Centre for Rural Systems and Development (CRUSADE), a voluntary development organization, aims at poverty reduction and social advancement of marginalized poor in rural Tamil Nadu.

CRUSADE was founded in 1991 with the vision of enabling the poor and marginalized sections of the population in villages around Minjur in backward Tiruvallur district near Chennai, attaining a better quality of life. In late 90s, the coverage was extended to adjacent Sholavaram block. Presently working in 200 village hamlets in 60 Panchayats, CRUSADE reach out to around 2,00,000 people.

Empowering the poor and marginalized women for their social and economic well being and facilitate their political participation through Panchayat institutions is CRUSADE’s mission. To this end, poor and marginalized women are organized into self sustaining viable Self Help Groups (SHGs).

CRUSADE is also engaged in capacity building of Gram Panchayat Presidents at a wider level in the whole of Tamilnadu through a movement “Grama Suryasarbu Iyakkam” (GSI) involving a network of NGOs, with the main objective of lobbying the state to devolve more funds, functions and functionaries ( FFFs) to village panchayats.

CRUSADE’s strategy is to initiate and nurture peoples’ organizations and equip them to be self reliant. Range of activities include organizing, awareness creation, capacity building, providing knowledge, skills, systems & advocacy