What Giving Makes Possible
If some alien species landed on earth tomorrow, one of the things that would initially confuse them the most about human beings is philanthropy. They would see most of us working hard to earn and save money, only to give away a significant amount of it without hope of any personal or financial benefits to us. Indeed, Americans donate nearly half a trillion dollars annually, and the total amount inches up virtually every single year.
Their confusion would only be deepened when they learned that a species whose members are terribly busy contributes a significant amount of their time working for free for nonprofits. In the United States alone, 65 million people spend 10 trillion hours volunteering each year. It is interesting to note that according to a survey conducted by Indiaspora, Indian Americans devote nearly double the amount of time volunteering, compared to the overall U.S. population.
But this mystery would not, in fact, be too difficult to explain. One of the main reasons human beings have advanced so much over the centuries is that we aspire to not only survive, but to thrive—and not just individually, but also collectively. We realize that government and business have roles to play in improving our well-being with each successive generation, but both have limitations as well. They are complemented by a thriving civil society sector that is itself made possible through voluntary donations of money, time, and talent.
But the explanation goes deeper than that. Research shows that people who give the most to charities are, on average, happier, healthier, and more successful than those who give less, or not at all. We can attest to the fact that our own giving has not only had a positive impact on society but made us better and more satisfied people. Our donations will be one of our most important legacies, along with the families that we nurtured and the businesses that we built and ran.
Indian Americans are a generous people. As noted above, we volunteer far more hours than our neighbors do. But many of us, especially those born in India prior to the 1980s, harbor suspicions about giving our money away. We figure that solving problems like poverty is the responsibility of government, perhaps aided by the super-rich. Furthermore, we wonder if funds contributed to charities go where they are supposed to, or end up being ground up in inefficient operations or even corrupt practices. We have trouble trusting what we can’t verify with our own eyes.
Yet donating to the most accomplished and best organized Indian charities has become a highly effective means of contributing to the country that gave so many of us and our ancestors high-quality educations virtually for free. The very best Indian nonprofits, many of which have set up legal entities in the United States to mobilize volunteers and process tax-deductible donations, have earned our trust and are in fact regarded as some of the most efficient, effective, and transparent mission-driven organizations in the world. Many of them excel at partnering with progressive state and local governmental organizations in India, as described in this article by Alex Counts and Nishant Pandey.
Quite simply, the top Indian nonprofits make important things possible every day for those who have been left behind by India’s stunning economic growth. Collectively, they are an essential force that gives hope and opportunity to millions, and allows us to dream of an India free from poverty that lives in harmony with nature.
In order to advance and celebrate U.S. philanthropy to India, and educate our community about the benefits of giving, the India Philanthropy Alliance launched a new national tradition last year: India Giving Day. We joined more than 1,000 donors, including us, who took a leap of faith and made contributions averaging $133 to 25 leading India-focused nonprofit organizations.
Earlier this week, on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, we announced the kick-off of the second India Giving Day, which will culminate on March 1, 2024. We would like to double our impact this year with more than 2,000 donations, averaging $250 this year, among other growth indicators.
As 2 of the 11 national co-chairs of India Giving Day, we encourage you to participate in this campaign in a way that is meaningful to you, your family, and the organizations you’re involved in. Make a generous donation that is both comfortable and exciting for you on India Giving Day or during the early giving period that will begin in mid-February. Hold a cultural event, dinner party, gala, educational symposium, online seminar, or some other gathering to celebrate the power of thoughtful and joyful giving. Share with people not of Indian origin the stories of your favorite Indian nonprofits and what they have accomplished. Become a peer-to-peer fundraiser for some mission-driven group. Talk to your children, parents, or friends about the value of donating one’s time and money.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Let us channel the wisdom of these words as we prepare for India Giving Day 2024.
About the Authors
Raj Gupta was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, India. As a 22-year-old in Spring 1968, he came to the United States with only $8 in his pocket to do graduate studies in Operations Research/Computer Science at Cornell. He built a 39-year career at the global Fortune 500 specialty materials company Rohm and Haas, where he retired as Chairman and CEO in April 2009. After retiring from Rohm and Haas Company, Raj and his wife Kamla established their family’s Ujala Foundation (which means “light” in Hindi), focusing on education and healthcare, equally directed to India and the U.S. Raj documented his personal and professional journey in a book titled Eight Dollars and a Dream: My American Journey, written in collaboration with Syd Havely and published in 2016.
Deepak Raj is founder and managing director of the New Jersey-based private investment firm Raj Associates with investments in real estate and public and private securities. He is also CFA and, with his wife Neera, the founder of the Raj Center on Indian Economic Policies at Columbia University. Deepak has extensive experience as an equity analyst and an investment banker. His leadership positions during 24 years with Merrill Lynch include senior analyst in research (and member of the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team); head of their Global Consumer Products Investment Banking practice; and senior vice president and member of the firm’s executive management committee. A chartered financial analyst (CFA), Deepak graduated from IIT Kanpur with a BTech in electrical engineering and earned an MBA from Northeastern University. Deepak was executive chairman of Pratham USA and is the Chairman of the India Philanthropy Alliance.
