Funding Pride: India’s first LGBTQIA+ philanthropy fund takes off

Grammy Award-winning singer and queer activist Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’ is more than just a shimmering, euphoric pop anthem — it is a love letter to self-discovery, freedom, and the intoxicating possibilities of a life unshackled by small-town repression. Inspired by Roan’s journey from Missouri to Los Angeles, the song has become a queer anthem, capturing the experience of those who leave behind rigid, unaccepting environments in search of spaces where they can exist fully and unapologetically.

However, ‘Pink Pony Club’ does not touch upon the fact that not every queer person in a small town makes it to the big city. Many remain trapped in environments where queerness is met with hostility — ostracised by their families, denied housing, forced into conversion practices, or subjected to outright violence.

According to a report by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), LGBTQIA+ individuals in India continue to face widespread discrimination, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where legal protections often fail to translate into lived realities. Housing discrimination, job insecurity, and police harassment create systemic barriers that prevent many from leaving hostile environments. The Queer Asian Project highlights that queer individuals who do manage to leave often grapple with financial instability and mental health struggles, as access to community support remains inconsistent.

This is where grassroots NGOs, working at the intersection of gender, sexuality, and socio-economic vulnerability, play a crucial role. Recognising this pressing need, a pioneering initiative known as The Pride Fund has been established. Spearheaded by Parmesh Shahani, head, Godrej DEI Lab; Radhika Piramal, executive director, VIP Industries and trustee, Dasra UK, which works to build awareness of effective philanthropy in India; and Keshav Suri, executive director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group and founder, The Keshav Suri Foundation, The Pride Fund stands as India’s first dedicated LGBTQIA+ philanthropy fund.

Panelists at the event
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Special Arrangement

The fund’s initial corpus stands at ₹2 crore, supported by contributions from Godrej Industries Group, a personal donation by Radhika Piramal, and funding from The Keshav Suri Foundation. The goal is to provide consistent and patient philanthropy, ensuring that queer-led and queer-backed organisations receive funding that extends beyond one-off grants. With an estimated 140 million LGBTQIA+ individuals in India, the fund’s vision is to create lasting, on-ground impact by empowering organisations that work directly within the community.

In its first phase, with the help of a selection panel, 50 NGOs working in diverse queer spaces across India were identified. A structured evaluation process led to a shortlist of 22 organisations, with eight being chosen as the final recipients of multi-year funding. These organisations were selected based on their long-term vision, community reach, and ability to create tangible change. The aim is to set a benchmark for LGBTQIA+ funding by ensuring that these eight organisations receive guaranteed financial support for three years, giving them stability to focus on their core work without constant financial uncertainty.

The eight beneficiaries of The Pride Fund represent a diverse range of organisations workingto support India’s LGBTQIA+ community. Basera Social Institute focuses on LGBTQIA+ rights and community support, while Deepshikha Committee advocates for queer empowerment through education and outreach. Vikalp (Women’s Group) works at the intersection of gender, sexuality, and social justice, and Sappho for Equality is a collective supporting lesbian, bisexual, and trans individuals. Karna Subarna Welfare Society provides legal aid and social welfare for marginalised communities, while Ya All: The Youth Network fosters leadership and advocacy among queer youth. Chhattisgarh Mitwa Sankalp Samiti is dedicated to supporting trans and gender non-conforming individuals, and Payana works towards securing rights and well-being for LGBTQIA+ communities in Karnataka.

Guests at India’s Queer Futures engage with the Aravani Art Project exhibit at Godrej One, Mumbai

Guests at India’s Queer Futures engage with the Aravani Art Project exhibit at Godrej One, Mumbai
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Special Arrangement

Parmesh emphasised the fund’s deliberate focus in its inaugural year. “We intentionally wanted to support queer-led NGOs working at the grassroots level in smaller towns and cities — places that often lack exposure, access to resources, and large-scale funding. The goal was to prioritise organisations that are led by queer individuals who are deeply embedded in their local communities.”

Philanthropy with a purpose

With its foundation set, The Pride Fund now seeks to expand its reach by encouraging investments from corporate India. By tapping into CSR funds, high-net-worth individuals, and private donors passionate about LGBTQIA+ rights, the initiative hopes to build a robust and sustainable financial pipeline for queer organisations. The long-term ambition is not just to provide immediate relief but to cultivate a culture of sustained giving, ensuring that LGBTQIA+ philanthropy in India is not dependent on sporadic donations but grows into a structured, long-term ecosystem.

Radhika puts it candidly: “I have a day job and a gay job. And my gay job is simply about asserting our identities in India — an India that we want to be tolerant, diverse, and secular.” For her, the goal is not to divert funds from other deserving non-queer NGOs that corporates back as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives but to expand the very idea of philanthropy itself. “I don’t want to take away from existing causes; I want to grow the pool of giving. And within that more, there should be space for queer giving.”

The beneficiaries of the fund

The beneficiaries of the fund
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

At the launch of The Pride Fund, Dasra UK released a powerful report titled Against All Odds: Advancing Equity for India’s LGBTQIA+ Communities, which lays out the stark reality of funding for queer-focussed organisations in India. And, it is pretty alarming. The report highlights the fact that India accounts for 18% of the world’s population, yet we receive less than 1% of global LGBTQIA+ funding. That tells you just how critically underfunded this cause is.

Parmesh echoes this concern, highlighting just how little money is actually making its way to queer grassroots movements. “One of the most alarming findings in this report was that many LGBTQIA+ organisations in India are running on budgets of less than ₹20 lakh a year. Imagine trying to support an entire community with that — it’s just not sustainable.”

But as Keshav rightfully put it, getting people to donate is no easy feat. “Philanthropy in India is a tricky space to navigate. Charity, in general, is a tough sell, and queer causes? Even more so. We’re up against deeply ingrained biases and a lack of awareness about how urgent this need really is.”