Captains Social Foundation is a youth-led, non-profit organisation aimed at building a nationwide network of young people who believe they can be the change and become changemakers in their communities.
We bring young people together through volunteering and connect them with opportunities to take action, build skills and lead change in their communities. Through these experiences, we help young people develop essential 21st-century skills while working together to address community needs and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We also work with schools, colleges, nonprofits, corporates and government institutions as an implementation partner, supporting them in designing, developing and delivering social impact initiatives, youth engagement programmes, employee volunteering activities and corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects across India.
We are one of Kerala's major youth-led volunteering organisations and an active part of India's growing volunteer movement. We work alongside national and global volunteering movements and partners, including UNICEF YuWaah India, UN Volunteers India, Good Deeds Day and Daan Utsav, to strengthen volunteerism and create greater social impact.
As we continue to grow, our ambition is bold yet simple: to inspire 1% of India's youth to make volunteering a regular part of their lives.
Explore what defines Captains, how we work, the opportunities we create and the impact we strive to make. Select any section to learn more about our organisation and the work we do.
To build a network of young changemakers across India.
To promote volunteerism, nurture youth leadership and foster active citizenship among young people.
Young people have the willingness and potential to contribute to society, but often lack the space, connections and support to explore volunteering opportunities, connect with others and initiate activities of their own.
Many volunteering opportunities are organised around specific organisations, causes and programmes. This can limit young people's exposure to different experiences and their ability to take ownership of initiatives.
Captains creates an open platform where young people can connect, explore diverse volunteering opportunities, gain practical experiences, exchange ideas and initiate activities of their own.
We provide the opportunities, connections, resources and support they need to take action, develop skills and lead initiatives that address community needs.
From a Passion for Volunteering to a Movement of Volunteers!
Our journey began in 2006, with our founder's passion for volunteering. Over the years, he experienced first-hand how volunteering brings people together, develops skills and creates meaningful change. But one gap became clear: while many young people wanted to contribute, they often lacked a common platform to discover opportunities, connect with like-minded people and take ownership of their own initiatives.
In 2016, he began building a network of young volunteers in Kerala, creating opportunities for young people to participate, take responsibility and lead community initiatives.
In 2020, the idea of Captains took shape: a platform where young people could connect, explore volunteering opportunities, gain practical experiences and initiate activities of their own. Captains began its activities in 2021 and was formally registered as a Section 8 non-profit company in March 2022. With incubation support from India Welfare Trust, we strengthened our organisational capacity and expanded our work. From 2024 onwards, we expanded our work with corporates and institutions, taking on the role of an implementation partner for employee volunteering programmes, CSR projects and other social impact initiatives.
What started with a small group of young people passionate about volunteering has grown into a network that has engaged 65,000+ young people and works with schools, colleges, corporates, government institutions and nonprofits across India.
Today, Captains Social Foundation creates opportunities for young people to take action, build skills and lead change in their communities, while working with partner organisations to deliver meaningful social impact.
Volunteering is often seen as an act of service, charity, or doing good. In reality, it is a powerful catalyst for personal growth, civic leadership, and community development. Every month, more than 2.1 billion people around the world contribute their time and skills to their communities. The estimated economic value of this volunteering is equivalent to about 2.4% of global GDP. India has the world's largest youth population, with over 370 million young people. Even if just 1% of India's youth volunteered, it would be more people than the population of around 44% of the world's countries. Imagine the scale of social capital such a movement could create and its potential to contribute to nation building. That's why we exist!