Dasra

What Dasra does

Dasra is a Mumbai-headquartered non-profit organization founded in 1999 that operates as a systems orchestrator within India's social sector. The organization builds bridges between four stakeholder groups — philanthropists and family foundations, grassroots non-profits, government bodies, and communities — through a portfolio of more than a dozen thematic programs including ClimateRISE, GivingPi (family philanthropy), Gender Equity, Adolescents and Youth, Social Compact (informal workers), Transform NEEV Collective (child welfare), Urban Sanitation, Project Tech4Dev, the Rebuild India Fund, ImpactPi, and Catalytic Philanthropy. Across 27 years, Dasra has influenced over $475 million in philanthropic capital, supported 2,623+ non-profits, cultivated 1,208+ funders, and advised on 80+ central and state policies, while publishing 500+ research outputs including the flagship annual India Philanthropy Report co-created with Bain & Company.

Dasra does not develop technology products or charge fees for its core services. Its business model is grant-funded philanthropy: operating budget is sustained through philanthropic grants, CSR contributions, pooled funds, and strategic partnerships with foundations such as Tarsadia Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, UNICEF, and corporate partners like Forbes Marshall and Thermax. Distribution happens primarily through direct engagement with HNW philanthropists, multi-stakeholder collaborative platforms anchored by Dasra, annual convenings such as Dasra Philanthropy Week and the India Philanthropy Forum (held in India, London, New York, Boston, and San Francisco), and an open-access Research & Insights Hub with 100+ downloadable resources. Technology functions as an enabler through Project Tech4Dev and ImpactPi rather than as a productized revenue line. The organization is co-founded by Deval Sanghavi and Neera Nundy and is privately held with no disclosed parent company, controlling entity, or institutional investor.

Name

Dasra

Legal name

Dasra

Website

https://dasra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dasra is a Mumbai-based nonprofit founded in 1999 that acts as a systems orchestrator in India's social sector, connecting 1,200+ funders, 2,600+ nonprofits, and government bodies through 12+ thematic programs to strengthen philanthropy infrastructure and accelerate social impact.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Advisory & Social Sector Intermediary Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPAGABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF)

Keywords

• Philanthropy advisory
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Social sector intermediary
• Strategic philanthropy consulting
• Catalytic grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dasra is a nonprofit social sector intermediary that orchestrates collaboration among funders, nonprofits, governments, and communities in India. It provides strategic philanthropy advisory, nonprofit capacity building, thematic program management (climate, gender, youth, sanitation, family welfare), and produces flagship research including the annual India Philanthropy Report. Its services are delivered through grants, advisory engagements, and multi-stakeholder platforms rather than as commercial products.

Product overview

Dasra operates as a systems orchestrator in India's social sector rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of multiple thematic programs/initiatives focused on different development areas: Adolescents and Youth, Catalytic Philanthropy, ClimateRISE, Gender Equity, GivingPi (family philanthropy), ImpactPi (social impact), Project Tech4Dev, Rebuild India Fund, Research and Insights, Social Compact, Transform NEEV Collective, and Urban Sanitation. Additionally, Dasra produces thought leadership through the India Philanthropy Report (co-created with Bain & Company), India Nonprofit Report, and other research publications. The organization also hosts events including Dasra Philanthropy Week and India Philanthropy Forum, and produces the No Cost Extension podcast. These programs and resources work together to strengthen philanthropy infrastructure, build organizational capacity, and drive collaborative action across India's development ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ClimateRISE: A program focused on climate resilience and action, collaborating on reports like 'Under the Weather: India's Climate-Health Intersections and Pathways to Resilience'
• GivingPi
• Rebuild India Fund
• Project Tech4Dev
• No Cost Extension

Products and services

• Catalytic Philanthropy Strategic philanthropy program that builds organizational capacity of nonprofits and strengthens philanthropy infrastructure in India.
• GivingPi Family philanthropy platform that supports philanthropists in strategic giving and long-term social impact in India.
• ImpactPi Social impact measurement and strategy program helping organizations demonstrate and enhance their impact.
• Rebuild India Fund Flexible funding initiative providing long-term unrestricted capital and capacity building to small grassroots organizations.
• ClimateRISE Climate initiative focused on building climate resilience and addressing climate-health intersections in India.
• Social Compact Multi-stakeholder platform enhancing dignity and equity of informal workers and their families in India.
• Transform NEEV Collective Child and family well-being initiative preventing family separation and institutionalization of children in India.
• Urban Sanitation Program achieving inclusive, equitable, and sustainable human waste management through collaboration across India and South Asia.
• Gender Equity Program focused on promoting gender equality and empowering women across India's development landscape.
• Adolescents and Youth Program empowering marginalized youth with skills, resources, and mentorship to build community-driven solutions.
• Project Tech4Dev Technology for development initiative helping nonprofits build tech capacities to further their social impact work.
• Research and Insights Research hub publishing reports, studies, and thought leadership on philanthropy and development in India.
• India Philanthropy Report Flagship annual report co-created with Bain & Company examining giving trends and philanthropy infrastructure in India.
• India Nonprofit Report Comprehensive report on the state and operational realities of India's nonprofit sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Funds Influenced: $475M+ across 27 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Bain & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creators of the annual India Philanthropy Report, now in its 16th edition. The partnership combines Dasra's social sector expertise with Bain's analytical capabilities to produce flagship research on India's philanthropy landscape. Reports examine giving trends across funder archetypes and identify opportunities for infrastructure strengthening.
• ClimateRISE AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on climate-health research, including the 'Under the Weather: India's Climate-Health Intersections and Pathways to Resilience' report published in 2026. The report revealed that heat exposure cost India 160 billion labour hours (5.4% of GDP in 2021) and highlighted climate-health intersections.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnerships with government bodies including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and NITI Aayog to bolster political will around Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) and drive policy implementation.
• UBS Optimus FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Transform NEEV Collective, the India chapter of Transform Collective, focused on preventing family separation and institutionalization of children through family-based care models.
• Forbes MarshallsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner in the Social Compact platform, which aims to enhance dignity and equity of 1 million industry-engaged informal workers in India through multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• ThermaxsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner in Social Compact platform working alongside nonprofits and worker organizations to strengthen business practices for informal worker well-being.
• NITI AayogcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment think tank partnership to advance policy advocacy and implementation support for urban sanitation and other social sector initiatives.
• Bal Raksha BharatsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Transform NEEV Collective working on child and family well-being initiatives.
• LehersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Transform NEEV Collective focused on early childhood development and family support.
• UNICEFsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Transform NEEV Collective contributing to child protection and family-based care alternatives.
• Sambodhi ResearchsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Transform NEEV Collective providing data and evaluation support.
• NFSSM AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDasra anchors the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance in India, uniting diverse stakeholders to enable safe and inclusive sanitation. The alliance spans India, Nepal, and Bangladesh fostering South-to-South knowledge exchange.
• Aajeevika BureausecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorker organization partner in Social Compact platform representing and supporting informal workers.
• Centre for Social JusticesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Social Compact platform working on informal worker rights and welfare.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FSG (Fundación Soros Guatemala — note: stand-alone equivalent to Reimagining Social Value): FSG is a global mission-driven consulting firm that advises foundations, corporations, and nonprofits on strategy, evaluation, and collective impact — a closely analogous philanthropy intermediary model to Dasra's Catalytic Philanthropy and ImpactPi programs.
• Bridgespan Group: Bridgespan is a nonprofit advisory firm that supports NGOs and philanthropists with strategy, capacity building, and impact assessment — directly overlapping Dasra's nonprofit capacity-building and family philanthropy advisory offerings.
• Arabella Advisors: Arabella Advisors is a US-based philanthropy intermediary that provides strategic advice, fund management, and advocacy services to donors and foundations — operating a model highly similar to Dasra's GivingPi and pooled-fund programs.
• EdelGive Foundation: EdelGive is an Indian philanthropy foundation and advisory organization that supports scaling nonprofits and conducts sector research — directly comparable to Dasra's Catalytic Philanthropy and Research & Insights work in the India market.
• Piramal Foundation: Piramal Foundation is a major Indian family philanthropy running multi-state programs in health, education, and sanitation — directly relevant to Dasra's sectoral platforms including Urban Sanitation and Adolescents & Youth.

Broad incumbents

• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: RPA is an established global philanthropy services provider with advisory, fund management, and thought leadership — comparable to Dasra's flagship research and philanthropy-advisory role but operating at much larger global scale.
• Omidyar Network: Omidyar Network is a global impact investor and philanthropic funder that has backed Dasra (2013 grant); though primarily a funder rather than an intermediary, it shapes the same India social-sector ecosystem Dasra orchestrates.
• Tata Trusts: Tata Trusts is one of India's largest philanthropies funding health, education, sanitation, and rural development — competing for the same Indian philanthropic capital and government policy influence that Dasra cultivates.

Regional players

• GiveIndia: GiveIndia is India's largest online donation platform connecting donors to NGOs; while platform vs. intermediary, both target the same Indian philanthropist and nonprofit segments and address overlapping CSR/donor-advised needs.

Emerging players

• India Development Foundation (IDF): IDF focuses on unlocking private capital for development, capacity-building for NGOs, and policy advisory in India — overlapping Dasra's Catalytic Philanthropy and policy advisory mandates from an emerging-player angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DasraIndia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZQAmMDG0N53lbwrx2Hfbjw
• Facebookfacebook.com/dasra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dasra
• Instagraminstagram.com/dasraindia?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=b3190begjjg6

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dasra