In India, venture philanthropy (VP) and allied organisations are making long-term strategic investments to build for-profit and non-profit innovative social purpose organisations (SPOs) that can make a mass social impact. VPs place emphasis on social returns, although some such organisations also demand muted financial returns in addition to social returns. The former acknowledge that investment for social purposes and professional effectiveness are not in conflict with one another, but can exist and work in synergy. This paper presents the first primary assessment of the VP ecosystem in India. As part of this effort, we have determined the extent of VP activity in India and
how other players in the country’s social sector are complementing the growth of this movement. We have also focused our efforts on analysing the extent of differentiation VP and allied organisations have introduced in the management of SPOs. Therefore, our research was designed to critically appraise provision of financial and non-financial support from VP and allied organisations. In doing so, we explicitly delineate the challenges the movement faces in the country and
initiate a dialogue on strategies to overcome these challenges.
File Name: exploring-the-vp-ecosystem-in-india