For decades, the vast majority of Indian philanthropists have chosen the former option, and sectors such as education and health, which produce tangible and emotionally engaging results, have been the overwhelming winners of philanthropic funding at the expense of research, policy development or transparency initiatives, Mint reported.

But, as the philanthropic community matures, the stereotype of the wealthy businessman or industrialist who gives money to the local temple or sets up a school with their name on the door is beginning to break down.

“While new donors generally want to support programmes where they can clearly identify the end beneficiary and hear about the person whose life has been changed, typically more experienced funders realize the importance of influencing government,” says Deval Sanghavi, founding partner of Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation that has been working to fund such initiatives.

Read the full report here