Global Roots, Local Impact: Empowering, Enabling, and Giving to India

Written By Sharmila Rao Thakkar

Reflections from a Dasra Philanthropy Week 2025 Panel

India’s rapidly evolving philanthropic landscape presents both tremendous opportunity and complex challenges – especially for members of the Indian diaspora who feel a deep desire to give back. As the country approaches its 100th year of independence in 2047, this is a pivotal moment to reflect on what it means to be part of a global Indian community with a local impact mindset.

At this year’s Dasra Philanthropy Week (DPW 2025), I was honored to join fellow thought leaders, advisors, and philanthropists in conversation about how to close the gap between intention and impact, build trust, and enable meaningful giving. What follows are my reflections and some key insights from that panel discussion.


Challenges in Multi-Generational Diaspora Philanthropy

  • Declining Enthusiasm Among Younger Generations

  • Shifts in Priorities (Traditional giving to India often focused on poverty alleviation, education, and religious institutions)

  • Trust & Transparency Concerns

  • Different Approaches to Giving

The Power and Potential of Diaspora Giving, But Not Without Hurdles

The Indian diaspora contributes between $1.5 to $2 billion annually to charitable causes worldwide – nearly $831 million of that directly to India, making up more than a third of all foreign donations under India’s FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act). And yet, despite this substantial contribution, many diaspora donors still face significant obstacles. Some of the greatest challenges emerge not from a lack of desire, but from the generational evolution of philanthropic values and expectations.

While 65% of first-generation Indian-American donors say they prioritize giving to India, that number drops to just 30% among second- and third-generation donors (Bridgespan, 2022). Younger donors are often less emotionally connected to India than their parents or grandparents and increasingly focused on causes including climate justice, equity, and mental health – often U.S.-based or intersectional in scope – rather than solely poverty alleviation, education, or religious institutions. Their approach to giving is also changing.  Where previous generations favored informal, relationship-based philanthropy supporting extended families, community projects, or faith-based initiatives, the next generation of donors seek structured engagement, are interested in impact metrics, and entrepreneurial models such as collective giving or impact investing.

Compounding this generational shift are concerns about trust and transparency. Many donors express frustration with navigating India’s NGO sector, evaluating nonprofit credibility, and understanding how their funds are used. Compliance challenges under FCRA only add to this complexity, leaving some donors unsure of how to proceed.

Bridging the Gap

  • Encourage intergenerational philanthropy conversations within families.

  • Use storytelling and real-time impact metrics to engage younger donors.

  • Provide flexible giving options like impact investing and donor-advised funds (DAFs).

From Challenge to Opportunity: Building Bridges

The path forward is full of promise. To bridge the generational and logistical divide in diaspora philanthropy, we must first recognize that flexibility, transparency, and intergenerational engagement are essential.

Families can start by making philanthropy a shared conversation, encouraging storytelling across generations and focusing on shared values. Donors, especially younger ones, are more likely to give when they can see their impact in real time and when giving vehicles align with their interests. Donor-advised funds (DAFs), impact investing, collaborative/collective giving, and giving circles provide more flexible, structured pathways for engagement.

Making Giving to India More Accessible

India’s social sector is massive – over 200,000 registered NGOs and countless informal actors – making it hard to identify trustworthy and impactful partners. But curated platforms are emerging to help. Organizations like Dasra (GivingPi), Accelerate India Philanthropy  (Living My Promise), GuideStar India, and India Philanthropy Alliance offer donors a way to explore and support vetted, high-impact projects.

Still, navigating FCRA regulations remains a challenge. Here’s where intermediaries play a vital role. Partners including Myriad USA, CAFAmerica, GiveIndia, Dasra, and GlobalGiving provide donors with compliant ways to give, ensuring due diligence and proper reporting while removing many administrative hurdles.

The Rise of Strategic and Collaborative Philanthropy

Increasingly, donors want to do more than just give – they want to engage.

Giving circles such as those facilitated by NEID Global and PhilanthropyTogether are allowing donors to pool resources, build collective strategies, and co-create impact. Corporate giving has also evolved under India’s CSR mandate (which requires corporations to donate 2% of profits to social causes), opening new doors for public-private partnerships. And more philanthropists are now blending business acumen with social innovation – channeling their expertise from fields like tech, finance, and law into scalable solutions. 

This shift from charity to strategy is redefining what it means to give. Donors are seeking long-term, systemic change, not just short-term fixes.

The Critical Role of Philanthropy Advisors

As this landscape grows more complex, philanthropy advisors are becoming indispensable partners for diaspora donors. 

Advisors can help:

  • Mitigate risk through due diligence, ensuring donors fund credible, impact-driven organizations

  • Design giving strategies that reflect a donor’s values, goals, and legacy

  • Support multigenerational engagement, using tools like the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) Family Giving Lifecycle Toolkit and those from 21/64.

  • Navigate compliance and structure giving through DAFs, direct grants, or impact investments

How Advisors Add Value to Diaspora Giving

  • Provide Due Diligence & Risk Management - Vet partners and projects to minimize risk and build donor confidence.

  • Craft Tailored Giving Strategies - Align philanthropic goals with personal values, causes, and family legacy.

  • Facilitate Donor Education - Provide insight into local contexts, giving vehicles, and best practices.

  • Navigate Compliance and Optimize Structures - Guide donors through legal requirements and set up effective giving mechanisms (e.g., DAFs, intermediaries, direct grants)

As the field grows, so does the infrastructure. Growing communities including P150 (a global network of 400+ philanthropic advisors who collectively shape and move billions in giving each year) and the National Network for Consultants to Grantmakers (a network of experienced professional consultants serving grantmakers), as well as advisor training programs such as Daylight Advisor’s Impact Philanthropy Advisor Certification and Building Impact’s Advisors Accelerator Meaningful Giving Guide Certification, are creating an ecosystem of skilled professionals to support diaspora philanthropy.

Looking Ahead: Building a Culture of Giving with Lasting Impact

If we want to ensure that diaspora giving endures through future generations, we must build a culture of philanthropy rooted in trusting relationships, education, and engagement.

For donors, that means:

  • Starting small, but staying engaged – philanthropy is about more than writing checks, it’s about continuous learning and relationship-building.

  • Leveraging networks and peer learning opportunities – joining giving circles, collaborating, and finding trusted advisors.

  • Thinking long-term and focusing on systemic change – providing patient capital, committing to address root causes, and engaging family members and proximate partners along the way.

For advisors and nonprofits, it means:

  • Meeting donors where they are and offering flexible, accessible entry points.

  • Clearly communicating outcomes and telling stories that resonate.

  • Creating space for the next generation to participate and lead by integrating them into family conversations early.

The Indian diaspora has always been generous. With intentional support, better infrastructure, and intergenerational inclusion, this generosity can transform into lasting, strategic impact.

Want to Learn More or Connect?
Reach out to me at sharmila@srtadvising.com
Explore resources from Dasra, Giving Pi, P150, Network of Engaged International Donors 

Sharmila Rao Thakkar