Recent Research on Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector in India and South Asia

Abstract

The recent growth of the south Asian philanthropic and nonprofit sector has led to a rapid increase in the production of high-quality research on this sector. Research published in diverse forms—as books, academic articles, research monographs and reports, directories, and guides—has explored modes of giving; types of religious, private and other philanthropic organizations; and the relationship between the state and the sector. Both the quality of this research as well as the range of topics under exploration make south Asia in general and India in particular one of the most exciting nonprofit and philanthropic research environments today. This review essay highlights the recent publication of important research on the shape and methods of private giving, and also points to gaps in research and in the institutional infrastructure necessary for a further understanding of the sector.