Second India Giving Day campaign launched at Drexel

Well-known philanthropists and the Drexel community come together to kick off the campaign.

By Aishwarya Singh

India Giving Day was launched this Gandhi Jayanti, on October 2, with a symposium of philanthropists from across the Indian diaspora at the LeBow School of Business at Drexel University. One of the highlights of the kickoff event was a panel discussion by leading philanthropists Raj Gupta of Ujala Foundation, Deepak Raj, Co-Chair of India Philanthropy Alliance, and Ravi Reddy of Community Pure Water.

Besides lauding the collective platform, all the panelists emphasized the importance of engaging the next generation of philanthropists in the causes focused on India. “We can do and give a lot more collectively,” said Deepak Raj. Raj Gupta shared how his family foundation has intentionally planned to give equally back to India and the U.S. These three leaders were interviewed by Ranjini “Jini” Mahalanobish, a Drexel student leader.

Earlier in the afternoon, Alex Counts, Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance, in his inaugural remarks gave the audience a background on the India Philanthropy Alliance and on the significance of mobilizing funding in the United States to donate to organizations from India working towards humanitarian and development causes. “While it was not easy to coalesce the group, we feel we are on a good path now to grow and increase the levels of giving to India.” Alex engaged in a dialogue with Utsav Ganeriwala, a Drexel student who quizzed Alex on philanthropy and the role of young people. Alex underscored the importance of mentors not just in professional settings but also in service and philanthropy recalling his own decades-long journey with Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

READ: First India Giving Day raises $1 million for 25 Indian nonprofits (March 7, 2023)

The inaugural remarks were followed by a panel facilitated by India Giving Day Advisor Venkatesh Raghavendra along with India Philanthropy Alliance board member Sumeet Rawla, and Dr. Rajneesh “Raj” Suri, PhD, Senior Vice Provost, Academic-Industry Partnerships, Drexel University. Raj spoke of the need for three-way partnerships between NGOs, academia, and industry. “We were able to add value through data analysis and impact measurement,” said Raj, “and it not only helped deepen trust between the partners but also enabled tangibly track the impact of the CSR giving by the industry partner”.

Other speakers at the event included the Founder and Chairperson of Agastya International Foundation, Ramji Raghavan and the Executive Vice-President of Sehgal Foundation, Jay Sehgal.

READ: Washington, D.C. to celebrate India Giving Day (February 18, 2023)

The in-person event, held in the LeBow School of Business at Drexel University in the heart of Philadelphia, was also beamed virtually, drawing attendance from across the United States. This event triggered the start of the months-long campaign of incentivizing and celebrating donations from across the Indian diaspora within the United States, with the culmination to take place on March 1st in the form of a 24-hour philanthropy and awareness drive India Giving Day.

(Aishwarya Singh is the founder and co-host of South Asia’s first and largest true crime podcast, The Desi Crime Podcast.)