Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation

Building a Strong Samaaj through Collective Action

Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation is a registered charitable organization under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013. The foundation is founded by Rohini Nilekani. Rohini Nilekani is a well-known social entrepreneur in India. She started her journey in civic engagement three decades ago.  The foundation’s strategy is founded on the idea of collaborative action, in which people are encouraged to contribute to the solution.

A grant-making organisation

Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies is a grant-making organisation seeking to create and strengthen communities for their own betterment. RNPF does this by supporting ground-breaking work anchored in networks and movements and often sit at the intersection of Samaaj, Sarkaar, and Bazaar. RNPF focuses on emerging themes essential to an equitable and inclusive society, such as civic engagement, access to justice, gender equity, mental health and climate and biodiversity. RNPF is founded by Rohini Nilekani, a committed philanthropist, and currently, the Chairperson of the Foundation. Rohini and her husband, Nandan Nilekani, are signatories to the Giving Pledge, pledging to give away half of their wealth to philanthropy.

The Philanthropy’s Approach

The foundation’s early experiences of being a social entrepreneur and having co-founded and co-funded organizations like Nagarik, Pratham Books, Akshara Foundation, and Arghyam have guided its approach. Over the past five years, the foundation has expanded beyond its initial focus on water and education to support problems related to access to justice, gender equity, independent media, active citizenship, and the environment.

The foundation is dedicated to supporting the best ideas, individuals, and institutions that are working to resolve social issues from within society itself. It aims to address social problems at the local level.

Strengthening Samaaj (Society)

The foundation has come to understand via engagement with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that strengthening Samaaj in all of its parts is the cornerstone of a Strong Samaaj. The foundation is dedicated to assisting the top initiatives, people, and organisations attempting to address social problems at the local level. The foundation seeks out leaders that are driven, devoted, and honest.

Values of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies

The foundation is guided by its core values, which include trust, curiosity, empathy, embracing failure, and being humble, not modest. The foundation recognizes that real social change requires trust and is open to co-creation. It values curiosity over certainty and recognizes the need for empathy and love to redistribute, reorganize, and transfer power and agency. The foundation also recognizes that failure is inevitable and strives to bridge the gap between failure and innovation. Finally, the foundation approaches issues with humility and recognizes the need to co-create and learn from others.

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