Philanthropy | India Development Review

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February 28, 2019

Philanthropy in India is growing: Fact or fiction?

Our sector is complicit in weaving tales around the 'Rise of Philanthropy' in India. But the gaping holes in data give us pause. Here's a closer look at what the numbers reveal.

by Smarinita Shetty | 6 min read

January 25, 2019

The social sector must recognise and talk about failure

With pressure to show returns on philanthropic capital, there's little room to discuss failure. In order to mitigate huge organisational and programmatic risk, a culture of admitting failure needs to be built.

by Rohini Nilekani | 3 min read

January 24, 2019

Lessons for fellow philanthropists

"We were willing to admit what we did not know, and were open to learning and experimenting along the way."

by Vidya Shah | 6 min read

December 21, 2018

Social enterprise is eroding civil society

The emphasis on technology-based managerial solutions for complex social, economic, and political issues separates the problem from its context, and often does not engage with the larger problems of society.

by Amitabh Behar | 5 min read

December 19, 2018

IDR Shorts | Philanthropy's role in rights-based advocacy

Launching our podcast series that distils new ideas and research. We speak to Ingrid Srinath in our first episode.

by Sneha Philip | 1 min read

November 30, 2018

Learn better and share more

How to assess philanthropic efforts, use knowledge to make decisions, and share knowledge in formal and informal ways with a variety of stakeholders.

by Yvonne Belanger | 4 min read

November 29, 2018

The opportunity for new philanthropy

Indian philanthropy needs to fund innovatively, take on riskier projects, and step in to fill the gaps that foreign philanthropy cannot.

by Pradeep Nair | 4 min read

November 23, 2018

Getting the best possible failures in philanthropy

Failures are an inevitable part of philanthropy, but we must ensure that when we do fail, they are good failures.

by Jen Ford Reedy | 5 min read

October 31, 2018

CSR spends: What the data tells us

Four years after the CSR mandate, here's a look at the geographies and sectors funds were directed towards; what has changed in the way companies give; and how we can address the gaps that still exist.

by Shankar Venkateswaran | 5 min read

September 29, 2018

11 last–minute things you can do to take part in DaanUtsav

Want to take part in the Daan Utsav and GivingTuesdayIndia celebrations next week but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry. Here are 11 easy and fun ways you can participate in one of the biggest giving festivals in India.

by Pushpa Aman Singh | 3 min read

September 07, 2018

Are the elite hijacking social change?

In Winners Take All, writer Anand Giridharadas calls out the hypocrisies of philanthropists.

by Mark Kramer | 6 min read

August 23, 2018

Funding the atypical

There is a very important role that smaller organisations—the ones that don’t fit conventional moulds—play in the development of our country. We need to expand our view of what we can and should support.

by Nimesh Sumati | 4 min read

July 27, 2018

25 powerful ways funders can support social movements

Social movements are generally focused on moving systems, structures, and institutions toward justice and equity—and funding them is imperative. A must-read for anyone who wants to financially support social movements.

by Solomé Lemma | 5 min read

June 21, 2018

Put people first; development will follow

Many funders tend to focus more on documentation and capacity building. But to be a real partner to a nonprofit you must support its people–the founder as well the staff.

by Nimesh Sumati | 4 min read

June 13, 2018

The evolving role of CSR teams

CSR teams can play a more proactive role in helping senior management understand ground realities so that their approach also includes funding underserved communities and geographies.

by Unnikrishnan T.S | 5 min read

May 23, 2018

Raising money through online channels – How to get it right

Raising money through your website vs crowdfunding – Here’s why these aren’t ‘either-or’ options, and how, when used together, they can work wonders for your nonprofit.

by Dhaval Udani | 5 min read

May 22, 2018

Where are the women in policy making?

While we have seen efforts to bolster the role of women in policy making across the government and private sector, the real solutions may ultimately come from philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.

by Manuraj Shunmugasundaram | 3 min read

April 19, 2018

It’s time for philanthropy to step back into institution building

Decreasing government investments have caused a decline in our institutions over the last three decades. It is up to philanthropy to reclaim its role in an area that is critical to our democracy.

by Anurag Behar | 3 min read

March 22, 2018

The balance of power needs to change

Given the changing landscape of giving—including the evolving donor-grantee relationship—philanthropists will have to revisit their idea of what constitutes change and success.

by Jerome D’Souza | 3 min read

March 01, 2018

Why funders must invest in organisational capacity

Just as they do in their businesses, philanthropists must be willing to invest in people and processes to help build successful nonprofits.

by Amit Chandra, Archana Chandra | 4 min read

Pooled funding allows donors to take a comprehensive approach to a problem and address multiple facets rather than provide symptomatic relief.

February 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.

by Gautam John, Reshma Anand | 4 min read

February 14, 2018

Use evidence to make funding decisions

New funders entering the social sector must ensure that their money is put to good use; evidence-informed decision making is one way to ensure greater impact.

by Shubh Sharma | 4 min read

February 01, 2018

Impact is not limited to big philanthropy

In the absence of an ecosystem to guide them, small and first-time givers are often unsure of when, how and how much to give. Taking that first step is important because every bit counts.

by Rati Forbes | 5 min read

January 30, 2018

The predicament of strategic philanthropy

We need to question the role of strategic philanthropy as it is practised today. To create lasting change, philanthropy must move beyond business-like transactions and instead incorporate wisdom and practice from many players and approaches.

by Katherine Fulton | 7 min read

December 21, 2017

“Funding advocacy can yield outsized impact”

As philanthropists, supporting advocacy-related work should be an integral part of our portfolio. However it requires us to go on a journey and educate ourselves before we can do it well.

by Vidya Shah | 5 min read

Salt in the hands of a salt farmer - giving

December 19, 2017

"We have not tapped our own potential for giving"

Do we start giving only when something affects us deeply from within? If we look around with sensitivity and compassion, each one of us will find something that will ultimately persuade us to give.

by Anu Aga | 6 min read

October 05, 2017

The changing face of philanthropy

The philosophy, scope and even the ‘currency’ of giving have seen dramatic shifts in keeping with the nature of the challenges faced by society. And it augurs well for the development sector.

by Debasish Mitter | 3 min read

September 05, 2017

The needle has swung the wrong way: It's time for India's philanthropy reckoning

Indian philanthropy is punching well below its weight. With intolerance and inequity on the rise across India, philanthropic foundations must step up and focus on fundamental and systemic causes of exclusion and injustice.

by Amitabh Behar | 6 min read

August 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.

by Gautam John | 3 min read

July 18, 2017

IDR Select: Why the voiceless, the nameless and the silent matter

We bring you an interesting mix of ideas to dwell upon: why new philanthropy must focus on the most marginalised; the changing face of violence in India; why the Skill India programme fails to address some core issues on skilling; and more.

by India Development Review | 2 min read

July 11, 2017

Cutting costs to increase impact

Costs can be a lever rather than a barrier for scaling impact. The challenge, however, is developing a programme that balances costs with successful outcomes.

by The Bridgespan Group | 1 min read

May 23, 2017

IDR Select: Five ideas that got us thinking

Take a few minutes to read some of the most compelling articles we discovered this month as we trawled the World Wide Web.

by India Development Review | 2 min read

May 15, 2017

The joy of hanging in there

Funders shouldn’t stop funding just because they can. In this article, Kevin Starr makes a strong case for the importance of unrestricted funding to nonprofits and having greater patience with outcomes.

by Stanford Social Innovation Review | 1 min read

Funders use knowledge - Knowledge Dart Board_Bullseye

May 01, 2017

Using knowledge to improve funder practice

Do funders use knowledge to inform and improve their work? If so, how do they use it? What role does it play? Find out what Lindsay Louie & Fay Twersky’s research discovered about how funders make decisions.

by Stanford Social Innovation Review | 2 min read

April 24, 2017

Fundraising from new age philanthropists

A new breed of philanthropists is emerging--do you have what it takes to engage with them successfully? Here’s a four-step guide to help you fundraise effectively from these up-and-coming donors.

by Alison Bukhari | 3 min read