Giving Compass' Take:

• Ford Foundation's Pradeep Nair explores the landscape of new philanthropy in India. As more donors take action earlier in life, he identifies three areas of opportunity, including supporting entrepreneurs.

• Nair advises philanthropists to fund risky, even unglamorous, projects. With this in mind, what lessons can we learn about patience and having a long-term view?

• Here are four steps to maximize the the impact of your philanthropy.

India is currently at a unique and exciting time, economically and socially, and philanthropy is also riding this wave.  From data that is available, including the Bain report on philanthropy, India is positioned to make rapid progress on a variety of social issues. There is a thriving and vibrant civil society, CSR is beginning to evolve, new monies are being made available, and innovative solutions and partnerships are being formed to address a host of social issues.

Globally, while the flow of capital and information has mostly been one way, now we are seeing that India also has a lot to offer, especially given our experience with social issue solutions.

What New Money Needs to Consider

  • Invest in ‘failures’ and patient initiatives
  • Fund issues and organisations that foreign funders aren’t allowed to
  • Support innovation, support entrepreneurs

Read the full article about new philanthropy by Pradeep Nair at India Development Review.