The Centre of Social Impact and Philanthropy’s research focuses on critical topics in strategic philanthropy and civil society. We disseminate knowledge to guide effective decision-making and policy debate across India’s social sector. In addition to providing credible and reliable evidence-based, data-driven insights through applied research, we also strive to build a culture of evidence-led discourse and decision-making through our projects.
Our initiatives and outputs include case studies, surveys, policy briefs, and knowledge partnerships with organisations and thought leaders. Together, we are working to bridge the knowledge gap and strengthen the sector’s capacity by building credibility, connections, and capabilities through the research we generate and disseminate.
Research Studies
Global Philanthropy Environment Index (GPEI) 2022 report:
The Global Philanthropy Environment Index(GPEI), developed by Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, is a one-of-a-kind global report prepared by more than 100 country-level experts who have assessed the environment for philanthropy in 91 countries and economies by examining the incentives and barriers to giving. CSIP authored the India chapter of the GPEI 2022 report which includes an assessment of India’s philanthropy environment on critical indicators such as ‘Ease of Operating a Philanthropic Organisation in India’, ‘Tax Incentives’, ‘Cross-Border Philanthropic Flows’, ‘Political, Economic and Socio-Cultural Environment’ in the country. Read more HERE.
Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT) 2020 report: A first-of-its-kind research project by Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, The Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT) measures cross-border donations from individuals and organizations around the world. The GPT presents data on four flows—philanthropic outflows, official development assistance (ODA), remittances, and private capital investment—for 47 countries. The data gathered represent the year 2020 or the most recent year with available data. Authored by CSIP, the India chapter presents estimates for Cross-Border Philanthropy in India along with an overview of the Philanthropic Giving Environment in India. Read more HERE.
Talent Management in the Indian Social Sector: The study aims to enable civil society organisations, philanthropists, foundations, and the development ecosystem to create a conducive environment to attract, nurture and grow talent in the Indian social sector.
Estimating Philanthropic Capital in India: The study primarily assesses the volume, composition, and trends of ‘giving’ in India. Published in 2019, it includes a robust quantitative component that is based on extracting and analysing publicly available data on social sector capital flows from a range of sources. The study is the first rigorous attempt to collate exhaustive data from all sources and estimates the size of the philanthropy sector in India.
How India Gives: The report ‘How India Gives’ presents the key findings from the study and draws from a survey of households represented by a panel comprising ~81,000 households. It provides a comprehensive, national-level picture of the volume, value and composition of household giving in India.
Report on Tax Incentives for Philanthropic Giving: A Study of Twelve Countries: This report identifies the kinds of tax incentives provided for charitable donations by 12 countries selected for the diversity of their economic status and models. It also assesses what evidence exists for the effectiveness of tax incentives in influencing charitable donations.
The Impact of COVID-19 on India’s Nonprofit Organisations: A Snapshot Report (June 2021): How are NPOs dealing with the coronavirus crisis and what are the leanings? Published in June 2021, this report is the second part of the report published in June 2020. Taking the work that was accomplished in 2020 forward, this report documents the challenges and opportunities presented to India’s nonprofits by COVID 19. The coping mechanisms and responses that were employed and the learnings they hold.
The Impact of COVID-19 on India’s Nonprofit Organisations: A Snapshot Report (June 2020): How are NPOs dealing with the coronavirus crisis and what do funders need to know? Published June 2020, this report aims to facilitate discussion and offer preliminary recommendations on this pressing issue. A June 2020 webinar presented the research findings — including six good practices for nonprofits and 10 implications for funders — in a discussion with funders and nonprofit leaders.
Estimating Philanthropic Capital in India 2021
The 2021 edition of CSIP’s earlier report ‘Estimating Philanthropic Capital in India’, provides an updated estimate of the scale and scope of the philanthropic capital in India, incorporating datasets for financial years (FY) 2017-18 and 2018-19 to the analysis
Regulatory Frameworks for India’s Voluntary Sector: Global and Cross-sectoral Review of Initiatives and Practices: An exploration of regulatory frameworks and practices examines ways to increase public confidence, rationalise the regulatory burden, and ensure autonomy and high standards of professionalism for India’s voluntary sector. Published February 2020, this report aims to trigger deeper conversations on ways to make Indian civil society the torchbearer of accountability standards.
State of the Support Ecosystem: This study maps the ecosystem of support for philanthropy and social impact in India, covering nonprofits and foundations across 29 states. Published in 2019, the support services covered in this research range from human resources, financial services, and data-driven insights to sector-wide ‘enabling’ inputs such as convening platforms for knowledge sharing, capacity building, monitoring, evaluation, and crowdfunding.
A Study on the Legal, Regulatory, and Grants-in-Aid Systems for India’s Voluntary Sector: The rapid growth of Indian philanthropy and emerging technologies heightens the need to ensure that our legal, regulatory and grants-in-aid systems keep pace. Published February 2020, this report aims to inform government action, drive discussions among sector experts, and strengthen narratives around the voluntary sector.
Advocacy, Rights and Civil Society: This report reviews the changing trends in the funding of the non-profit sector in India, particularly in the recent context of the Government of India’s heightened attention on inflows from international donors. It examines the impact of these trends on local civil society organisations and discusses significant areas of opportunities for Indian philanthropists to play a more enabling role in the non-profit sector.
#GivingTuesdayIndia 2018 Report: GivingTuesday launched its data dive project globally in 2018 and #GivingTuesdayIndia was one of the first to join the project. To understand and boost the momentum in Indian giving, the global #GivingTuesday team, GuideStar India, Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University, and Sattva Research, collaborated to create data-driven insights on the nature and patterns of giving during #GivingTuesdayIndia 2018.