Ashoka Reflections_OCTOBER 2023
Welcome to interactive presentation, created with Publuu. Enjoy the reading!
Ashoka Reflections | Page 09
CSIP was established to support robust philanthropy and social impact institutions and recognise the
contribution of the non-profit sector to the economic and social development of the country.
The field of philanthropy in India, in particular, is underdeveloped in terms of good data and credible
research. The mandate of the Centre is to address these gaps and promote research on Philanthropy in India.
In addition, we also pay close attention to the non-profit ecosystem in India- funders, donors and
philanthropists, knowledge partners, organisations on the ground—essentially everyone whose stated
mission is to create a better impact on Indian society. As an academic centre, we also study narratives and
practices that influence the flows of power and finance within this ecosystem. The Centre is multidisciplinary
in nature and we endeavour to engage with a diversity of stakeholders to shape and strengthen this field in
India.
An often-cited challenge in studying philanthropy is the lack of definition of what constitutes Philanthropy.
Originating in Greek “love of humanity”, the word today by default is associated with the wealthy, who having
accumulated wealth, seek to contribute to society by way of establishing foundations and disbursing funds to
identified causes. Philanthropy also enjoys the self-ascription of ‘private action for public good’ and hails its
distinction from charity. Charity is often labeled as reactive whereas philanthropy endeavors to be proactive-
focusing on systemic and structural problems and their solutions.
Over recent years, there has been a considerable challenge to this Western philanthrocapitalist understanding
of Philanthropy. Originating in the Global South, this movement has not only mandated responsive
foundations to interrogate embedded notions and practices of power but also reformed their systems of
philanthropy. These shifts also impact the non-profit ecosystem in profound ways- from its administrative
reorganisation and financial flows to issues of culture inclusivity, skill and talent. This makes an excellent time
for researchers interested in politics, economics and justice to examine this space.
CSIP is currently planning a series of studies that will examine diverse cultures of giving in India. We want to
recognise various acts of giving those ordinary folks perform every day; we also want to shift the focus of the
field of philanthropy as it exists today to include non-cash giving. This includes donations in kind but also acts
of volunteerism and support of causes. We feel this perspective to be more inclusive and more accurate in
capturing the world of giving and its social implications in India.
Our groundbreaking report, How India Gives, is one of a kind in India and one of the few in the world. The
purpose of this longitudinal study is to understand the trends, patterns and preferences of Indian
households. Not only does this study provide data on household giving but also sheds light on Indian society.
The CSIP Research Fellowship on Philanthropy is the first and the only of its kind in India. It is an extensive
research fellowship that allows Fellows to explore diverse kinds of giving and its implications in India. Our
Research Fellows in the past have worked on novel topics such as “Philanthropy for the Ocean”, “Diaspora
Philanthropy and Transnational Giving among the Mappilas of Kerala”, and “Debates and Practices in Feminist
Funding in India” among many others. Through this Fellowship, we are trying to reimagine philanthropy in a
way that sheds light on Indian society. This will expand our understanding and eventually help us change the
narrative which is one of our goals.
We are seen as one of the six centres globally working on issues of giving and the non-profit ecosystem. In the
next couple of years, we will continue to focus on populations that are excluded in usual consultant-led
research in the Indian context. Our next report will focus on the giving practices of women in India. We want
to understand Indian philanthropy, which is often community-driven and often tradition-based and continues
to exist alongside modern philanthro-capitalist systems. We hope these studies will challenge persisting
notions of philanthropy and also provide much-needed data for researchers interested in understanding the
giving practices of a fast-growing nation.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88