Philanthropy and Social Justice Movements: A study exploring the patterns and impacts of funding movements.
Fellow:
Shalini
About Shalini
Shalini is an educator, facilitator and a researcher with a decade of experience in the development sector along with academia. Her interests and work are at the intersections of Identity, Labour, Environmental (In)justice with a focus on Gender and Caste. Her research background is in Sociology with a focus on interdisciplinary research in the field of urban political ecology. Shalini’s skills range from community organizing, restorative justice, narrative practices, Trauma-informed practice , Non-Violent Communication and oral history. As a researcher, she is associated with various organizations like Women in Informal Employment-Globalizing and Organizing(WIEGO), National Law School India University(NLSIU) ,University of Bath. As an educator, she was a Teach for India fellow and also an Assistant Professor of Sociology teaching the under-graduates in Hyderabad. Shalini has been a recipient of various practice based fellowships for facilitations on gender sensitization, Mental Health and Education along with research based fellowships with University of Bergen, University of Massachusetts. She is passionate to work in a space where research, policy and practice intersect.
Through the fellowship, Shalini is keen to explore the patterns of funding social justice movements in India by studying the organizations and collectives that focus on community organizing and movement building.
Research Topic:
Covid-19, Sex Workers and Survival: How Did the National Network of Sex Workers Support Member Organisations?
Fellow:
V. Kalyan Shankar
About V. Kalyan Shankar
V. Kalyan Shankar works as Assistant Professor at the Symbiosis School of Economics, Pune. He completed his PhD from the Department of Economics, University of Pune and is a recipient of the EXIM Bank IERA Award (2014) for the best doctoral thesis by an Indian national on international trade. He was an ICSSR Postdoctoral Fellow (2013-15) and a Fulbright-Nehru scholar at The New School, New York City (2015-16). He has held visiting researcher positions at University of Wurzburg, Germany and University of Oxford, UK. In 2021, he received the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Citation for recognised contributions to development studies in India.
He co-edited the volume ‘Prostitution and Beyond: An Analysis of Sex Work in India’ published by SAGE (2008) and was the principal co-investigator for the First Pan India Survey of Sex Workers (2009-2013). His research work is published in Economic and Political Weekly, Higher Education, IDS Working Paper series, IIC Quarterly and WSQ. He is a co-founder of the Wadarai Foundation which works for the empowerment of farm widows and other marginalised single women in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra (India).
Research Topic:
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Organisational and Grant Making Philanthropic Landscape
Fellow:
Amod Khanna
About Amod Khanna
Amod Khanna, Business Economist by training, has worked in the civil society development space for the past three decades. Leading projects on issues of Governance, Rights of the Child, Livelihoods, Climate Change he has and made difference in the lives of vulnerable communities in difficult geo-cultural terrains across multiple states. He strengthens civil society by developing their strategic pathways on these issues with a focus on inter-sectionalities of gender, caste, access, and expressed needs of the communities. Amod believes in learning from communities and incorporating it in knowledge generation through qualitative research, participatory evaluations, process documentation and capacity building.
Research Topic:
Everyday charitable giving within urban healthcare landscapes in India
Fellow:
Deeksha
About Deeksha
Deeksha is a doctoral candidate at the School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Her PhD dissertation is an ethnography of internal mobilities for medical care in Delhi, focusing on migration, access to public healthcare and philanthropic infrastructures in the city. She is a recent Commonwealth Scholar, completing her 12-month Split-site Scholarship at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. Deeksha is also an alumnus of the Dalai Lama Fellowship, USA. Her research interest includes migration and labour, civil society, Medical Social Work and Public Health/Healthcare in India.
(Re)Defining Philanthropy as Ethical Responsibility: A Gandhian Perspective
Fellow:
Bhakti Patil
About Bhakti
Bhakti has spent the last 7 years working with non-profits in India with a focus on organisational development, fundraising, strategic partnerships, and grant management. She is currently affiliated with Trayas, a regulatory research and policy advisory organisation. More recently, she led business development at the Adhyayan Foundation andCentre for Civil Society (CCS). She serves as Guest Faculty with the Indian School of Public Policy coaching students and young professionals in fundraising and grant management. Bhakti holds a Master’s and M.Phil degree in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. She has been a DAAD Research Fellow (Germany) and Smith Fellow (Atlas Network, USA), and a graduate of the Asia Institute of Political Economy (The Fund for American Studies/George Mason University, USA). Her research interests include Gandhian thought, lōkavidyā and non-eurocentric knowledge systems, and ethics and alterity in contemporary philanthropy.
Research Topic:
Diaspora philanthropy and transnational giving among the Mappilas of Kerala
Fellow:
Mufsin Puthan Purayil
About Mufsin
Mufsin is a PhD Candidate in Public Policy & Management at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, India. His doctoral research focuses on the job search and migration strategies of the Mappila community in Kerala, India. He has qualified for the UGC Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and has been a DAAD Fellow to the Georg‐August‐Universität Göttingen, Germany. His work has appeared in Global Change, Peace & Security, Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India, Sociological Bulletin, Decision, and The Diplomat. His research interests include labour migration, social networks, immigrant entrepreneurship, work and organisations, and public policy in contemporary India and the Persian Gulf.
Research Topic:
Disruptive Fundraising through Donation Based Crowdfunding
Fellow:
Safoora Zargar
About Safoora
Safoora Zargar is a research scholar at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She is currently pursuing her MPhil from the department of Sociology. Her thesis is titled ‘Socio-Spacial Segregation Among Muslims in Delhi- A case study of Ghaffar Manzil Colony’. Through her work she seeks to understand the dynamics of segregation in a largely upper middle class muslim colony in Delhi, often egregiously labelled as a Ghetto.
As part of the CSIP Fellowship she seeks to explore emerging trends in fundraising by way of an in-depth qualitative analysis of ‘donation based crowdfunding’ which is understood to be disrupting the fundraising process. She aims to understand the changing form and content of ‘giving’ in India, the changing motivations that condition giving behaviour and how far donation-based crowdfunding is democratising fundraising in India.
Research Topic:
How has the changing landscape of philanthropy shaped the queer movement and formation of queer identities in India?
Fellow:
Shwetambera
About Shwetambera
Shwetambera is a development professional with 15 years of experience in rights-based interventions and policy advocacy. She currently manages TRANScend, an initiative by The Humsafar Trust, India’s oldest and largest LGBTQ+ organisation. TRANScend aims to enhance inclusion of transgender persons in India through research and intervention into socio-economic needs of the communities, capacity building of transgender community organisations and sensitisation of corporates, educational institutions and other stakeholders. She holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from University of Manchester.
Research Topic:
Mapping Philanthropy in Juvenile Justice Social Work
Fellow:
Sheetal Devasthali
About Sheetal
Sheetal has extensive experience in the area of Criminal Justice System including researches on the issue of burking of crime in the police system and way forward towards citizen friendly policing, the issue of human trafficking in India, journey of women offenders in the Criminal Justice System. She has been involved in implementation of programmes on Juvenile Justice System and gender based violence. She possess education in Law from Mumbai University and Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Research Topic:
Freecycling in India: Mapping an emerging community-driven giving model
Fellow:
Saritha Sudhakaran
About Saritha
Saritha is an experienced urban designer professional, currently working at rePurpose Global as a Senior Impact Manager. She has over 13 years of experience working in architecture. urban design and sustainable development. Saritha also curates the Waste Less Project – an initiative promoting conscious consumerism and a less waste lifestyle.
Research Topic:
Feminist funding in India – history & origins vs practice
Fellow:
Taranga Sriraman
About Taranga
Taranga Sriraman is a professional social worker, a feminist and a socialist. She has been involved with social movements since childhood, and has worked full-time in the social development sector for over 15 years. Her areas of interest & expertise are gender, sexuality, gender-based violence response interventions, large scale programme design, work with State systems, and organisational development. She is interested in the political economy of feminist work in these areas, and enjoys teaching-learning through training & academic engagements. Her key work so far has been with the MHRD as National Consultant to Mahila Samakhya programme (2008-12) and as Strategic Coordinator at the Resource Centre for Interventions on VAW, TISS (2012-2021). Since October 2020 she engages in perspective building & capacity support work with a range of organisations as an independent consultant.
Research Topic:
Building People’s agency: The role of the growing due of philanthropies and social impact start-ups
Fellow:
Prachi Singhal
About Prachi
Prachi is a recent Chevening Scholar and an MSc, Public Policy Graduate from SOAS, University of London. Passionate about the bottom-top policy building approach, she resonate with active citizenship, progressive feminist politics, diversifying our political and civic arena and to contribute create a thriving support ecosystem for policy, politics, systemic, and behavioural change.
Passionate about inclusive development, she currently leads Gender Integration in the Powering Livelihoods, a $3 million initiative by Council on the Energy, Environment and Water and Villgro to transform India’s rural economy with clean energy solutions.Prior to joining CEEW, she worked at Zone Startups India, an international joint venture between Toronto-based Ryerson University and the Bombay Stock Exchange. At Zone Startups, she led multiple social impacts and corporate innovation programs, including launching and leading India’s first tech accelerator for supporting women entrepreneurs and a global capacity building program for energy entrepreneurship, focussed solely on women entrepreneurs, in partnership with Shell Foundation. Through her work, since 2016 she has engaged with over 300 women entrepreneurs since, directly supporting around 90 of them to scale up their ventures and access funds worth $1.5 million. Her efforts have led to the creation of over net-new 500 jobs for women.
Research Topic:
Practices of Giving and Sharing in North Malabar of Kerala
Fellow:
Sasikumar Velloth Kuniyil
About Sasikumar
Sasikumar has submitted his PhD thesis at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University recently and completed his M Phil from the same Centre. Previously, he completed his MA Anthropology from the Hyderabad Central University. Before joining higher studies, Sasikumar had been associated with theNational Alliances of Peoples Movement (NAPM) as Delhi Coordinator. Sasikumar had been doing his fieldwork in North Malabar of Kerala for his PhD thesis, ‘Money, Exchange and Modernity: Metamorphosis of Gift Economy in North Malabar of Kerala’. He is interested in Anthropology of Gift and Money, Anthropology of Debt, Economic Anthropology, Political Economy, Political Ecology, Ethnography and Cognitive Anthropology.
Malini works as an Assistant Professor at the School of Policy and Governance at Azim Premji University in Bangalore. In this capacity, she has been teaching and developing courses for the Masters in Public Policy and Governance and the Masters in Development programmes at the University. Her research interests revolve around issues of religious nationalism, the politics of humanitarianism and disaster relief, partition history and the intersections emerging between religion, development, and public policy in contemporary India.
Mudasir is a PhD candidate at the Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, India. His research is an exploration of the work done by various civil society actors including NGOs, human rights defenders and faith-based groups in Kashmir, looking into their strategies, ideologies, and areas of intervention and how they are shaped and reshaped by the ongoing conflict. His research articles, policy reports and opinion/analysis write-ups have appeared in Economic and Political Weekly, Identities and Contemporary South Asia journals and media outlets like Aljazeera, Jacobin, Himal, Middle East Eye, and The Caravan among others.
Zubin is currently conducting research on early childhood education with Delhi-based NGO Pratham. Prior to this, he was with Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra, an NGO that works towards participatory community development in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand. He has an MSc in Social and Cultural Anthropology from University College London, where his main areas of interest were in ritual, religion, and gender, with a focus on Linguistic Anthropology. Along these lines, he has undertaken research on topics ranging from the current rhetoric used by female Hindu preacher-politicians to stand-up comedy in India in the context of identity formation.
Shohini has spent the last eight years working in the intersection of gender, poverty and violence across non-profits, humanitarian organizations and grassroots networks. She has expertise in sexual and gender-based violence, community-engagement and qualitative research. Most recently, she has completed projects producing informational materials on how to effectively provide gender-based violence support.
Research Topic:
Fundraising of NPOs working with marginalised communities
Satyendra is a Co-Founder and Director at the Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion (CSEI). The organization is concerned with deepening democracy and developing our body politic by promoting equity and social inclusion of marginalised children and young people for their social, economic and cultural (SEC) rights. With more than 15 years of working and networking experiences across the globe, his passion and expertise lie around youth rights and the promotion of social equity and inclusion.
Research Topic:
The emerging landscape of family firm philanthropy in UP
Shweta has a Ph.D. in Development Communication along with corporate experience in the areas of public relations and advocacy. She is also the proud mother of a six-year-old. Currently, she is a visiting faculty at Banaras Hindu University. She continues to read avidly and write on matters relating to development, education and media.
Research Topic:
Philanthropic mobilisation for craft sector during COVID-19
Binil is an experienced design management professional, currently affiliated with the Indian Institute of Crafts & Design (IICD), Jaipur as an Associate Professor. He has a rich decade-long experience in crafts education, artisan outreach and had anchored the pioneering program ‘Crafting Luxury and Lifestyle Businesses’ at IICD along with IIM, Ahmedabad. Binil works in an advisory capacity with a philanthropic initiative – Kalhath Institute, Lucknow which works on promoting, training & sustaining the craft of Indian embroiderers of Uttar Pradesh. He is a Sahapedia -UNESCO Fellow and actively works in the culture and heritage space.
Research Topic:
Practices of giving and sharing of North-East tribal communities
Rimi is an independent researcher and writer. Her area of work is in local history, oral history and traditional knowledge systems among the indigenous communities. She is a former fellow at Max Webber Kollge, University of Erfurt and former post-doctoral fellow M.S. Merian – R. Tagore International Centre of Advanced Studies ‘Metamorphoses of the Political’ (ICAS: MP) is an Indo-German research collaboration of six Indian and German institutions. Her work focused on understanding the Indian state establishment and socialisation processes among formerly non-state borderland communities in Arunachal Pradesh.
Sanjana Chevalam: is a Research Assistant and a member of the fundraising team, she is involved with institutional fundraising, developing proposals, tracking donors and conducting prospect research. She has a postgraduate degree in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh, where her primary areas of study were political ecology, environmental politics and justice, development theory and participatory environmental governance.
Adithya Pillai: works with Dakshin’s Marine Fisheries programme and is currently involved in understanding fisheries development issues related to subsidies. He has previously worked with Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and UNESCO MGIEP, New Delhi. His educational background is in sociology and the humanities and he has been an Erasmus Mundus Fellow.
Adit Dsouza: is currently involved in tracking donors, developing proposals and conducting research on conservation. His research focuses on wildlife films, and media; conflict and violence in conservation; and the philosophy of conservation. He holds a master’s in social anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and has an undergraduate degree in combined humanities – history, literature and philosophy from Azim Premji University.
Research Topic:
The landscape of philanthropy for Adivasi women at the grassroots
Ruby Hembrom: is an Adivasi cultural documentarian and practitioner. She is the founder and director of adivaani (first voices), an archiving and publishing outfit of and by Adivasis (the indigenous peoples of India) started in July 2012 as a non-profit organisation.
Christy Nag: is an Adivasi social worker and researcher whose work lies in the intersections of Adivasi, gender and child rights.
Nolina S. Minj: is an Adivasi feminist researcher and writer based in Mumbai. She has worked in the social sector on gender issues such as violence against women, migration, housing rights and health workers.
Aayushi Aggarwal: is a feminist researcher, activist and writer. She works as a communications manager at Gender at Work, and been engaged in various research and communications projects in multiple countries, at different levels. She has previously been associated with UN Women and Forum-Asia, managing and supporting their communications and programs. She holds a Masters in Human Rights and Democratization from the European Inter-University for Human Rights and Democratization; and a Masters in English Literature from Delhi University. In addition, she has published research around sexual harassment in Indian media houses, and gender and migration.
Bedotroyee Bhattacharjee: is a communications associate for Gender at Work, Bedotroyee is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Literature. Before joining Gender at Work, she worked as an educator at a High School in Jharkhand to expand her understanding of the educational and development needs of young people. Bedotroyee is an experienced researcher in the field of women’s rights and literature.
Research Topic:
Arundhati Sridhar: is a feminist activist, researcher and facilitator with over five years of experience in organising and mobilizing around women’s human rights at the grassroots in Gujarat. She has a background in travel writing and sports journalism and brings her passion for stories into her work with gender and development. She is currently engaged with building leadership among young women from marginalised communities, and strengthening collectives of young women to be able to negotiate with society and state for their voice, choice and agency. She is currently working with Gender at Work, among other organisations, to foreground a gender perspective amongst organisations and within programs.
Giving to others in the Nation: A framed online field experiment in Uttar Pradesh
Monisha is a Research Associate at the Societal Psychology Lab in the Department of Psychological and Behavioral Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she studies psychology of income inequality, and poverty in the South Asian context. At CSIP, Monisha’s work proposes to map how perceived norms around charitable giving, and people’s willingness to enforce them, vary as per subjective socio-economic status, regional, religious and caste identity of the givers and receivers, nature of the cause and different types of charitable organisations.
Overview
Philanthropy in India is rapidly gaining momentum, yet relevant research remains scarce. Therefore, the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University launched a research fellowship in 2020 aimed at building this field, strengthening research capacity, and creating high quality, rigorous outputs.
So far, CSIP has mentored two cohorts of research fellows- Cohort of 2021 and Cohort of 2022. This call is for all interested researchers and scholars to apply for CSIP’s Cohort of 2023.
Beginning February 2023, a cohort of 10 fellows will spend 9 months conducting research on a topic related to Indian philanthropy and giving trends. The fellows are expected to undertake primary research, attend monthly calls, and participate in three online workshops to develop their skills in background research, literature review, data collection methods, analysis and writing.
The Research Fellowship can be conducted digitally with primary research undertaken via computer, tablet, or phone. At the end of the fellowship, fellows are expectedto produce an 8,000-word high-quality working paper to be published on CSIP’s website.
The total fellowship amount is INR 9,00,000 per fellowship, which includes stipend and research expenses.
Research Areas
The broad areas of research for this year are as follows:
What does philanthropy in India look like?
How do we define philanthropy in India?
What kind of philanthropy exists in India? Why does it look the way it looks? What are drivers of philanthropy and giving in India?
What does the philanthropy and giving landscape look like outside of the main metros? Do practices differ across geographies, and urban and rural locations?
How is philanthropy diversifying out of traditional sectors towards topics such as climate change, scientific research and mental health?
Does philanthropy fund movements, and if so, how? Do we see philanthropists joining forces to fund bigger causes?
How do different civil society organisations approach philanthropy in India? What are their fundraising strategies?
What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the philanthropy ecosystem in India?
What do different kinds of giving look like in India?
What does individual giving look like? Who gives, for what, how and why?
What does community-based giving and volunteering look like in different communities?
How do family offices give?
What are practices associated with giving in kind?
Non-formal giving (not giving to an institution but to a family member, employee or similar)
How do people decide how much to give – norms on level of giving. Is it about who asks?
How does giving in India differ compared to other countries? What are specific incentives and traits that affect the way giving takes place in India compared to other countries?
How does the diaspora give in India? What are different drivers of giving among the Indian diaspora? Does diaspora giving to India differ to how diaspora give elsewhere?
What are the different non-traditional forms of giving in India?
How does online giving and crowdfunding work in India? What are the incentives or barriers to give through such platforms?
Qualifications
Candidates must be based full-time in India, demonstrate an interest and relevant background in philanthropy, have the capacity to undertake rigorous research during the fellowship period, and be able to produce a working paper of publishable quality (with help from workshops and support).
For the 2023 Research Fellowship, we seek two types of fellows: 1) individual researchers, 2) individuals working with small grassroots nonprofit organisations in India, who can spend half of their time on the research project. For the second type of fellows, a fellowship may be shared between two or three individuals in the organisation. All applicants will be required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for their parent organisation.
Fellows will be selected based on the strength of their research proposal,previous research experience,ability to commit to the fellowship, and ability to produce the desired output. Women, LGBTQIA+, Dalit, Adivasi, people with disabilities and members of other minority and marginalised groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
Research proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the uniqueness of the proposal, its relevance to the research areas identified, coherence, rigour and methodology, and feasibility.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following by November 6, 2022
One-page proposal of your research idea
CV
One-page cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for the fellowship.
A sample of your written work (such as a blog post, paper, article, report and NOC)
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by December 6, 2022, and requested to submit a more detailed proposal together with three references by January 6, 2022. Only complete
applications will be considered. Fellows will be selected after a round of interviews and final selection by a jury of experts. The jury’s decisions will be final.
For queries, please email csipresearch@ashoka.edu.in with subject line Research Fellowship-2023 Query.
Can undergraduate or masters students apply?
No. The individual fellowship is for individuals with several years of relevant professional research experience.
Can a group of individuals apply for a fellowship?
No, we accept only individual fellowships. The only exception is if you and a colleague already work at a grassroots-based small nonprofit and wish to apply as a group.
Who is eligible to apply as a group working for an NGO?
Only staff already working with small grassroots nonprofit organisations are eligible to apply for a shared fellowship as part of that nonprofit. Staff should have several years of working experience.
Can individuals from multiple NGOs apply together?
No. You either apply as an individual for an individual fellowship or as a member of staff of a small grassroots nonprofit organisation.
Can I apply if I already have a job or am a faculty / doctoral student /postdoc?
You may apply provided that you can make at least 60% of your time available during the workweek for working on the project AND your employer/university provides us with a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before taking up the fellowship. (NOC is not required at this stage).
Will you respond to all applicants that have applied?
No. Unfortunately, due to the expected large number of applications, we will only respond to successful applicants that go through to the second round.
Will you let me know if my application is not complete?
No, we will only consider completed applications and will not let you know if your application has not been completed. Please read the instructions carefully. Please also note that you need to put “Research Fellowship 2023 Application” as the subject line for your application. If you don’t, we cannot guarantee that we will see, or consider your application.
Will you cover research costs on top of the monthly stipend?
No, we expect fellows to cover all costs within stipend.
Should my proposed research topic cover both philanthropy and giving?
No. The list of themes is a guide as to what areas that are of interest to us this particular year, so you don’t need to cover all themes. Pick one from the list that you would like to work on.
I have an idea that is not included in any of the relevant list themes – can I submit it instead?
The shortlisted topics were drawn up after careful consideration and align with our priorities this year. It is unlikely that a topic that does not closely link to the list of themes, will align as well with our priorities.
Do you have an upper or lower age limit?
No, we don’t.
Can I live anywhere in the world?
No, you need to live full-time in India and have the right to work in India.
Are the workshops optional?
No, the workshops will be mandatory.
Can you complete the research fellowship in a shorter period of time?
No, we expect fellows to be part of the fellowship for the full duration.
What will I get at the end of the fellowship?
You will get a certificate from CSIP and your working paper will be published on our website.
Will you actually respond to all email queries?
We will respond to all queries that have “Research Fellowship 2023 Query” in the subject line. We cannot guarantee that we will see and respond to other messages.
How much is the fellowship amount?
The stipend will be INR 1 lakh per month per fellowship, for both individual and group fellowships. When two or three persons share a fellowship they also share the INR 1 lakh stipend.
Download the report - Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT) 2020 report
The Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University is India’s first academic centre focused on enabling strategic and robust philanthropy for social impact. It strives to provide civil society with evidence-based research and knowledge products to grow scale and impact, convening platforms for norm-setting and collaborative learning, and leadership development programmes that strengthen capability and sustainability.
Job Description
About Ashoka University
Ashoka University is a private, non-profit university. An unprecedented example of collective public philanthropy in India, it is a pioneer in its focus on the Liberal Arts. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs across the humanities, social sciences and fundamental natural sciences. The aim is to help students become well-rounded individuals who are able to think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and go on to become ethical self-aware leaders with a commitment to public service. Ashoka has built collaborations with University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Carleton College, King’s College London, Sciences Po, UC Berkeley, Trinity College Dublin and Yale University. To learn more about Ashoka University visit http://ashoka.edu.in
About the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP)
The University’s focus is on attracting the brightest students, putting them under the guidance of the most inspirational faculty, and developing a global reputation for innovative research. Faculty and students come from across the country, and the world, and Ashoka is committed to maintaining the highest intellectual and academic standards.
Along with having a robust academic program, the University is home to Centers of Excellence that address some critical areas of relevance to society, and India in particular. This includes the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), which aims at being the foremost Centre in India for research and capacity-building towards the critical advancement of social impact. The Centre’s research will be focused on critical topics in the space of social impact, in strategic philanthropy in particular, with emphasis on applied research.
About the role
Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy is looking for a motivated Academic Director with the vision to enable CSIP to deliver strong academic programmes for both students at the university and the Centre’s key external stakeholders.
The ideal candidate will have an exceptional ability to grasp the complexity of social issues, a strong focus on philanthropy and social development, and unpack their various dimensions. S/he should be able to draw upon the multi-disciplinary themes and topics to lend richness to the capacity building and teaching agenda of the Centre.The candidate should have the flexibility to manage multiple projects simultaneously, the ability to work in a fast moving and dynamic environment, an aptitude for content creation and curriculum design, and be excited to join a young and dynamic team. The role will be split between conceptualising and leading courses for Ashoka University students and building academic programs for the external stakeholders of the Centre. Experience in building and leading teams and interacting with external partners including multiple academic institutions would be valued.
The Academic Director should have an advanced degree in social sciences with 10-15 years of experience, preferably both in academic as well as applied contexts. The candidate should have experience working with course and content creation for a range of potential audiences.
The candidate should have excellent written communication skills required for high quality academic papers and other publications and be a confident oral communicator.
Key Responsibilities
The Academic Director will
Conceptualize and implement teaching programmes for students at Ashoka and other key stakeholder groups including non-profits and philanthropists.
Ingrain the culture for academic rigor at the Centre.
Co-create, design, and lead in-house capacity building projects from start to finish as well as advise and work with partners to advise their programmes.
Leverage current partnerships and find opportunities to build new partnerships and collaborations with stakeholders across various constituencies in India and internationally, including academia, civil society, funding organisations, government bodies etc.
Manage relationships with independent contractors, consultants, and research partners
Write reports, academic papers, and long form articles.
Represent the Centre and its work in a range of external fora and to the media.
Requirements
Education and Experience
A Post-Graduate degree from a reputed university in Development studies or related field.
12+ years of relevant work experience in research and academia with an exposure to evolving strategy, managing teams, multiple external research partners and donor relationships.
Deep understanding of the social sector and its challenges in India
Ability to work remotely and manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
Enjoys working in a dynamic and expanding team
Right to work in India
Benefits
Competitive, based on experience.
To Apply
Please visit our the posting on our Career Site and apply by clicking on “I’m Interested” and filling out the relevant details. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Senior Associate - Research
About us
The Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University is India’s first academic centre focused on enabling strategic and robust philanthropy for social impact. It strives to provide civil society with evidence-based research and knowledge products to grow scale and impact, convening platforms for norm-setting and collaborative learning, and leadership development programmes that strengthen capability and sustainability.
Job Description
About Ashoka University
Ashoka University is a private, non-profit university. An unprecedented example of collective public philanthropy in India, it is a pioneer in its focus on the Liberal Arts. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs across the humanities, social sciences and fundamental natural sciences. The aim is to help students become well-rounded individuals who are able to think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and go on to become ethical self-aware leaders with a commitment to public service. Ashoka has built collaborations with University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Carleton College, King’s College London, Sciences Po, UC Berkeley, Trinity College Dublin and Yale University. To learn more about Ashoka University visit http://ashoka.edu.in
About the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP)
The University’s focus is on attracting the brightest students, putting them under the guidance of the most inspirational faculty, and developing a global reputation for innovative research. Faculty and students come from across the country, and the world, and Ashoka is committed to maintaining the highest intellectual and academic standards.
Along with having a robust academic program, the University is home to Centers of Excellence that address some critical areas of relevance to society, and India in particular. This includes the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), which aims at being the foremost Centre in India for research and capacity-building towards the critical advancement of social impact. The Centre’s research will be focused on critical topics in the space of social impact, in strategic philanthropy in particular, with emphasis on applied research.
About the role
The Research Team at CSIP is looking for a motivated Senior Research Associate with quantitative research skills to help us expand our research on philanthropy and giving in India. The candidate should have the flexibility to work on multiple projects, the ability to work in a fast-moving and dynamic environment, display a natural aptitude for primary and secondary research, and be excited to join a young and dynamic team.
The Senior Research Associate should have a Master’s degree in a social science subject that includes quantitative methods and 3+ years of relevant work experience. The candidate should have experience working with large datasets, be comfortable undertaking large-scale primary surveys, and be able to creatively consider novel sources of data in philanthropy and giving — an area of research with limited availability of data.
The candidate should have excellent written communication skills required for high-quality research reports, academic papers and other publications.
Key Responsibilities
Carry out tasks such as creating bibliographies and literature reviews.
Identify relevant data and datasets for projects.
Collate and analyse primary and secondary data using relevant software independently.
Support the research team in creating and designing in-house research projects from start to finish.
Support the team in writing reports, research papers and long-form articles.
Support the team in Identifying and engaging relevant stakeholders for executing research programmes.
Requirements
Deep understanding of the development sector and its challenges in India.
Experience in undertaking research on the social sector in India.
Extensive quantitative and qualitative research skills.
Significant experience in undertaking quantitative research.
Ability to work remotely and manage multiple work streams simultaneously.
Enjoy working in a dynamic and expanding team.
Be willing to travel to project sites.
Right to work in India.
Benefits
Competitive, based on experience.
To Apply
Please visit our the posting on our Career Site and apply by clicking on “I’m Interested” and filling out the relevant details. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Programme Manager - Capacity Building
About us
The Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University is India’s first academic centre focused on enabling strategic and robust philanthropy for social impact. It strives to provide civil society with evidence-based research and knowledge products to grow scale and impact, convening platforms for norm-setting and collaborative learning, and leadership development programmes that strengthen capability and sustainability.
Job Description
About Ashoka University
Ashoka University is a private, non-profit university. An unprecedented example of collective public philanthropy in India, it is a pioneer in its focus on the Liberal Arts. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs across the humanities, social sciences and fundamental natural sciences. The aim is to help students become well-rounded individuals who are able to think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and go on to become ethical self-aware leaders with a commitment to public service. Ashoka has built collaborations with University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Carleton College, King’s College London, Sciences Po, UC Berkeley, Trinity College Dublin and Yale University. To learn more about Ashoka University visit http://ashoka.edu.in
About the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP)
The University’s focus is on attracting the brightest students, putting them under the guidance of the most inspirational faculty, and developing a global reputation for innovative research. Faculty and students come from across the country, and the world, and Ashoka is committed to maintaining the highest intellectual and academic standards.
Along with having a robust academic program, the University is home to Centers of Excellence that address some critical areas of relevance to society, and India in particular. This includes the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), which aims at being the foremost Centre in India for research and capacity-building towards the critical advancement of social impact. The Centre’s research will be focused on critical topics in the space of social impact, in strategic philanthropy in particular, with emphasis on applied research.
About the role
Centre of Social Impact and Philanthropy is looking for a Program Manager in Capacity Building specifically for their student and alumni engagement programmes including the Mother Teresa Fellowship (MTF) Programme. The person will also have the responsibility to conceptualise and manage alumni programmes for non-profit and philanthropic leaders like Strategic Nonprofit Management in India, Jumpstart Philanthropy etc.
The candidate should have the flexibility to work on multiple projects, display a natural aptitude for new programs, work with multiple stakeholders, have a deadline-driven approach and be a team player. The candidate should be able to work in a fast moving and dynamic environment.
The Program manager should at least have a master’s degree with work experience on people development or have been a part of leadership programs. The candidate should have 5-7 years of experience working with minimum 2-3 years of field experience. Knowledge and experience of organising events, workshops and seminars is desirable. Any community building experience is a plus. The candidate should have strong verbal communication skills and display a high level of creativity
Key Responsibilities
Develop the student engagement strategy of the Centre which will include speaker series, experiential learning programmes, social impact club and other events related to campus.
Liaison with student government, social service clubs on campus, ELM teams, Career Development (CDO), relevant faculty and staff for various student engagement activities.
Assist with the management of MTF including orientation, workshops, and liaising with alumni to create the Alumni Council.
Build a network of resource people, facilitators, mentors etc. in the sector to provide support at various levels to student and alumni interested and work in social impact.
Conceptualize and propose other avenues and opportunities that Ashoka University can provide to its alumni to establish itself as a leader in social impact education in India.
Design and develop alumni engagement programmes for capacity building programmes hosted by the Centre for nonprofits and philanthropists.
Ensure seamless budgeting, reporting to donors and financial management.
Requirements
Does this sound like you?
Minimum 5-7 years of work experience, with some experience in a mentoring/managerial role.
Highly entrepreneurial, self-starter.
Deep understanding of working in the development sector and the challenges faced thereof.
Experience working with or building a social enterprise would be preferred.
Ability to manage multiple partners and liaison with them. A prior personal established network is a plus.
Experience working with and mentoring young people, facilitating workshops and learning journeys would be preferred.
Experience in building communities and managing their sustained engagement.
Ability to work remotely and manage multiple work stream simultaneously.
Enjoys working in a dynamic and expanding team
Right to work in India
Benefits
Compensation: Competitive, based on experience.
Location: Based in NCR, or elsewhere with travel to Sonepat 1-2 days a week. Regular travel to partner locations and workshops.
To Apply: Please click here to access the CSIP career portal and click on “I’m interested” to start your application process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Programme Manager - Strategy and Partnerships
About us The Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University is India’s first academic centre focused on enabling strategic and robust philanthropy for social impact. It strives to provide civil society with evidence-based research and knowledge products to grow scale and impact, convening platforms for norm-setting and collaborative learning, and leadership development programmes that strengthen capability and sustainability.
About Ashoka University
Ashoka University is a private, non-profit university. An unprecedented example of collective public philanthropy in India, it is a pioneer in its focus on the Liberal Arts. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs across the humanities, social sciences and fundamental natural sciences. The aim is to help students become well-rounded individuals who are able to think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and go on to become ethical self-aware leaders with a commitment to public service. Ashoka has built collaborations with University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Carleton College, King’s College London, Sciences Po, UC Berkeley, Trinity College Dublin and Yale University. To learn more about Ashoka University visit http://ashoka.edu.in
About the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP)
The University’s focus is on attracting the brightest students, putting them under the guidance of the most inspirational faculty, and developing a global reputation for innovative research. Faculty and students come from across the country, and the world, and Ashoka is committed to maintaining the highest intellectual and academic standards.
Along with having a robust academic program, the University is home to Centers of Excellence that address some critical areas of relevance to society, and India in particular. This includes the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), which aims at being the foremost Centre in India for research and capacity-building towards the critical advancement of social impact. The Centre’s research will be focused on critical topics in the space of social impact, in strategic philanthropy in particular, with emphasis on applied research.
About the role
Centre of Social Impact and Philanthropy is looking for a Programme Manager in Strategy and Partnerships for handling central functions. The candidate should have the flexibility to work on multiple projects, display a natural aptitude for new programs, work with multiple stakeholders, have a deadline-driven approach and be a team player. The candidate should be able to work in a fast moving and dynamic environment.
The Program manager should at least have a master’s degree with work experience on strategic organisation development and have been a part of roles requiring multi-stakeholder management. The candidate should have 5-6 years of experience working with minimum 2-3 years of field experience. Knowledge and experience of organising events, workshops and seminars is desirable. The candidate should have strong verbal communication skills and display a high level of creativity
Key Responsibilities
Manage relationships with and oversee end to end support for existing donors
Ensure seamless budgeting and financial management for all donors
Support senior management in building funding pipeline including identifying partnership opportunities, tracking donor conversations, creating project proposals
Liaison with Funders, M&E partners, Ashoka Development Team, internal team and prepare monthly updates, project plans, quarterly strategy presentations etc.,
Assist in fostering and maintaining institutional partnerships
Design and implement L&D and organisational development initiatives
Collaborate with the innovation team to develop the organisation strategy
Requirements
Minimum 5-6 years of work experience, with some experience in multi stakeholder management and strategy development.
Highly entrepreneurial, self-starter.
Deep understanding of working in the development sector and the challenges faced thereof.
Prior experience in donor management and/or fundraising is desirable.
Ability to manage multiple partners and liaison with them. An established network is a plus.
Possess strong oral and written communication skills
Ability to work remotely and manage multiple work streams simultaneously
Enjoys working in a dynamic and expanding team
Right to work in India
Benefits and Compensation: Competitive, based on experience.
Location: Based in NCR, or elsewhere with travel to Sonepat 1-2 days a week. Regular travel to partner locations and workshops.
To Apply: Click here to visit the career portal. Click on “I’m interested” button on the page to apply.
Job Description - Assistant Manager - Convening
Job description for Assistant Manager – Convening at CSIP, Ashoka University
About Ashoka University: Ashoka University is a private, nonprofit university. An unprecedented example of collective public philanthropy in India, it is a pioneer in its focus on the Liberal Arts. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the humanities, social sciences and fundamental natural sciences. The aim is to help students become well rounded individuals who are able to think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and go on to become ethical self-aware leaders with a commitment to public service. Ashoka has built collaborations with University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Carleton College, King’s College London, Sciences Po, UC Berkeley, Trinity College Dublin and Yale University among others. To learn more about Ashoka University visit http://ashoka.edu.in
About the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP): Along with its robust academic programme, the University is home to Centres of Excellence that address critical areas of relevance to society, and India in particular. These include the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), which is the pioneering Centre in India for research and capacity-building towards the advancement of social impact. The Centre’s research is focused on critical topics in social impact and philanthropy, with emphasis on applied research.
About the Role: Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy is looking for an Assistant Manager – Convening, to build and strengthen networks among its key constituents and to ensure the widest dissemination of its research and knowledge products. The candidate should have the flexibility to work on multiple projects, display a natural aptitude for partnering with different organisations, planning events and a demonstrated expertise in external communications.
Responsibilities: The candidate will be responsible for the following:
Planning and overseeing the execution of all CSIP’s convening activities including roundtables, lecture series and a marquee annual event.
Building a network of resource people, facilitators, mentors etc. in the sector to provide support to the Centre’s programmes.
Managing relationships with funders and key stakeholders for convenings
Eligibility and Skill Requirements:
A Graduate / Post-Graduate / Master’s degree from a reputed university in Management or Development Studies with knowledge about remote convening platforms
5-7 years of work experience
Highly entrepreneurial, self-starter, creative problem solver and a team player
Deep understanding of working in the development sector and the challenges it faces.
Experience of organising events, workshops and seminars
Ability to manage multiple partner relationships. A prior personal network is a plus.
Ability to work remotely and manage multiple work streams simultaneously.
Compensation: Competitive, based on experience.
Location: Based in, or with travel to, Sonipat 3-4 days a week, currently work from home.
Deadline: Rolling basis. This is an urgent hire, early applications preferred.
To Apply: Click here and upload the following documents:
One-page resume
Cover letter Subject line – [Assistant Manager – Convenings: (Applicant Name)]
What has been the most transformative experience in your life, and why? (Max 300 words)
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Report on Tax Incentives for Philanthropic Giving: A Study of Twelve Countries
CSIP and NFI (National Foundation for India) are collaborating to convene a diverse set of non-profit organisations across India to seek convergence among them, amplify the views and concerns of India’s voluntary sector in policy discourse, create a space for intra and cross sector dialogue and collaboration, and exemplify the norms of governance the collective espouses.
About the Role:
CSIP and NFI is looking for a Convening Consultant to assist in advancing the convening of a collective of Indian non-profit organisations through convenings, focused group discussions, webinars, etc. S/he will work closely with CSIP’s and NFI’s internal teams and partner organisations to help build the collective and will be responsible for supporting outreach initiatives to include a wide range of non-profit organisations as active participants. The ideal candidate will have a good understanding of the Indian voluntary sector and the ability to facilitate convenings – online and offline.
Key Responsibilities
Provide management support to senior leadership
Collaborate with senior leadership to shape governance mechanisms, related systems and processes for the collective
Plan and execute convening activities viz., roundtables, webinars, focused group discussions, etc.
Support implementation of outreach initiatives to maximise participation in the convenings
Develop quarterly progress reports and pre/post convening reports
Manage relationships with funders and key stakeholders of CSIP and NFI
Does this sound like you?
A Graduate / Post-Graduate / Master’s degree from a reputed university in Management or Development Studies
5-7 years of experience in non-profit management, grassroots mobilisation, public policy and/or advocacy
Entrepreneurial self-starter who is a hands-on problem solver
Possess the flexibility to work on multiple projects, display a natural aptitude for partnering with different organisations, planning events and a demonstrated expertise in external communications
Possess strong oral and written communication skills in English and multiple other Indian languages
An understanding of the Indian voluntary sector and its stakeholders
Ability to work remotely and manage multiple work streams simultaneously
Right to work in India
To apply: Please click here to upload your resume and state why you are interested in this role.
Deadline: We will be interviewing on a rolling basis until we find a suitable candidate. Early applications will be preferred.
Compensation: Competitive, based on experience.
Location: The office of CSIP is based out of Ashoka University Campus in Sonipat. But as of now, the position is expected to work on a remote basis. The role might require frequent travel to partner and workshop locations.
About the Role: Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy is looking for an Assistant Manager – Communications, to strengthen content and design across its website, social media and publications, thereby playing a vital role in brand building and knowledge management. The candidate should have flexibility to work on multiple projects with various team members. The candidate should also have the ability to assess effectiveness of communications through data and analytics.
Responsibilities: The candidate will be responsible for the following:
Creating content and design according to the content calendar for social media, website, special reports and other external as well as internal facing documents and properties
Ideation, design and development of collaterals (branding, infographics, other outreach material
Maintaining all social media handles and analysing data on engagement, visitors and followers on social media properties
Updating content on CSIP website and tracking engagement data
Coordinating with external consultants and vendors for creation and delivery of audio/visual material
Creating newsletters for stakeholders – donors, students, partners
Documenting the processes, good practices and success stories related to internal and external communication at CSIP
Eligibility and Skill Requirements
Strong and error free oral and written communication skills
Strong and error free content writing skills (preferably in both English and Hindi)
Designing collaterals in consonance with brand guidelines
Ease of working with data and numbers; expertise in analytics will be an added advantage
At least 3 years of relevant work experience
Ability to multitask and work across across functional teams
Interest in the social impact sector
Right to work in India
A bachelor’s degree in Development Communication / Literature / Journalism / Fine Arts or related field
Knowledge of WordPress, Canva, Excel and Google Analytics will be a plus
To Apply: Please click here and upload the following documents
One-page resume
Cover letter Subject line – [Assistant Manager – Communications: (Applicant Name)]
What has been the most transformative experience in your life, and why? (Max 300 words)
Compensation: Competitive, based on experience.
Location: Based in, or with travel to, Sonipat 1-2 days a week. Currently work from home.
Deadline: Rolling basis. This is an urgent hire, early applications preferred.
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
