The Indian diaspora in the United States is keen to fund development projects and help channelise foreign investment to the home country, but not blindly.
The diaspora wants an assurance that a system would be put in place to ensure proper utilisation of their money. As such, they demand a nodal point to process charitable donations, facilitate investment and trade, transfer of technology and know-how.
These facts are contained in a book, 'Indian Diaspora And Giving Patterns of Indian Americans in the US', released by Charities Aid Foundation India in association with USAID in New Delhi on Friday.
''It is found that philanthropy is there in the blood of every Indian American and need of the hour is to motivate and channelise it for a common cause. A large proportion of the respondents is looking forward for credible organisations with more tax benefits and good cause to enhance their philanthropy,'' R Gopa Kumar, editor of the book said.
The book contains some interesting facts about the diaspora- Indians in Trinidad and Tabago now form 42 per cent of the population and control the economy, Indian Americans as a group earn substantially higher family incomes ($49,309) than native Americans ($37,152), Indians represent the largest foreign health professional group in US and 300,000 Indian Americans work in technology firms in the Silicon Valley, earning an average income of 200,000 dollars.
A survey of 150 Indian Americans in the United States contained in the book reveals that religion is a motivational factor for charitable donations; information technology and medical professionals are more generous with donations, 36.7 per cent of the respondents are highly philanthropic and have given charitable donations 3-4 times in the past two years.
The book contains four articles on Indian diaspora in the United States.
UNI
