The Spectacular “India Giving Day” Is A Big Success

On March 1, 2024, at the end of the second India Giving Day event held at Drexel University in Philadelphia, IPA Advisor Venky Raghavendra and Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance Alex Counts had a conversation. The event, which was co-hosted by IPA and Drexel, gave professionals in the philanthropy field a forum to talk about important projects and problems. Counts discusses the success of India Giving Day and provides insights into the changing philanthropic scene in the Indian diaspora in the conversation.

As the Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance, Alex Counts is the creative force behind the idea of India Giving Day. This year’s India Giving Day was noticeably bigger and livelier. It raised nearly $4 million, and donations are still flowing in. This time around, 33 organisations participated, up from 25 the previous time. The most remarkable thing about these organisations, their volunteers, and their supporters, in our opinion, is how inventively they promoted the event. They redefined what India Giving Day is all about and showed incredible inventiveness, going above and beyond expectations.

The success of India Giving Day was, in fact, largely due to its inventiveness; as of just now, 1,100 distinct donors had contributed amounts ranging from $5 to $1 million. All contributions are much appreciated, but the most noteworthy is the major help from the Rural India Supporting Trust, which not only contributed significantly to the campaign but also gave Arogya World the largest grant in its history. Furthermore, institutions such as the MacArthur Foundation and RIST were instrumental in the success of this year’s India Giving Day.

It’s clear that collaborations have been essential to India Giving Day’s success. When it comes to helping Indian students who want to study overseas, Drexel University has been essential. They have made a name for themselves as a friendly and reasonably priced location for Indian students. It was only logical to partner with Drexel, thanks to VJ Chitus, an important ally of the India Philanthropy Alliance. Drexel was obviously the ideal companion.
There have been notable changes in the charitable scene, most notably the increase in contributions from the Indian American community after the catastrophic COVID-19 second wave in India. Giving by Indian Americans to India may have increased by as much as 50% over that time, according to reports of a boom in philanthropy. This pattern has persisted since COVID-19.

proving the ongoing dedication of contributors to tackling issues like poverty and healthcare inequalities. The goal is to harness this generosity and direct it towards significant change through events like India Giving Day.