In 2018, Indiaspora and Dalberg conducted the first comprehensive study on Indian American giving, revealing a $2–3 billion “giving gap” between potential and actual philanthropy. Seven years later, this new report produced in collaboration with the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) examines how far the community has come and what it will take to set a new standard for giving.

The Indian American Diaspora (IAD) has grown by over a million since 2018, now totaling 5.2 million, with median household income rising from $110,000 to $151,000. This economic growth has translated into greater generosity: total giving reached an estimated $4–5 billion in 2024, with donations rising to 4–5% of income from just 1–2% in 2018.

Indian Americans remain among the nation’s most active volunteers; their volunteer hours amount to nearly three times the U.S. average. However, significant gaps remain: lower- and middle-income donors continue to give below their potential, and causes like gender equality and climate change show large passion-donation mismatches. By 2030, Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individual (UHNWI) members of the IAD are projected to hold over $1 trillion in wealth, just 0.5% of which could yield $5 billion in annual giving. Over the next two decades, as NextGen members inherit nearly $2 trillion as part of “The Great Wealth Transfer,” raising their giving to 1% could unlock $20 billion annually.

This report draws from the 2024/25 Indian American Community Engagement Survey, in which IPA, Indiaspora, and Dalberg surveyed over 400 IAD members. Knowledge, trust, and engagement emerged as the key drivers of giving. By empowering novice and NextGen donors, supporting women philanthropists, and enabling trusted giving networks, the IAD can move from closing the gap to defining the global standard for diaspora philanthropy.