Philanthropy in India needs to be more strategic

The Economic Times

LONDON: Donors giving in India are not making the most of their money and philanthropy market in India is not working effectively, a new research report has claimed.

The research from New Philanthropy Capital and Copal Partners in its report said “Donors giving in India are not making the most of their money.”

Those giving should consider how their money can make the most impact and encourage non-governmental organisations in India to measure their results and be more transparent.

The findings, launched today in two reports, Giving in India and Starting strong, provide advice for philanthropists on how to choose effective NGOs.

The reports recognise the growing philanthropy market in India, but show that few charities measure the impact of their work and donors do not consistently ask for the right information. As a result, funding decisions are not based on impact, and the philanthropy market in India is not working effectively.

London-based NPC and Delhi-based Copal spent over a year researching the funding market and performance of local NGOs all over India. By speaking to over 150 NGOs, they found that only 3 per cent were measuring their results in a robust way.

According to one of the reports’ authors, Adrian Fradd, “many donors just cannot be sure what impact their funding is having, or whether their money is going to the most effective charity.