Early research stage. No Registry. No advisory practice. No validated pilot. A hypothesis being tested openly.
About

The institution, the founder, and the question

EGII exists to explore whether India's institutional giving ecosystem needs a dedicated independent research institution. This page explains the initiative, the founder, and the background.

About
SK Saiful
SK Saiful
Founder, EGII - Kolkata, India
in EA

The institution and the question

EGII exists to explore a question that appears genuinely neglected: whether India's large and growing institutional giving ecosystem needs a dedicated independent research institution to translate evidence into practical allocation guidance.

The initiative was founded by SK Saiful, based in Kolkata. It is approached with intellectual humility. The working paper is an attempt to test the hypothesis - not a declaration that it holds.

EGII is seeking researchers, philanthropy leaders, corporate foundation professionals, CSR practitioners, funders, and honest critics willing to engage with this question - whether to support it, challenge it, or help refine it.

This initiative is entirely independent and does not represent the views of any organisation SK has been affiliated with.

Professional background
Worked with Fortify Health (a GiveWell-supported nonprofit incubated by Ambitious Impact) for two years in partnerships and policy-facing initiatives. Contributed to and co-drafted Fortify Health's first national policy white paper on wheat flour fortification. This initiative is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Fortify Health.
Motivation
While working on public policy and institutional partnerships, I repeatedly encountered the same question: how do large institutions decide where philanthropic capital should go? That question - and the absence of a satisfying answer - eventually led to the research behind EGII.
Don Lavoie Fellowship - Mercatus Center, AY 2023-24
Grounded in Hayekian institutional analysis and Ostromian governance frameworks - the theoretical traditions the working paper draws on when thinking about knowledge infrastructure and institutional design.
EA Forum research - May 2026
"Can EA Frameworks Unlock India's $4.2 Billion CSR Pool?" Promoted to Frontpage by moderators. Read the piece.
Effective Altruism community - member since 2025
Engaged with effective giving, cost-effectiveness, evidence-based philanthropy, institutional design, and cause prioritisation.
Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about EGII

What is EGII?

EGII is an independent research initiative building evidence infrastructure for institutional philanthropy in India. It produces public research outputs - such as Evidence Memos, Intervention Reviews, and Funding Landscape Reports - that institutional funders can use to make better-informed allocation decisions. It is at an early, exploratory stage.

Is EGII a CSR consultancy?

No. EGII is an independent research initiative. It does not implement programmes or make funding decisions. Instead, it produces public evidence resources intended to support better-informed institutional philanthropy.

Does EGII make funding recommendations?

No. EGII does not make funding decisions on behalf of institutions. It produces independent evidence and comparative assessments - covering evidence quality, cost-effectiveness, and contextual fit - that institutions may use alongside their own strategic objectives and judgement. The funding decision always rests with the institution.

Is EGII formally registered?

Not yet. Legal registration is planned but not yet complete. EGII is currently at an early research stage - developing its working paper, conducting stakeholder conversations, and testing the central hypothesis before formal incorporation.

Why build EGII instead of another nonprofit?

Because EGII does not implement programmes. Most nonprofits in India's philanthropy ecosystem either deliver programmes or advise donors on which organisations to fund. EGII focuses on an earlier layer: strengthening the evidence available before funding decisions are made. That function does not yet exist in systematic, publicly available form for India's institutional giving context.

How can I get involved?

EGII is seeking researchers, philanthropy leaders, corporate foundation professionals, CSR practitioners, funders, and honest critics. If you are interested in a conversation, visit Get Involved or write directly to sk.saiful.work@gmail.com.