Amid Divisive Rhetoric, Indian American Philanthropists Reaffirm Commitment to the Communities They Call Home

Indiaspora and the India Philanthropy Alliance convene leaders in Dallas to spotlight nonprofit capacity building, local giving, and the next generation of givers

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Indiaspora was pleased to partner with the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) to host our annual Philanthropy Summit in Dallas. Philanthropy is one of Indiaspora’s core pillars, and we are proud of the many organizations working to build a better world here in the United States and around the world. At Indiaspora, we take seva, or selfless service, to heart, and we want to celebrate all givers, including those who give where they live.

In light of recent racially charged rhetoric directed at Indian Americans, it is important to emphasize how deeply our community cares about the places we call home: our neighborhoods, local nonprofits, and universities. Giving locally does more than support worthy causes. It builds relationships, trust, and camaraderie with our neighbors, and it helps create stronger, more resilient communities for the long term.

Beyond local giving, speakers highlighted several key priorities. They stressed that strengthening nonprofit institutions, including investing in staff training, is essential to achieving lasting impact. They also emphasized the importance of engaging young professionals in philanthropy and directing more support toward preventive health efforts.

We extend our sincere thanks to our keynote speakers, Satish Gupta, President of Gupta Capital Group, and Anurag Jain, Managing Partner of Perot Jain. The summit was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the philanthropic contributions of the Indian American community in the Greater Dallas area.

Finally, we were honored to present the inaugural Deepak Raj Rising Star Award to Neha Gupta, Executive Director of Teach For India US. The award recognizes an emerging Indian American leader under 40 who embodies the evolving legacy of Deepak Raj, an investor and philanthropist who has spent decades strengthening India–U.S. ties and improving the lives of marginalized communities. Gupta delivered a moving closing keynote, inspiring attendees to dedicate what they can to serving others.

The award includes a $10,000 grant, which the honoree directs to a nonprofit of their choice aligned with IPA’s focus areas: education, health, livelihoods, environmental protection, civic engagement, and development, whether in India or within the diaspora.

We were also delighted to recognize the winners of IPA’s 7th Annual Youth Essay Competition, themed “Youth With Purpose.” Congratulations to this year’s winners, Aditi Soham (High School) and Prerani Kasula (Middle School).

The India Philanthropy Alliance has announced that registration is now open for their 5th Annual India Giving Day which will be held on Friday, March 12, 2027. Nonprofit organizations based in the US that are focused on India are encouraged to apply. Registration will remain open until Saturday, October 31. For more information, please visit indiagivingday.org

“A core pillar of Indiaspora is inspiring our network to embrace impactful giving, empowering our members to channel generosity toward both their local communities and global roots. Creating sustainable, systems-based infrastructure to scale social change, especially in close partnership with the India Philanthropy Alliance and other ecosystem leaders, is deeply rewarding for us.”

-Shoba Viswanathan, Senior Managing Director of USA and Global West, Indiaspora and Board Member of the India Philanthropy Alliance.

The University of Texas at Dallas hosted the symposium and welcome dinner, while Communities Foundation of Texas hosted the summit. Sponsors included the Sehgal Foundation, Aatmic Philanthropy, Gupta Agarwal Charitable Fund, Myriad USA and Windmill Craftworks.

About Indiaspora: Indiaspora (www.indiaspora.org) is a nonprofit community of powerful global Indian leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions who are committed to inspiring the diaspora to be a force for positive impact by providing a platform to collaborate, engage, and catalyze social change.

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