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The Indian Express | Rohini Nilekani writes: We need a mental health movement rooted in community
When we help others, we help ourselves. It is a win-win described for samaaj by good science Just five minutes a day of contemplative practices to improve mindfulness, connection, insight and purpose have been scientifically proven to create positive changes in the brain’s chemistry. Compassion training has demonstrably shown reduced implicit bias towards people you […]
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Alliance Magazine | A Heat Justice Compass for Philanthropic Action
By Tanya Kak (Climate & Environment Portfolio Lead, RNP) On a field visit in Pune, India, I heard one refrain repeatedly: ‘It’s hot but we’re used to it’. I had made this trip with Prayas Energy and Health Group, one of several partners we support at the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP), and who work with street vendors, construction […]
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IDR | The limits of AI in Social Change
– Gautam John, CEO, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies More actors—from grantmaking to service delivery—are exploring the use of AI. However, the excitement around scale and efficiency often overshadows a critical question: What does it mean to bring machine-generated abstraction into systems built on trust, context, and relationship? In systems of social change, we grapple with an enduring tension: connection versus abstraction. Connection […]
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Alliance Magazine | What if we funded justice differently?
Justice has often been philanthropy’s stepchild. In numerous donor forums I’ve attended, we’ve eagerly rallied around education, health, and livelihoods. However—when the conversation turns to justice, ensuring people can access their rights, challenge injustice, or navigate the legal system—the energy shifts. Justice is perceived as peripheral, abstract, or difficult to measure. Many funders treat it […]
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AARP International | Rohini Nilekani writes: A Commentary on Aging in India
In 2025, India had the largest population of young people of any country in the world. Within a couple of decades, it will have the largest cohort of people age 60+. This will not be just a demographic transition; it will also mark a seismic cultural shift — and India will need to find ways […]
Others
Press Release : Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Dalberg Advisors and Ashoka Changemakers launch landscape study on Ageing and Longevity in India
The report takes stock of the latest data, programs and narratives on aging in India, and hopes to catalyze action in the longevity space, through recommendations made for civil society organizations, policy makers, and philanthropy. Bengaluru, India, May 27th, 2025: Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies launches an all-inclusive report on aging and longevity in India. Produced […]
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Systemic Solutions for Systems Change
Gautam John (CEO, RNP) speaks about the need to design solutions that are scalable, systemic, and involve the community at an event hosted by The Convergence Foundation in partnership with Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Centre for Exponential Change, and India Impact Sherpas on ‘Creating Systemic Impact’. The event brought together thought-leaders and philanthropists to discuss what systems […]
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IDR | The power of pooling philanthropic funds
Deployed well, this form of funding offers multiple advantages. Here is a quick guide to understand the various options available and find the one that best matches your requirements. By Reshma Anand & Gautam John Pooled funding from multiple donors has historically been used in emergency response situations, such as natural disasters and human made […]
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IDR | Crowdfunding: What can philanthropists do to support it?
By Gautam John There are many opportunities for funders to help their grantees experiment with this new channel of fundraising. Here are some ways they can support nonprofits in building this capability. Philanthropists and funding organisations grapple with various kinds of risks when considering grant making opportunities. Some are failure risks of theories of change, some […]
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IDR | Why crowdfunding is important for philanthropy to support
By Gautam John Crowdfunding is a unique tool that is greatly underused in the Indian social sector. Philanthropists can support and encourage nonprofits to adopt this new model of fundraising. Sometime in 2013, Bill Gates said, “Philanthropy should be taking much bigger risks than business [and] if these are easy problems, business and government can […]