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Open Source Made Effortless. Hosting made affordable.

The idea for IdliStack grew slowly, out of countless small moments: helping a team revive a broken deployment, finding yet another organisation trapped by cloud credits, watching open-source tools struggle to take root because the setup was just too hard.

After seeing the same struggles repeat across from small grassroots groups to large nonprofits, we were confronted with the reality that the sector needed lasting infrastructure, where technology can enable. Something steady, affordable, and simple enough for everyone to use.

Named after the humble idli. Because good tech should be soft, reliable, and easy to digest.

IdliStack turns complex open-source tool deployments into one-click experiences and cuts hosting costs through smart, managed infrastructure.

Simple, Secure Hosting

We built IdliStack to end the hosting headaches nonprofits face: unpredictable cloud bills, free-credit traps, vendor lock-ins, and sprawling VMs. Our hosting is simple, secure, affordable, and built for real-world nonprofit workflows.

Easy Access to Open-Source Tools

IdliStack makes powerful open-source software instantly usable. We take the brilliant work of the open-source community and make it deployable in a few clicks, bringing sector-ready tools straight to nonprofits’ doorsteps.

Open-source made effortless. Hosting made affordable.

At the heart of IdliStack is community, a space where nonprofits collaborate, innovate, and grow together. Built on open-source foundations, it’s flexible and adaptable, giving you the freedom to shape the tools to fit your unique needs. No more one-size-fits-all tech, just a stack that evolves with you and the social sector, powering your mission every step of the way.

Available now on IdliStack - Fundraising Management System (FMS)

When we launched FOSSFwd, our open-source enablement program with a goal of supporting 40 nonprofits in a year, within 8 months we were swamped with 380+ requests, ranging from data migration, tech audits to total system rip and rebuilds. From cities to grassroots, these nonprofits reflect the full spectrum of our realities addressing urgent challenges at every level.

Almost 50% of them centered around fundraising operations.

Fundraising is the core to how nonprofits run, and the systems need to adapt to each of their unique mission and workflows. This is where our open source philosophy came to play.

Instead of jumping straight into big bespoke builds, we have taken a partnership first model, grounded in listening, and keeping the systems flexible enough to grow.

With the Fundraising Management System, nonprofits can automate repetitive tasks that frees up capacity for smaller teams. The system keeps data clean, maintains continuity as teams grow, and reduces reliance on costly custom systems.

The System Enables:

Centralize lead and donor data (no more “version_final_FINAL_v2.xlsx”)

Track grants, donor pipelines, budgets and expenses with precision.

Plan fundraising strategies and budgets based on evidence, not guesswork.

Want a peek into the hood? We'll bring the demo, you bring the questions. Hit us up, we're just a message away.

The Builders

Meet the dream team behind the powering of our open source Fundraising Management System

We’re a quirky team of code wizards, problem solvers, and caffeine-fueled optimizers on a mission to build nonprofits the ultimate fundraising toolkit. From backend ninjas to strategy gurus, we bring smarts, heart, and laughs daily, crafting people first systems that help teams punch above their weight. Get ready to meet the juggernaut making fundraising simpler, efficient, and way more fun.

Praveen

Builds backends and banquets

Our head of engineering and the calm backbone of FMS, Praveen pairs deep foresight with quiet brilliance. He’s a mentor who codes with clarity, leads with humility, and celebrates like a chef, feeding minds and stomachs alike. When he smiles mid-silence, you know a tricky problem just met its match.

Akhila

Builds systems, lifts teams (and actual weights)

She is the engine behind our Fundraising Management System.She’s a ruthless optimizer, sharp project manager, and team amplifier rolled into one. A powerlifter at the gym and a people-first tech advocate at work, she balances strategy with care, making sure no task (or teammate) slips through the cracks.

Akanksha

Pops up like a meerkat at the word “product”

She has a knack for turning chaos into clean, intuitive design. With energy that fizzes and insight that cuts, she helps nonprofits cut through the noise and see what matters. A Swiftie, a design nerd, and a no-nonsense navigator, she spots the magic (and the mess) in the details most overlook.

Ajith

Code wizard by day, screenwriter by night

He brings wit and velocity to our codebase, solving the tough stuff without breaking a sweat. He’s the one who hums while debugging and drafts thrillers after hours, balancing a master’s, full-time engineering, and the occasional punchline with effortless cool.

Abhiram

Like Dexter’s brainy little cousin, but nicer

Fresh out of college and already making waves, Abhiram dives into problems headfirst. Quick to learn and quicker to help, he blends curiosity with hustle and isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. New to the team but already essential, he’s building his path one sharp line of code (and one perfect cup of coffee) at a time.

Hazel

The gentle force behind the first step

She is often the first person nonprofits speak to and the reason they decide to begin. She listens deeply, moves calmly, and zeroes in on who needs the system most. Under her quiet demeanor is a fierce commitment to getting the right tools to the right teams, often with misty eyes and a full heart.

Varshini

Banyan-hearted, Yoda-minded

Rooted in experience and shaped by practice, Varshini connects ideas, people, and purpose with ease. She builds unlikely partnerships, navigates uncertainty with grace, and keeps the mission front and center, always steady, always curious, always game for the next “why not?”

Chandru

Dances through servers and clouds

From intern to infrastructure lead, Chandru makes tech hum behind the scenes. He keeps our systems light, fast, and battle-ready-juggling servers and cloud stacks with the ease of a seasoned performer. When he’s not working tech magic, he’s scoring goals on the field, same rhythm, different arena.

How We Build

Open-source by default:

Modular, license-free and self-hostable, ensuring teams can customize tools without vendor lock-in or hidden costs. Infrastructure for public good belongs in the commons.

Field-embedded and integrative:

We build by shadowing daily workflows and listening to common bottlenecks. Instead of adding to the tool sprawl, we build bridges, connecting data flows from tracking to reporting, fundraising to strategy.

Pace-aware and intuitive:

The systems are designed to ease day-to-day friction: helping nonprofits track what matters, share what’s useful, and build continuity over time.

To build collective capacity to address the complexities of fundraising through smarter systems, sustainable practices, and sector-wide collaboration, we host virtual and in-person meetups called 'Fundshui: Turning Chaos Into Cashflow.'

A T4GC event series where nonprofits can come together to untangle their fundraising challenges, and imagine better, tech-enabled ways to solve them. In these peer-led conversations and spontaneous jams, new possibilities begin to take shape.

We’ve seen these moments spark change management strategies that help organizations navigate the real and messy internal practical shifts required to adopt new systems.

This is our approach to capacity building; not through one way training, but by creating nooks where people shape the very systems built for them. It’s how collective confidence, and lasting change, take root.

Over 100 organizations have been a part of our Fundshui community and this space continues to grow.

Sarang, Social Media and Communications Manager, Solidarity Foundation

"What resonated with me most was how, as part of the Social Impact Sector, every participant stepped up to brainstorm solutions for each other’s challenges around technology and fundraising. It was heartwarming to witness such a generous and thoughtful exchange of ideas."