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Giving done right Podcast: The heart and the head
Transcript:
Understanding Movements, Episode 1: This is the name of the episode. Giving done right podcast: The heart and the head
Rohini: So I think the journey begins with the heart. What do we do when our hearts are involved? We see the best in the other side. And I think it’s the same thing with giving. I think you will find it easy to trust the more you actually trust.
Grace: Welcome to Giving Done Right, a podcast on everything you need to know to make an impact with your charitable giving. I’m Grace Nicolette.
Phil: We’re thrilled to be talking today to Rohini Nilekani, she’s a dedicated philanthropist and writer. She’s a signatory of the Giving Pledge with her husband, Nandan, she’s founder and chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation she created for sustainable water and sanitation, and co-founder and director of Ekstep, a nonprofit that provides digital infrastructure for learning. She’s based in Bangalore, India.
Grace: And what’s interesting is Nandan’s and her wealth comes from Infosys, which is one of the largest companies in India. We talk about trust-based philanthropy, what it looks like in India, and lessons for the rest of us. How do we let go of the outcomes of our giving? And how do we maintain a sense of humility?
Phil: We use the word strategy a lot in this conversation. And that is a word with sort of a tortured, you know, past and present in philanthropy. Because on the one hand, we see business types who come into the world of philanthropy and they say, “I want to do strategy like I do in business,” which is all about uniqueness, but of course in philanthropy what’s required a lot of collaboration. And then on the other hand, you’ve got folks who say, “well, strategy means, top down, let’s get rid of it.” But to Rohini, strategy is about what it takes to achieve impact, and that, to her, is about trust and collaboration; it isn’t top down at all.
Grace: Yes. That’s such an important point, Phil. I’m excited to dive in.
Phil: Rohini Nilekani, welcome to the Giving Done Right podcast.
Rohini: Thank you so much, Phil. Thank you so much, Grace. It is my honor and pleasure to be here. Phil: You have a really distinct approach to giving that we want to talk about. But before we get there, let’s talk about, sort of, your background and your commitment to giving which precedes your having a considerable amount of wealth. So talk to us about that. Where does this spirit and commitment to giving back come from for you?
Grace: I have an idea. I mean, we’ve never done this before on the show, but I actually would like to issue a piece of homework for our listeners this week. And that is around, you know, Rohini said trust begets trust, and even, you know, trying to give a gift with trust—letting go of what the outcome is— perhaps by the second or third gift that trust will actually be there. I’m not saying let’s, you know, forget about doing the homework—do the homework on the nonprofits, find out which ones align with your values—but let’s try giving some gifts with trust and really listening and that humility that she talked about. We’d love to hear how it turns out for you, so let us know how it goes.
