“LivingMPromise is not an organization; it is a community of people who commit to giving back,” says Gunjan Thaney, Head of LivingMyPromise, while speaking to The Logical Indian. Founded in 2018, LivingMyPromise (LMP) invites Indians with a net worth exceeding ₹1 crore to make a personal moral commitment, a promise to donate at least 50% of their wealth.
This pledge can be fulfilled during one’s lifetime or through the will after passing. The core idea is straightforward: those who have more than they need can choose to dedicate half of their assets to philanthropic causes of their choice, including education, healthcare, environment, and social justice.
What Sets LivingMyPromise Apart?
Unlike traditional philanthropic organizations or trusts, LivingMyPromise is not a formal organization that pools or manages funds collectively. Instead, it functions as a decentralized community where members retain full autonomy over how, when, and where they give.
Today, LMP has 169 promisors from over 30 locations in India and abroad. “LivingMyPromise allows a lot of flexibility and freedom,” explains Gunjan Thaney. “When you give, how you give, and where you give is all your choice.” This freedom empowers members to align their giving with personal values and life circumstances. The community aspect fosters trust, peer encouragement, and shared learning among members who meet annually to share progress, exchange ideas, and sometimes pool resources for joint initiatives.
A Growing Movement Inspired by Global Philanthropy
The inspiration for LivingMyPromise comes from The Giving Pledge, launched in 2010 by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, which encourages billionaires worldwide to give away the majority of their wealth. However, LMP adapts this global idea to suit a broader Indian demographic that goes beyond billionaires.
“If billionaires can give their wealth away, anybody who feels they have more than their need can give half of their wealth,” says Gunjan Thaney, while speaking to The Logical Indian. Starting with just six Daan Utsav volunteers, the initiative has grown organically, demonstrating the power of simple moral commitments in sparking widespread participation.
Diverse Voices, Shared Values
The LMP community spans ages from 26 to 85, including young entrepreneurs building companies, professionals in mid-career, and elders securing legacies through wills. Many members draw from personal stories of receiving help earlier in life, fueling their commitment to pay it forward with deep gratitude. Dr. Suwas Darvekar, a dentist by profession who rose from the hardships of Mumbai’s slums, embodies this journey. No different from the children he now helps, he studied under streetlamps, took odd jobs to fund his education, and overcame personal tragedies through grit and support from teachers, friends, and kind strangers.
In 2019, he and his wife Vidya joined LMP, pledging 50% of their wealth through the Sangeeta Darvekar Charitable Trust, founded in 2003. The trust runs a charitable dental clinic alongside his practice and prioritizes education to break poverty cycles, notably through the innovative ‘Cycle Project.’
This initiative equips poor tribal children with bicycles for INR 1,500 on a refundable basis via a cycle bank, easing school commutes, reducing dropouts, and instilling ownership. “We all were born with empty hands and would leave this world with empty hands,” Dr. Darvekar reflects, highlighting his philosophy of transient wealth and enduring impact.
Leadership coach Nirmala Mehendale adds further inspiration as the first woman President of the Bombay Management Association (2016–17) and founder of Kindness Unlimited. With over three decades crafting and executing innovative HR frameworks, she offers a distinctive mix of practical wisdom, empathetic guidance, and steadfast dedication to holistic well-being. A lifelong volunteer and LMP signatory, she embodies her philosophy of “balancing self-interest with the greater good” through purposeful leadership and youth volunteering.
Overcoming Barriers, Building Trust
LivingMyPromise tackles donor challenges head-on: uncertainty about recipients, misuse fears, and navigation issues. “It is common for people who want to contribute but they don’t know where to, or lack trust if their funds will be utilised appropriately.
But here the community helps each other to find appropriate people, and can discuss where and how to contribute,” says Gunjan Thaney. “All these people have a very deep sense of gratitude towards whatever has happened to them in life, they agree that they are where they are because of people who helped them,” she adds.
Toward a Culture of Generosity
The vision is transformative: “If this builds into a movement, then a lot of people can pledge to give half of their wealth away. In this way the idea is also to encourage the rich people to contribute half of their wealth, we can help in eliminating the socio-economic problems and extreme poverty in India, because the government alone cannot do everything,” Gunjan Thaney emphasizes.
This peer-supported model complements public efforts, proving philanthropy thrives on personal choice and collective inspiration.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we celebrate initiatives like Living My Promise that empower individuals to drive social change through personal responsibility and community solidarity.
By fostering a culture of ethical giving rooted in gratitude and flexibility, LMP exemplifies how ordinary affluent Indians can create extraordinary impact, bridging the gap between wealth and welfare for a more equitable India.
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