FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Alex Counts

Executive Director, India Philanthropy Alliance

Email: alex@indiaphilanthropyalliance.org

Leaders Gather in Dallas to Spotlight the

Growth of Giving to U.S. and Indian Causes

More than 160 Leaders Gathered in Dallas on September 29 at the Communities Foundation of Texas

Hyattsville, MD, October 2 – At the annual Philanthropy Summit organized by Indiaspora and the India Philanthropy Alliance, more than 150 leaders reviewed and celebrated trends and insights about the growth and maturation of American philanthropy to India and Indian American volunteerism and donations to critical issues in both India and the United States. On behalf of the participants, IPA and Indiaspora issued the following communiqué.

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Indiaspora-IPA Philanthropy 2026 Summit Communiqué

October 2, 2026

On the auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, we—more than 160 leaders in the vibrant U.S.-India philanthropy corridor who gathered on September 28-29 in Dallas, Texas—celebrate and seek to further grow American philanthropy to India and Indian American giving of time and money to all causes. We acknowledge the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and other inspirational leaders on how, why, and where our community gives. We built upon the Summit held in 2025 in San Francisco, which culminated in this communiqué. The Summit has been taking place annually since 2018. 

The 2026 Summit—organized by Indiaspora and the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA)—used innovative formats, such as a vigorous and respectful debate about the use of data in philanthropy, and had the audience vote on three proposals from registrants for an afternoon plenary session. The Slido app was used throughout to enhance audience participation, given that everyone in the room was a leader in the U.S.-India philanthropy corridor.

Themes that emerged throughout the day were:

  • The Indian American community is already generous with its time and money, and the best is yet to come. Moving from closing the giving gap to setting the standard for philanthropy is well underway.

  • Giving to causes in India, the United States, and those that are transnational are all important, valued, and practiced. They are not in opposition to each other, but rather they are deeply synergistic. Progress on social or environmental injustice anywhere is a win for humanity everywhere.  

  • Attacks on Indian-Americans and any immigrant group on the basis of their ethnicity, culture, or religion should and must be condemned. Violence and threats against people viewed by some as outsiders are unacceptable, whether in the United States, India, or anywhere else. We applaud those who publicly speak out against such reprehensible acts.

  • Philanthropy can only be successful with a thriving civil society. We encourage all governments to protect a robust, democratic civil society where organizations are able to operate and advocate freely.

  • Philanthropy is a learned skill that improves with study and practice. Events like this Summit, the India Philanthropy Forum organized on September 22 by our friends at Dasra, and the Johns Hopkins India Conference coming up on May 3, 2027, are all terrific opportunities to improve our collective skills in this important discipline.

  • A growing body of evidence argues that those who give more of their time and money to nonprofits are happier, healthier, and wealthier than those who give less, or don’t give at all. 

  • Investments in philanthropic infrastructure, such as recruiting, training, and supporting fundraising staff, pay off many times when made strategically. India-focused nonprofits in the U.S. have successfully leveraged volunteers, but have often under-invested in critical organizational infrastructure and talent.

  • The full inclusion of youth and young professionals in philanthropy is essential and will pay outsized dividends in the decades to come.

  • Preventive health measures that reduce diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in India and among Indian-Americans are critically important. We applauded and vowed to actively support the Menlo Park Declaration spurred by Arogya World.    

  • We are all working to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to the vision of Vikshit Bharat: India becoming a developed nation by its centennial in 2047.

The delegates learned about and celebrated local philanthropic initiatives and leaders, such as Raj and Anna Asava, the co-founders of Dallas-based Hunger Mitao, which addresses food insecurity throughout the United States; Amit Banerjee of the Dallas-based organization Philanthropy Kids; and IPA’s two local board members, Sejal Desai and Ushree Roy, who are pillars of the nonprofit community in the region.  

Local business and philanthropy leader Anurag Jain, in his opening keynote, reinforced several of these themes. He stressed that philanthropy and giving in other forms come back to benefit the giver. He quoted the sacred texts of many religions to underscore how profound this truth is. 

In his keynote address at the welcome dinner held at the University of Texas at Dallas, Satish Gupta, another business and philanthropy leader in Dallas, called on the community to contribute to societal improvement in the U.S. and in India, and also to resist and oppose anti-Indian hate in the United States and everywhere.  

Teach for India U.S. Executive Director Neha Gupta, the inaugural winner of the Deepak Raj Rising Star Award that was announced on September 17, called on the delegates to ascertain what they need, financially and otherwise, to live a comfortable life and then to devote what remains to service. 

In a special address to the Summit, Dr. Kadhir Rajagopal, the founder of Miracle University and a member of the Indian diaspora, talked about his breakthrough approach to solving America’s Dropout Crisis through Miracle University, and argued that his highly cost-effective approach can scale nationally with sufficient support. 

In remarks about the importance of investing in philanthropy infrastructure, Rohit Menezes of the Bridgespan Group simply noted, "It takes money to generate revenue." He called on nonprofits and their financial backers to support revenue-generating investments, such as hiring, training, and supporting major gift officers and giving them enough time to deliver results. 

In his closing remarks, Alex Counts, the Executive Director of the India Philanthropy Alliance, said, "Especially in the aftermath of these two days together, IPA stands ready to provide leadership to grow the quantity, quality, and joyfulness of American philanthropy to India while celebrating thoughtful and strategic giving anywhere. We invite everyone to join us in making the fifth India Giving Day, to be held on March 12, 2027, the most successful ever."

In her closing remarks, Shoba Viswanathan, the Managing Director for the U.S. and Global West at Indiaspora, said, "It was great to see the community coming together in Dallas and to engage with a widening circle of philanthropists who are willing to invest time and effort in strategic giving. The group gathered here, this community of doers, gives us hope even as we grapple with disturbing news cycles. It is vital to keep this conversation going both to enable more good impact work and to make philanthropy accessible to those who are coming newly to it."

The attendees expressed gratitude to the Sehgal Foundation, Aatmic Philanthropy, the Gupta Agarwal Charitable Fund, Myriad USA, and Windmill Craftworks for their sponsorship of the Summit. They also acknowledged the critical role of local partnerships with the University of Texas at Dallas, which hosted a Symposium and Welcome Dinner on September 28, and the Communities Foundation of Texas, which hosted the Summit itself.

The delegates drew inspiration from Gandhi’s timeless observation: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

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