About
A philanthropic institution for India
Impactful Giving helps donors turn generosity into outcomes. We research where additional funding goes furthest in India, and we work alongside the people giving it.
The team
Board of advisors
What we value
Compassion
Our commitment goes beyond giving impactfully. It is about being compassionate in our thoughts and actions by genuinely caring about people and animals, and taking action to reduce suffering and increase well-being.
What this means in practice: Working so that people and animals in India suffer less.
Truth
We are dedicated to seeking the truth and being open and honest in all our work. We believe that a commitment to truth is fundamental to building trust and effectiveness in our work.
What this means in practice: Ensuring that we and the people we work with believe in and promote true, evidence-based information.
Impact
Good intentions are not enough. The same donation can achieve wildly different outcomes depending on where it goes, so we follow the evidence to the work that does the most good per rupee, and we keep asking whether our recommendations still hold.
What this means in practice: Prioritising the actions and strategies with the strongest case behind them.
Evaluators we draw on
We draw on the published research and advice of evaluators and research organisations working across our cause areas.
Registrations
We are registered and compliant with the relevant Indian legal requirements, and we publish the paperwork rather than asking you to take our word for it.
Section 80G
Tax exemption under the Income Tax Act, letting Indian donors claim a deduction on their contributions.
View the Section 80G certificateSection 12A
Registration for charitable trusts under the Income Tax Act, exempting surplus income from tax.
View the Section 12A certificateNITI Aayog (Darpan)
Registered on the Government of India’s Darpan portal for voluntary organisations and NGOs.
View the NITI Aayog (Darpan) certificateSection 8 incorporation
Certificate of incorporation as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, confirming non-profit status.
View the Section 8 incorporation certificate
Frequently asked questions
How do you decide which non-profits to recommend?
We start from the published research of evaluators working in each cause area, then do our own comparative work on Indian organisations: what the programme has shown, whether the evidence holds, and whether more money would buy more of it. Where we cannot answer that last question, we do not recommend.
Can you recommend non-profits that match what I care about?
Yes. Most donors arrive with a cause in mind, and the work is finding where money goes furthest inside it. If we think another cause would do more with your funding, we will say so. The decision stays yours.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Our advisory is free to donors.
Do you handle my donation?
For advisory recommendations and funding circles, you give directly to the non-profit, and the money never passes through us. On a case-by-case basis, we may be able to take donations and regrant on behalf of the donor.
Can I suggest a non-profit for you to look at?
Yes, write to us. We cannot promise to evaluate everything suggested, and a suggestion is not a recommendation until it has been through the same comparison as anything else.
How is Impactful Giving registered?
We are a Section 8 company, registered under Sections 12A and 80G of the Income Tax Act, and on NITI Aayog’s Darpan portal. Every certificate is linked on this page.
How do I keep up with your work?
Our research goes on the blog, and the longer essays sit under Research. We also post on LinkedIn. If you would rather hear from us directly, write to us.
How are you funded?
We were incubated by Ambitious Impact, which provided our seed funding. Since then, we have been supported by a grant from ACX and by contributions from individual donors. None of our funding comes from the organisations we recommend.
Work with us
If you are giving at scale and want the research behind it done properly, start with a conversation.
See how our advisory works