors, liaises with regional and district government bodies and communicates the organisation’s impact to all affiliations, communities and the general public.

Green Campus

Our Administration and the IT team are responsible for the overall wellbeing and functioning of Keystone’s 50+ employees. They ensure office spaces and equipment are well-maintained for staff and visitors.

Renewable Energy

Energy supply for our campus is partly obtained from 32 solar panels that were installed in 2018. Since then (until 2021 Dec), our CO2 emission saved is around 4.815.68 kilograms – equivalent to 143.73 trees planted.

Rammed Earth

All 10 buildings on campus are built using rammed earth technique, a sustainable construction method that is low in resource and energy consumption compared to conventional building materials.

Greywater Reuse

Domestic wastewater is recycled for other purposes on campus, significantly reducing the volume of water consumed. Our cafeteria, which serves 50+ people on an average everyday, is our main greywater source

Wildlife Friendly

A conscious decision was made to remove all fences around campus to an extent that allows wildlife to move around freely. Gaur herds and wild boars are frequent visitors whom we often find browsing through our gardens and vacant spaces.

Resource and Field Centres

As a community based organisation, our field office are effectively important links between the organisation and the local communities with whom we work with. Our field centres are spread across five important working areas spanning two states – Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Hasanur (Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve)

Areyapalyam is located in Sathyamangalam (Erode District). This field centre is the hub for NTFP related research and conservation-related activities. Besides this, livelihood interventions and governance-related work across villages in the region are coordinated from this centre.

Sigur (Mudumalai Tiger Reserve)

Our Sigur centre falls in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. This centre has a nursery that nurtures both cash crops (livelihood support) and native plants. Governance, Livelihoods, Health and Wellness, Wildlife Monitoring and Conservation activities are coordinated from this centre.

Pillur (Coimbatore District)

The Pillur valley is nestled in the dry deciduous forests, segregated from the bustle of the Coimbatore
district. Livelihoods, Governance, Conservation, Apiculture and Health & Wellness projects are implemented across the region.

Nilambur (Malappuram District)

10 % of the population in Nilambur in the state of Kerala are indigenous communities (Schedule Caste & Schedule Tribe). We closely work with Cholanaikkar and Paniyar communities. Apiculture, Health & Wellness, Governance, Conservation are some the core activities implemented in this region

Mananthavady (Wayanad District)

Our Wayanad Centre is the most recent centre in comparison with other areas. We work with – urban and rural communities living in the region. Water & Sanitation, Livelihood, and Restoration activities largely comprise our work in the region.

Coimbatore District

This resource centre has been the nucleus for our Tamilnadu Urban Sanitation Support Programme (TNUSSP) work. This project which took place from 2015-2022 mainly functioned as a city Technical Support Unit whose tasks were to improve the sanitation value chain in two town panchayats.

Potka (East Singhbum District)

Central India is a region where majority of our Network partners are based out of. Our work in the region is mainly carried out through our partner organisations who mainly focus on gender, ecology & climate change, community governance, traditional or uncultivated food etc.

Training and Capacity Building Centre

Our cafeteria and the traning and capacity-building center were built in 2016. The cafeteria serves all three meals during meetings and when volunteers stay on campus. Dorms and rooms are used during the monthly staff meeting, programme related trainings, meetings, and conferences, etc.