NEW DELHI—July 16, 2026—As India pursues its ambition of Viksit Bharat—becoming a developed nation by 2047—both philanthropic and government leaders view collaboration as essential to achieving social impact at scale, according to new research from The Bridgespan Group. In addition to highlighting growing momentum, the research surfaces practical guidance on how to make these collaborations work effectively in practice.
“Achieving impact at scale will require leveraging the complementary strengths of both sectors,” said Pritha Venkatachalam, Bridgespan partner and co-author of the report. “While government brings scale, philanthropy can play a catalytic role by bringing in specialised expertise, innovation, community trust and insights, and the ability to bring together diverse actors.”
Based on interviews with more than 50 leaders across the government and philanthropy ecosystem, and drawing on Bridgespan’s experience working with funders, non-profits, and communities, the report focuses on the “how” of effective collaborations—distilling lessons from practitioners on designing, delivering and sustaining partnerships over time.
The research explores four key questions:
- Why do philanthropy and government collaborate?
- What are typical pathways for collaboration?
- How can philanthropy effectively navigate government collaborations?
- Where can changes help increase and improve government philanthropy collaborations?
The authors identify a notable shift in how philanthropy is engaging with government. Increasingly, philanthropic organisations are moving beyond traditional roles in funding and service delivery towards more strategic contributions, including policy advisory, programme design, community engagement, and capacity building.
“Drawing from our interviews and case studies, we offer practical guidance across the lifecycle of a collaboration, from identifying the right entry points and co-creating solutions with government to delivering results and embedding successful initiatives within public systems,” said Keshav Kanoria, report co-author and Bridgespan partner.
The report also highlights critical gaps that impede collaboration, including limited opportunities for dialogue between government and philanthropic actors and the need for stronger capabilities on both sides to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships. To address these barriers, the authors recommend investments across the ecosystem to help more collaborations thrive, like the creation of centralised knowledge hubs and forums that enable both groups to learn from each other and identify opportunities to work together.
“Government-philanthropy collaboration is one of the most powerful pathways to population-level change,” Kanoria said. “This research is intended as a practical resource, helping funders and non-profit partners build strategic, sustained partnerships that can help address India’s most pressing development challenges at scale.”
Read the full report: Understanding Government-Philanthropy Collaborations for Social Impact: Perspectives from India.
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About Bridgespan
The Bridgespan Group (www.bridgespan.org) is a global nonprofit that collaborates with social change organizations, philanthropists, and impact investors to make the world more equitable and just. Bridgespan’s services include strategy consulting and advising, sourcing and diligence, and leadership team support. We take what we learn from this work and build on it with original research, identifying best practices and innovative ideas to share with the social sector. We work from locations in Boston, Johannesburg, Mumbai, New Delhi, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, DC.
