The India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), a coalition of 16 of the leading India-focused non-profits in the United States, has begun the countdown to the first-ever India Giving Day, scheduled for March 2, 2023. This new yearly campaign will highlight and commemorate the contributions made by Americans, notably Indian Americans, to India.
The United States has approximately 3.5 million Indian-born residents, 1.9 million of whom are first-generation immigrants from India. The Indian diaspora in the U.S. is expected to increase its giving to all causes by $2 billion in the coming years, the equivalent of the amount spent each year by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to a study by Indiaspora and Dalberg, a consulting firm. India Giving Day aims to improve the effectiveness of philanthropy benefitting India.
More than 200 giving days are celebrated across the United States every year, representing an essential innovation in philanthropy over the last 15 years. According to Bonterra, a leading technology partner of many of those campaigns, giving days are "24-hour (or longer) fundraising events aimed at rallying communities together to maximize awareness, engagement, and donations." India Giving Day is a new national giving day dedicated to helping India achieve its humanitarian and development goals. Those goals include improving education, healthcare, livelihood support, and other critical services for India's underserved and marginalized populations.
Deepak Raj, the chairman of the India Philanthropy Alliance, said, "Celebrate the joy of giving. Take the time to identify an important issue and learn about the work that is now being done to change things for the better. See how you can impact the lives of others and make the world a better place for all of us."
Twenty-six India-focused non-profits in the U.S. that are participating in India Giving Day collectively raised approximately $150 million for their work in India in 2021. They are seeking to increase their fundraising success through India Giving Day.
Using modern, youth-friendly techniques, such as peer-to-peer fundraising and gamification, India Giving Day provides a credible one-stop platform to donate, fundraise, and secure sponsorship opportunities. The campaign will also seek to recruit volunteers to support these 26 non-profit organizations. It will host educational webinars and online events, details of which are on its website. Additionally, one can stay updated through the India Giving Day newsletters and sign up for them here.
Alex Counts, the director of the India Philanthropy Alliance, said, "India Giving Day is intended to be a celebration of the effectiveness and potential of leading India-focused non-profits, as well as generous donors and volunteers, working together to combat poverty and protect India's natural environment. The massive and generous response of people the United States to the second wave of COVID-19 in India has inspired us to launch this campaign."
The steering committee members for the campaign are Manisha Bharti, CEO of Pratham USA, and Sejal Desai, executive director of Akanksha Education Fund. The India Giving Day national co-chairs include Desh Deshpande, Lata Krishnan, MR Rangaswami, and Sunil Wadhwani. The Rural India Supporting Trust is a major sponsor of India Giving Day, and MasterCard is a corporate sponsor.
