Robust community based organizations (CBOs) are capable of addressing their own development needs and are able to place demands on the system as pre-conditions for sustainable development. The primary unit of the CBO is Self Help Groups (SHGs), organized into secondary and tertiary organizations mainly consisting of rural women. At present, secondary level clusters, collectively called Cluster Level Associations (CLAs), have been established each covering 10-15 SHGs. The CLAs themselves are gradually entering into federating process. OUTREACH is engaged in facilitating this process and promoting the formation and development of confident, viable and multi-functional institutions.

In this way, OUTREACH helps to enable CBOs to make the transition to community based Development Organizations (CBOs) which are capable of defining and addressing their own development needs directing and implementing their own developmental programmes and placing effective and organized demands on the system

In this process the CLA functions as (a )facilitator for consolidating requirements of agricultural inputs and purchasing them in bulk (b) appraise and recommend OUTREACH for funding (c) arrange and organize SHG trainings (d) represent members in government and other forums (e) promote individual and group enterprises and (f) mobilization of resources from various sources. OUTREACH provides SHG loans for micro enterprises through its CLAs

OUTREACH has also created four Special Purpose Vehicles under NAIP component1 project which consists of grid village representatives and professionals from varied disciplines to carry out the activities/duties assigned under livelihood improvement and carbon finance programme. This group may consist of seven or more members who are selected or elected from the Grid village community and professionals (staff). Registration of the committee done as per the society act in order to fulfill the legal requirements and to undertake all the carbon trading activities and distribution of benefits to its primary stakeholders.

The CBOs formed by OUTREACH depends on the requirements of the projects and peoples’ need. OUTREACH had been involved in various types of CBOs like Self Help Group (SHG), Cluster Level Association(CLA),Village Forest Committee(VFC), Project Level Federation of SHGs (PLF), Watershed Development Committee(WDC) Eco Development Committee(EDC), Resource Users’ Group (Tank Users, Land Users & Skill Users); Joint Liability Group(JLG), Farmers’ Club(FC), OFG – Organic Farming Group (OFG) Village Development Committee (VDC), Farmers’ Producer Organization(FPO),Water User Groups (WUGs).