Atul Tandon
Encyclopedia
Atul Tandon is an entrepreneur, humanitarian, author and adviser. His work has impacted industries as wide as consumer banking, e-commerce, humanitarian relief and development. He was named one of the top fundraisers in the United States in 2009, and was a leading voice behind the worldwide ONE campaign
. In May 2009, Atul Tandon joined United Way Worldwide as the Executive Director of the organization’s 41-country International Network and their Executive Vice President of Investor Relations. He provided oversight and leadership to United Way’s global network, including the advancement of the organization’s fund-raising objectives. He left United Way Worldwide in April, 2011. In May 2011, Tandon launched a global advisory firm that works with non-profits and social sector enterprises worldwide to maximize their effectiveness and impact. Between the years of 2000 and 2009, he served as Senior Vice President of Donor Engagement for World Vision
United States, one of America’s largest charities. He served on World Vision’s executive team for nine years and led the organization through a period of unprecedented expansion and revenue growth establishing a national presence in the process. Prior to his leadership roles in the non-profit sector, Tandon had a successful career in the global financial services industry, helped build modern retail banking in India, worked to restore banks in the US and subsequently served as the Director of Citibank’s global branch network.
Tandon moved to the United States in 1992. He played a role in turning around Citi’s West Coast businesses in the mid-90s. His work pioneered customer-centered relationship banking and led to his involvement with Citi’s Web 1.0 initiatives. He led corporate-wide sales culture and technology change. During Tandon's tenure as Citibank's Global Branch Distribution Director, the company grew its global consumer networks to more than 146 million accounts with $5.3 billion in income with a presence in 101 countries.
Atul Tandon left the banking industry in 2000 to join the humanitarian organization World Vision. There, he led the recruitment, growth, and cultivation of World Vision's 3.5 million donor, church and corporate relationships in the United States. Further responsibilities included the growth of World Vision's 50-state public engagement network of regional and local offices as well as major gifts and volunteer engagement functions.
Under Tandon's leadership, World Vision consistently grew revenues at double-digit rates, increased its name and cause awareness, and scaled donor satisfaction to all-time highs. His teams launched a nationwide campaign to focus the attention of Americans on the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the plight of widows and orphans in Africa — the HopeChild campaign. He led World Vision's emergency response capacity development, established a significant Web presence, shaped radio and Christian music industry
practices, created a corporate engagement platform, started a national radio news magazine and developed a strong brand platform for the organization.
Also of note, Tandon was one of the leading voices behind the Better Safer World campaign, which later joined together with Bono's DATA organization to birth the ONE campaign in the United States seeking to build awareness and enthusiasm among Americans to address issues of global poverty. In addition, Tandon was a member of World Vision International's executive team providing operational leadership to the international World Vision partnership that runs community development, relief and advocacy projects in nearly 100 countries with 35,000 staff and an annual income of approx. $2.6 billion.
Tandon's foremost contribution has been in developing and gaining industry-wide acceptance for a charity’s two-sided mission: one that seeks to impact its beneficiaries and the other that seeks to change hearts & minds amongst its donors & supporters. These ideas around Supporter Transformation and the ethics of engaging donors are now gaining widespread recognition.
ONE Campaign
The ONE Campaign is an international, nonpartisan, non-profit organization which aims to increase government funding for and effectiveness of international aid programs....
. In May 2009, Atul Tandon joined United Way Worldwide as the Executive Director of the organization’s 41-country International Network and their Executive Vice President of Investor Relations. He provided oversight and leadership to United Way’s global network, including the advancement of the organization’s fund-raising objectives. He left United Way Worldwide in April, 2011. In May 2011, Tandon launched a global advisory firm that works with non-profits and social sector enterprises worldwide to maximize their effectiveness and impact. Between the years of 2000 and 2009, he served as Senior Vice President of Donor Engagement for World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
United States, one of America’s largest charities. He served on World Vision’s executive team for nine years and led the organization through a period of unprecedented expansion and revenue growth establishing a national presence in the process. Prior to his leadership roles in the non-profit sector, Tandon had a successful career in the global financial services industry, helped build modern retail banking in India, worked to restore banks in the US and subsequently served as the Director of Citibank’s global branch network.
From the Daryaganj to Wall Street
Tandon was born in the inner city of Delhi and grew up in the remote Kutch District. Despite difficult circumstances, he launched a start-up in his native land of India. As a young CEO In the mid-80s, he introduced innovative financial instruments into the Indian capital markets. His rise as a young entrepreneur led to him playing a vital role in building a consumer banking franchise for Citibank in India, with Citibank introducing modern banking in the region with services including ATMs, credit cards, mortgages, consumer loans and remote banking.Tandon moved to the United States in 1992. He played a role in turning around Citi’s West Coast businesses in the mid-90s. His work pioneered customer-centered relationship banking and led to his involvement with Citi’s Web 1.0 initiatives. He led corporate-wide sales culture and technology change. During Tandon's tenure as Citibank's Global Branch Distribution Director, the company grew its global consumer networks to more than 146 million accounts with $5.3 billion in income with a presence in 101 countries.
Humanitarian Relief and Involvement with World Vision and the ONE Campaign
Under Tandon's leadership, World Vision consistently grew revenues at double-digit rates, increased its name and cause awareness, and scaled donor satisfaction to all-time highs. His teams launched a nationwide campaign to focus the attention of Americans on the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the plight of widows and orphans in Africa — the HopeChild campaign. He led World Vision's emergency response capacity development, established a significant Web presence, shaped radio and Christian music industry
Christian music industry
The Christian music industry is a small part of the larger music industry, that focuses on traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, Contemporary Christian music, and alternative Christian music. It is sometimes called the gospel music industry, although this designation is not a limitation...
practices, created a corporate engagement platform, started a national radio news magazine and developed a strong brand platform for the organization.
Also of note, Tandon was one of the leading voices behind the Better Safer World campaign, which later joined together with Bono's DATA organization to birth the ONE campaign in the United States seeking to build awareness and enthusiasm among Americans to address issues of global poverty. In addition, Tandon was a member of World Vision International's executive team providing operational leadership to the international World Vision partnership that runs community development, relief and advocacy projects in nearly 100 countries with 35,000 staff and an annual income of approx. $2.6 billion.
Supporter Transformation
Board Memberships
Tandon currently serves on the boards of Non-Profit Direct Marketing Association Board, and Xealot. Formerly, he served on the boards of VisionFund International, Christian Leadership Alliance,Publications and Interviews Online
- Microfinance and the Economic Climate Speech at Seattle Pacific University, May 10, 2009
- Changing Hearts One at a Time Christian Leadership Alliance, March 2009
- Bridges: Spanning the Gap Between You and Your Organization Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, April 15, 2008
- An Exercise in Transformation Fundraising Success, August 1, 2007.
- Is Change an Uphill Battle? Fundraising Success, July 1, 2007
- Building Big Goals: A Case Study from World Vision Christian Leadership Alliance, February 2007
- Influential & Effective nptimes.com, January 15 2009
- World Vision donors dig deep, Pudget Sound Business Journal, February 2009
- Coming to a Computer Near You, INXPO, August 2009
- Power helps garner more Haiti Donations, NBC Philadelphia, January 2010
- United Way recognizes General Mills, Minnesota Business, March 2010
- United Way lauds Wells Fargo, Galesburg, May 2010
- Wells Fargo becomes top campaign in the United States, UWMidlands.org, May 2010
- Nonprofit Sector’s Most Pressing Issues: The C-Level Exec’s Point of View, Fundraising Success, August 2010
- Branding: Is It A Charity Or Dessert Topping?, The Non Profit Times, December 2010
- Thirds of Donors Staying Put, The Non Profit Times, June, 2011