Strategic philanthropy and its challenges in India: A multiple case study of grantmaking organizations

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21293
• Date: 01 March 2018
• Author: Abha Rai,Anusha Chatterjee
• Published date: 01 March 2018

RESEARCH NOTE

Strategic philanthropy and its challenges in India:

A multiple case study of grantmaking organizations

Anusha Chatterjee

1

| Abha Rai

2

1

University of Maryland

2

University of Georgia

Correspondence

Anusha Chatterjeee, School of Social Work,

University of Maryland, Baltimore, 525 West

Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

Email: anusha.chatterjee@umaryland.edu

Grantmaking organizations in the United States play an

increasingly important role in philanthropic giving toward

international development issues. Champions of strategic

philanthropy have encouraged grantmakers to set clear

goals, use evidence-based strategies, and monitor pro-

grams. This exploratory study delves into grantmaking in

one of the largest emerging economies; India. Although

India is a major recipient of private philanthropy, it con-

tinues to perform below average on various socio-

economic indicators. The impact of grantmaking has been

unclear. We conducted in-depth interviews with managers

and leaders (n = 9) engaged in decision-making within

U.S. based grantmaking organizations, including non-

profit intermediaries and philanthropic foundations. We

examine how the concept of strategic philanthropy is

operationalized by participant organizations. Although

the participants acknowledge the importance of starting

out with a well-defined strategy, they also face several

challenges. We identify some of these challenges, outline

how they are being addressed, and discuss implications.

KEYWORDS

grantmaking organization, international giving, multiple

case studies, philanthropic foundations, strategic

philanthropy

1|INTRODUCTION

Over the past two decades, academics and practitioners in the field of philanthropy have vocifer-

ously advocated for strategic philanthropy as a means to maximize the impact of philanthropic giv-

ing (Katz, 2005). Private philanthropic institutions such as foundations and other grantmaking

intermediaries increasingly act as a stable source of support in addressing complex global social

Received: 25 May 2016 Revised: 15 September 2017 Accepted: 21 September 2017

DOI: 10.1002/nml.21293

Nonprofit Management and Leadership. 2018;28:399–411.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/nml © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 399