Sometimes, a shift in philanthropy begins with something small: a trusted recommendation, a new connection, a different perspective, or a conversation that opens up an unexpected possibility.
Over time, those moments can shape where members give, who they collaborate with, the causes they support and the role they choose to play.
Launching tomorrow, The Network Effect brings those shifts into focus.
Through the journeys of Amit and Ruchi Varshneya, Anupama Dalmia, Deepak Chopra, Fiona and Luis Miranda, Jayanta Roy, Nalini Saligram, Oliver Bangera, Rashi Mehta and Vivek Jain, the campaign showcases the tangible ways GivingPi has influenced and enabled members’ philanthropy — from trusted NGO recommendations and new directions in giving to peer connections, collaborations and opportunities to contribute beyond capital. The Network Effect is a closer look at the role GivingPi has played in enabling those shifts — and the impact that follows.
The strongest platforms do more than connect people. They change what people do next.
Stay tuned to GivingPi on LinkedIn and Instagram as we begin sharing these stories tomorrow.
India has made important gains for women and girls across education, health, and participation in public life. Yet the organizations working closest to these communities continue to face uneven and fragmented funding. This raises a critical question for philanthropy: how can capital better support the organizations and approaches that enable lasting progress?
Dasra’s Funding Her Future Philanthropy Masterclass brought this question into focus, drawing on emerging research and perspectives from practitioners and funders. GivingPi Member and Founder of KARM for Young Indian Women, Radhika Bharat Ram, joined Reshma Anand, Regional Director at Ford Foundation, and Safeena Husain, Founder of Educate Girls, for a conversation moderated by Deval Sanghavi, Co-founder and Partner at Dasra.
The discussion highlighted that investing in women and girls can shape outcomes across generations, while a gender lens can strengthen philanthropy across education, health, livelihoods, and climate. The speakers also emphasized that access alone isn’t sufficient: lasting progress requires strengthening agency, voice, leadership, and decision-making.
For philanthropy, the conversation reinforced the value of patient, flexible, multi-year capital that enables organizations to listen, adapt, address root causes, and build solutions alongside communities. The Masterclass offered a timely reflection on not just investing more in women and girls but investing differently to enable deeper and more sustained change.
GivingPi Member Taraknath Woddi recently hosted an intimate dinner at his Seattle residence, bringing together families for an evening of conversation on diaspora philanthropy and its potential to contribute to India’s development. The gathering explored how families in the diaspora can engage more meaningfully with India’s philanthropic ecosystem, while also building stronger connections within their local community.
The evening began with a fireside conversation between Tarak and cricketer and philanthropist Sunil Gavaskar, followed by an introduction to GivingPi and its approach to supporting personal philanthropy. An open exchange over dinner gave participating families the opportunity to reflect on the growing interest in giving to India, and on the role trusted networks can play in helping families navigate and deepen their philanthropic journeys.
We are grateful to GivingPi Member Taraknath Woddi for hosting the evening and creating a warm and thoughtful space for connection, reflection, and continued engagement.
GivingPi Founders Circle Member and Max India Foundation Managing Trustee Ms Tara Singh Vachani is supporting Katha Lab School in Govindpuri, New Delhi, to strengthen learning opportunities for 400 children from vulnerable households. Through this support, the school is delivering an integrated education and child development model that brings together foundational learning, social-emotional learning, vocational skills, and story-driven, experiential education, helping children strengthen their academic foundation while building confidence, creativity, and skills for the future.
This model of learning is empowering children across pre-school and primary grades to access play-based, foundational learning alongside exposure to technology, tailoring, bakery, art, clay modelling, and classical dance. The program has maintained over 85% average student attendance and a 100% retention while also investing in social-emotional learning and creating safe classroom environments for children navigating complex household circumstances.
The impact is also visible in the opportunities and confidence the children are gaining from participating in community projects and developing technical skills. All this has renewed the children’s interest in learning, nurturing new aspirations for themselves. In the past year, Katha Lab School was also recognized among the Top 50 Global Schools for Art, Culture and Creativity, selected from more than 3,000 applicants across 113 countries. To know more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Founding Trustee of the Balipara Foundation, Ranjit Barthakur, is supporting community-led efforts to restore Assam’s riverine ecosystems. On Van Mahotsav 2026, the Balipara Foundation collaborated with the 134 Ecological Task Force (Territorial Army) on a plantation drive along the banks of the Jia Bhorali River at Baligaon Green Village in Sonitpur, Assam.
Together with over 120 women, youth, and children from the local community, 2,000 native and indigenous saplings were planted to strengthen riverine ecosystems, improve soil stability, and restore ecological resilience. The effort highlights how conservation can be rooted in local participation, bringing communities together to protect landscapes that sustain biodiversity and livelihoods. To learn more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Trustee of the Blue Star Foundation, Sunaina Murthy, is supporting aspiring engineers and architects through the Foundation’s flagship Mohan T. Advani Centennial Scholarship Programme. Designed for meritorious students from underserved backgrounds, the initiative combines financial support with technical training, mentoring, and career guidance to help scholars build pathways to higher education and employment.
Open to first- and second-year engineering and architecture students across select institutions in India, the program also provides industry interactions and exposure visits to strengthen long-term academic and professional outcomes. Today, it supports a growing community of over 500 scholars, while building a strong alumni network contributing across industries and communities. By investing in talent early, the Foundation is helping create pathways for the next generation of engineers and architects. To learn more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Co-founder of Koita Foundation, Rekha Koita, is supporting the expansion of Paani Foundation’s 2026 Satyamev Jayate Farmer Cup, a statewide initiative helping farmer groups adopt sustainable practices, reduce input costs, and build climate resilience.
As the Farmer Cup expands from 46 to 351 talukas in Maharashtra, the Koita Foundation has partnered with Paani Foundation to develop its digital infrastructure through two complementary tools: the Smart Sheti App, which provides farmers with crop-specific guidance, timely reminders, and actionable recommendations; and the Team Paani Portal, which supports real-time monitoring, field operations, and data-driven decision-making.
Together, these tools have already onboarded 350,000+ farmers and nearly 26,000 farmer groups, including 15,000+ women-led groups, supporting more profitable and climate-resilient farming practices at scale. To learn more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Founder of Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF), Shaifalika Panda, is supporting early stage women entrepreneurs through its latest program, the IMFA Sakhi Seed Fund, which provides ₹5 lakh in non-collateral, debt-free grant support alongside structured business mentorship. This initiative is in partnership with CNBC-TV18 Future Female Forward.
Built around four pillars: Capital, Capability, Credibility, and Connectivity, the initiative aims to move beyond livelihood support towards enterprise acceleration, helping women build sustainable and investment-ready businesses. Selected entrepreneurs will receive tailored mentorship from Xavier Institute of Management (XIM) University across business formalization, financial management, market access, technology adoption, and long-term sustainability.
The advisory committee brings together Ajaita Shah, Founder & CEO of Frontier Markets; Chetna Gala Sinha, Founder of Mann Deshi Foundation; Neha Juneja, Co-Founder & CEO of IndiaP2P; Shaifalika Panda, Founder & CEO of the Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation; and Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18. The initiative has already received applications from women entrepreneurs across 12 states. Following a rigorous screening and assessment process, the final awardees will be announced in November 2026. To learn more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Hon. President of the Maharashtra State Women’s Council (MSWC), Shivani Narang, is supporting an organization that has worked across Mumbai for 106 years, responding to the needs of women, children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities through more than 10 projects and initiatives.
Today, MSWC’s work spans education and vocational training through the Abhilasha Center in Dharavi; residential support for women in social distress through Bapnu Ghar and Asha Sadan; foster care for children through its Foster Care program; and support for elderly women through Lotus Home. Its Savera Center works with persons with disabilities, while the Worli Library promotes access to learning and knowledge.
Together, these initiatives have impacted 150,000+ people, reflecting MSWC’s long-standing commitment to social inclusion and support for communities in need. To learn more, click here.
GivingPi Member Shruti Deorah is supporting the work of Live Beyond Life Foundation, to raise awareness about organ donation across Maharashtra and encourage more people to pledge their organs after death. The Foundation works to support patients and families awaiting transplants, promote organ health, and sponsor cadaver transplants for those unable to afford them.
With 15,000+ volunteers, 25+ successful campaigns, and 500+ yearly donors, Live Beyond Life is building greater awareness around the potential of organ donation. A single donor can help up to eight people through the donation of eyes, skin, and other vital organs. The Foundation also helps individuals create a Living Will to formally record their pledge.
By making organ donation more understood and accessible, the Foundation is working to expand the pool of donors for patients waiting for sight-restoring, life-saving, and reconstructive transplants. To learn more, click here.
Anupama Dalmia | Edex Live
GivingPi Member Anupama Dalmia, Founder-Director of Seekho Sikhao Foundation, in this article makes the case for strengthening the systems that enable teachers to learn continuously, collaborate, and adapt to their classrooms. The piece highlights how existing teacher-support platforms can move beyond compliance to become meaningful spaces for professional learning.
Deval Sanghavi & Ami Misra | The Week
This article draws on the India Nonprofit Report 2026 and challenges the sector’s bias towards scale, while making the case for recognizing the distinct roles of grassroots, mid-sized, and large nonprofits. It also calls for philanthropy to value depth as a form of scale and invest in organizations through patient, flexible, long-term funding.
Aanshi Gupta, Ami Misra & Mahima Sharda | Alliance Magazine
Drawing on a Dasra report developed as part of Hivos’ Walking the Talk consortium, this article explores how women and queer philanthropists are shaping more inclusive, flexible, and gender-responsive approaches to family giving in India.
