The TCF Way

Founded by Ashish and Manisha Dhawan, The Convergence Foundation aims to leverage philanthropy as a catalyst for large-scale impact. The Foundation believes rapid and sustained economic growth and inclusive development is the key to societal development. It is the rising tide that lifts all boats.

Our Work:

Rapid. Sustained. Inclusive.

Like liberty, equality, and fraternity, the three elements have to work together. Rapid growth by itself is not good enough if not sustained—it is like the tide that rises and falls. And inclusive growth is desirable not just as an end in itself, but also as a necessary element of rapid and sustainable growth. This is because less well off sections consume greater shares of their incomes, and higher consumption is necessary to keep growth going.

Our
Approach

To achieve our vision, we focus on key domains viz., accelerating economic growth, enhancing human capital, and advancing development enablers. We support these domains by incubating, supporting, and nurturing pioneering institutions that align with our North Star and vision: driving large-scale, transformative impact.

The TCF network now includes more than 15 non-profit organisations dedicated to addressing India’s biggest challenges. These organisations aim to drive systemic change, address critical capacity gaps, inform policymaking, and introduce innovative solutions, working in close partnership with governments at various levels. We believe that building institutions that adopt high return-on-investment practices in working with the government can catalyse pivotal outcomes.

Catalysing Pivotal Outcomes

The Convergence Foundation’s strategic worldview is perhaps best represented by Archimedes’ immortal assertion.

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world”.

As a modest organisation with finite resources, seeking to tackle India’s vast economic challenges, TCF continuously strives to drill down to pivotal, ‘high RoI’ ideas that have the highest potential for transformational change. It is this strategic approach that has guided our choice of the sectors to focus on, as well as the specific strategic interventions within these sectors.

We believe that with a focus on the right levers, we can help deliver outsize impact, unlocking the massive power of India’s state machinery and unleashing its formidable market forces.

Our Story So Far

2012-2018

Laying The Foundation

Our journey began with a full-time foray into philanthropy, driven by a commitment to foster large-scale impact and institution building. During this phase, we concentrated our efforts on supporting Ashoka University and Central Square Foundation (CSF). These initiatives laid a robust foundation for creating transformative change in the education sector and beyond, marking our initial steps towards driving systemic impact.

2018-2021

Expanding The Portfolio

This phase was characterised by an entrepreneurial and opportunistic approach as we ventured into new areas of impact. We strategically built a diverse portfolio by supporting organisations like India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS), and Air Pollution Action Group (A-PAG).

2021–2024

Institutionalising Systems Change

With the formal establishment of TCF, we entered a pivotal phase focused on driving economic growth, fostering systems change, and supporting institution building. Over these years, we built a robust portfolio comprising 14 organisations working across diverse domains, solidifying our role as a catalyst for systemic impact.

TCF 2.0

Looking Ahead

As we transition into the next chapter, TCF 2.0 represents a pivotal moment for realising our 2030 ambition.

Laying The Foundation

Expanding The Portfolio

Institutionalising Systems Change

Looking Ahead

Our Partners

The Convergence Foundation seeks to be a powerful catalyst in India’s development journey, by creating momentum around pivotal ideas that have the highest potential for transformational change.

Laying The Foundation

Expanding The Portfolio

Institutionalising Systems Change

Looking Ahead

Our Partners

The Convergence Foundation seeks to be a powerful catalyst in India’s development journey, by creating momentum around pivotal ideas that have the highest potential for transformational change.

About Us

Our Work

Portfolio and Grants

Partnerships

Careers