The Deshpande Foundation is the family foundation of Gururaj ("Desh") and Jaishree Deshpande. Based in Stoneham, MA, and Hubli, India it is a philanthropy dedicated to funding non-profits in Massachusetts and in the Hubli-Dharwad region of Karnataka, India. It was started in 1996.

The Deshpande Foundation looks for organizations which:

• Offer innovative solutions to society’s largest and most pressing issues, tackling problems which impact large populations or for which current solutions are unsatisfactory.
• Provide ideas that are easily and quickly scaled and are operationally and financially sustainable. Additionally, willingness to replicate with outside partners is noteworthy.
• Have strong leadership and vision.

Funding is allocated into four main sectors: Health, Education,  Agriculture/Environment, and Livelihoods.

Current funding efforts are for the MIT Deshpande Center, organizations working within the five districts of the "Sandbox", and major venture philanthropy efforts in both Massachusetts and India.

The Sandbox is a geographically defined area in southern India. Located in the northwest corner of the state of Karnataka, it centers on the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad. The area has diverse economies throughout its five districts, with both urban and agricultural settings.
Desh and Jaishree Deshpande are both originally from the Hubli-Dharwad area, which is why the Foundation centers its efforts there, using the area as a lab for social innovation.

No.

No, but we urge interested parties to donate directly to our individual partners by either contacting the organizations directly or through Give2Asia.

We have several opportunities for engagement: through our Global Exchange Program, the Deshpande Center for Social Entrepreneurship, or direct involvement with the organization itself. In the case of the latter, please visit their info page on this site and feel free to be in contact with the NGO directly.