Philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is most powerful when it aligns with the rhythm of one’s life. As people move through different stages—from building careers and securing families to seeking purpose and legacy—the motivations and capacity to give naturally evolve.
When life stage meets intention, giving becomes not just an act of generosity, but a meaningful expression of who you are and the change you want to create.
At this stage in your life, what opportunity feels most aligned with the impact you’re ready to make?
Inflection Points: Recognising the Moments That Redefine Your Path
Everyone comes across moments in their life that make them pause. Reflect. Think. These are inflection points or moments when the arc of your life shifts—sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically. Transitions like becoming a parent, career milestones, confronting deep personal loss, or deep personal joys often make one pause and wonder.
You might also be rethinking your priorities and values. As a philanthropist, it is also a point that might make you wonder about the kind of impact you want to leave. These inflection points are incredibly powerful moments that draw your attention to what’s changing inside you as much as what’s changing around you. You might be experiencing a growing desire for meaning, a renewed sense of responsibility, or an urge to contribute beyond yourself.
It is these moments that give you clarity on where your energy is naturally being pulled—and how that momentum can be channelled into purposeful action.
When Points add up to make a Line: Moving from inflection points to developing a giving persona
A line is a collection of dots laid next to each other. However, unlike a dot, the line underlines something. It does more than what each point does individually, reminding us of Aristotle’s saying ‘The whole is greater than the some of its Parts’.
Your Persona of Giving too follows this principle and slowly develops as you walk through several inflection points in life. It gets moulded as life shifts and reshapes what matters most. For those with traditional wealth, giving often begins as a duty, but deepens into a heartfelt commitment as they reach moments of clarity about the legacy they want to honour. Tech wealth creators, accustomed to speed and disruption, often find their philanthropic identity during pauses—when success gives way to a desire for meaning beyond achievement. Generational inheritors may awaken to their persona through emotional crossroads: stepping into responsibility, redefining their family’s story, or discovering causes that resonate uniquely with them.
Diverse Journeys to Purposeful Giving:
Ravi Modi’s journey of giving to Sunbird Trust
When Ravi Modi and Shilpi Modi, founders and Directors of Vedant Fashions, chose to take an offbeat trip to Manipur to visit the non-profit Sunbird Trust, they realised and deeply connected with the rampant problem of the lack of educational infrastructure in large tracts of beautiful but remote regions of North-East India. Spending a few days in the hills of Ijeirong village, and interacting with the students of a school built by the non-profit with the community, they experienced the impact a school makes in the communities first-hand. Following the visit, their family formed a deep partnership with Sunbird Trust to build schools as well as support the tuition and nutrition of students across remote villages of the North-East.
To know more about the journey, follow this link
Chandrashekhar Balagopal’s support to incubate Hume Centre for Ecology
When Chandrashekhar Balagopal, an IAS officer-turned entrepreneur who founded Terumo Penpol, chose to retire from his company, he donned the hat of a philanthropist along with his wife Vinita Nambiar, founding Anaha Trust. They wanted to use their time and energy into supporting inspiring changemakers looking for early support and mentorship in social ventures.
The couple met scientist and ecologist CK Vishnudas and Dr.Suma TR, who wanted to start a scientific movement to preserve the ecology of the Western Ghats. Inspired by their vision, they provided early support and mentorship to the experienced scientists in setting up their non-profit that grew into a leading research institute in Wayanad that is building models of community-based ecological monitoring systems and inspiring a generation of children and youth to be researchers and conservationists.
To know more about their journey, follow this link
Reflections
The journey from inflection points to a defined giving persona is a deeply personal and evolving process. The stories here illustrate that impactful philanthropy is not a default setting, but an active choice made at crucial junctures in life. Whether driven by a desire to address systemic issues or to nurture fledgling ideas, the actions show that clarity of purpose transforms giving from a simple transaction into a meaningful expression of one’s values. This alignment of personal rhythm with philanthropic opportunity is what ultimately creates a lasting legacy.
Coming Up in This Series:
The time of the year when Indian philanthropists shine
The Indian philanthropy landscape went into the 3rd quarter of the year underscoring a maturing philanthropic ecosystem characterised by larger donations, greater strategic intent, and stronger cross-sector collaboration. A major highlight was the release of the Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025 in November, revealing that India’s top donors collectively contributed over Rs 10,380 crore. Shiv Nadar of HCL and his family were named the most generous for their sustained focus on education. This demonstrated the immense potential of private wealth to drive social change, with philanthropists strategically directing funds toward systemic impact, particularly in education, healthcare, and sustainable development.
Simultaneously, the Corporate Sector reinforced its commitment, with projections that India’s CSR spending is poised to triple by 2035, potentially becoming the country’s largest pool of philanthropic capital. These projections came from the Sattva CSR report 2025 that found its tenth annual release at the India CSR & ESG Summit in October. The shifts in CSR reflect a move beyond mere compliance, as more companies exceeded the mandatory 2% spend and adopted robust ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) frameworks.
Furthermore, the Indian diaspora’s role gained prominence with the launch of the India Giving Day campaign by the India Philanthropy Alliance, emphasizing collective action and leveraging global networks for localized impact across India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Explore more:
A Key Opportunity: Taking advanced care where it is needed the most
A key example of an organization committed to effectively direct philanthropic capital to providing advanced medical care to regions in high need is Shri Shankara Cancer Care Foundation —a leading non-profit committed to cancer prevention, cancer research and training of the healthcare cadre in cancer care.
Established in 2008 as a not-for-profit organisation, the Foundation—under the visionary leadership of its managing trustee, Dr. B.S. Srinath, a seasoned surgical oncologist—is dedicated to ensuring that evidence-based, cutting-edge treatment is accessible to all, irrespective of socio-economic status. It has built large-scale institutions like the Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Bengaluru. They have also ventured deeply in east India, a region which suffers from a significant load of cancer, and built the Bagchi Sri Shankara Cancer Centre in Bhubaneswar.
Their model successfully integrates clinical treatment with extensive community-based prevention, research, and training, demonstrating a multi-dimensional philanthropic movement focused on alleviating the physical, emotional, and financial burdens of cancer on the common people.
To know more about their work and support them, please visit https://www.shankaracancerfoundation.org/
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