Giving Compass' Take:

• Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) discusses the rise of philanthropy in India, along with some of its shortcomings, which could be addressed with more oversight, open civil discourse, and collaboration.

• Indian philanthropy is slowly diversifying; independent media and scientific research, among other themes, are drawing greater interest from donors. How can American investors be of help?

• Here's how social enterprise is changing women's work in India.

Despite efforts by Bain & Company, Dasra and others, strong, reliable data about philanthropy in India has remained elusive. A recent Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace (PSJP) paper by Caroline Hartnell, however, offers some new insights into the current state of the field. The paper examines the diverse range of voices and activities that characterize India’s philanthropic landscape, and posits some hard questions about philanthropy’s role in a country with such deep social and economic divisions.

Growing inequality and violence. As elsewhere around the world, wealth is concentrating, and inequality is growing in India. And inter-religious violence and hate speech are growing as a result of fake news and increasingly majoritarian politics.

An underdeveloped philanthropic system. The current surge in giving is also throwing into sharper relief the underdevelopment of India’s philanthropic ecosystem. While my organization — the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University — and others are working to close some of the critical information gaps, philanthropic support for research, convening, organizational investments, capacity building, and other important services remains paltry.

Solutions? Collaboration among like-minded groups can do much to transcend silos. Examples include our own Ashoka University, which brings together more than 100 donors to create a world-class, nonprofit, liberal arts university; an initiative to improve access to justice created by Dasra, Tata Trusts, and Daksh Foundation; and philanthropic collaboration that created the Independent and Public Spirited Media Trust, which seeks to support journalism for social impact and a diverse media ecosystem.

Read the full article about making Indian philanthropy matter by Ingrid Srinath at Stanford Social Innovation Review.