Resources

This November, the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy turned 40! After four decades of providing advisory services and support to India’s social sector, we are delighted to share our first foray into research and knowledge.

Our first paper, Dual by Design: The Two Entity Model for Mission Driven Organisations in India, was authored in collaboration with Ketaki Purohit. Download the research paper (PDF).

Indian law recognises no separate legal category for organisations that combine social purpose with commercial activity. In response, a growing number of mission-driven organisations have adopted a “dual” or “tandem” structure: legally independent for-profit and nonprofit entities linked by a shared founder, mission, or brand. Drawing on primary interviews and a review of the relevant literature, the paper examines why organisations adopt this model and how they typically operate. It also looks at the governance challenges that arise, including related-party transactions, brand identity, compliance burden, and founder succession. It closes with recommendations for organisations and policymakers alike.

We are grateful for the inputs of all the organisations and individuals that contributed their valuable time and insights to this report. We see this paper as a work in progress, and we would appreciate your thoughts on how we can take this ahead.

Which parts did you find most useful? Where could it have gone further, or done things differently? We have not tried to answer every question that dual structures raise, so we would also like to hear what you felt was missing.

Critical comments are especially welcome. If you lead an organisation with a dual structure and would be open to a conversation, please get in touch. Your insights will help us update the paper and make it more valuable to the sector.