Gautam John

Gautam John-Image

Gautam John is the CEO of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. Prior to this, he spent several years with the Akshara Foundation building the Karnataka Learning Partnership and at Pratham Books building their open source publishing model. Gautam also advises a number of organisations, including Pratham Books, Akshara Foundation, and Children’s Lovecastles Trust. He was a TED India Fellow in 2009. Before entering the nonprofit sector, he was an entrepreneur for six years. Gautam graduated from the National Law School of India University in 2002.


Articles by Gautam John


a stature of lady justice holding a weighing scale-digital

অক্টোবর 13, 2023
What does the DPDP Act mean for philanthropy in India?
With the introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, it may be useful to revisit how we think about data collection and impact measurement.
close up of a flower--nonprofit leadership

সেপ্টেম্বর 1, 2023
What new possibilities could your leadership unlock?
Successful organisations are those that enrich, and are enriched by their communities. What can leaders do to achieve this?
gond artwork portraying a group of animals--community building

এপ্রিল 28, 2023
The power of building a community
For nonprofits to achieve scale, it is important to nurture a community around shared values. Building platforms that cultivate care, trust, and value for users can help.

জানুয়ারি 4, 2021
Love, not log frames
Philanthropy needs an overhaul, from narrow illusions of control to promoting empathy and agency.
five light bulbs-open data

ডিসেম্বর 19, 2019
Developing our digital commons
As donors and changemakers, we have an obligation to ensure that the knowledge and resources we create are truly open and accessible to all, independent of our organisation or mission.
collage to represent pooled funding

ফেব্রুয়ারি 15, 2018
The power of pooling philanthropic funds
Deployed well, this form of funding offers multiple advantages. Here is a quick guide to understand the various options available and find the one that best matches your requirements.
Many colourful bangles in a market

ডিসেম্বর 20, 2017
Crowdfunding: What can philanthropists do to support it?
There are many opportunities for funders to help their grantees experiment with this new channel of fundraising. Here are some ways they can support nonprofits in building this capability.
coins in a jar

আগস্ট 17, 2017
Why crowdfunding is important for philanthropy to support
Crowdfunding is a unique tool that is greatly underused in the Indian social sector. Philanthropists can support and encourage nonprofits to adopt this new model of fundraising.
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