Chintu Gudiya Foundation

The Chintu Gudiya Foundation operates as a relationship-driven, invitation-first private family foundation led by founder Donald Ajit Lobo (President, uncompensated) and Mari Grace Tilos (Secretary/Treasurer, uncompensated) from Alameda, California. Its stated mission — 'Bringing Smiles: Transforming Society through Philanthropy, Technology and Volunteering' — translates into long-term ecosystem investment in India's social sector, with technology-for-development as the dominant programmatic lens.

The foundation is explicitly preselected-only for most of its giving, meaning cold applications are not considered outside the Tech4Dev program. Its primary grant channel flows through strategic intermediaries: a single $950,000 grant to Dasra, India's leading philanthropy intermediary, underscores a preference for catalytic, ecosystem-scale investments over transactional project support. Organizations that Dasra profiles, incubates, or presents at its philanthropy convenings have significantly higher visibility with this funder.

For direct applications, the Tech4Dev program is the principal structured pathway. It targets India-based, growth-stage nonprofits with annual budgets under INR 10 Crore (~$1.2M USD) that have specific technology integration needs. Critically, Tech4Dev grants are non-monetary — they provide software expertise and consulting (open-source research, design, implementation, and post-deployment support) valued at INR 15-20 Lakhs (~$25,000 USD), not cash. Applicants should not approach Chintu Gudiya as a cash-grant funder for technology procurement; rather, they should be ready to co-implement with foundation technical associates and contribute approximately 33% of project costs.

The foundation's three active open-source platforms — Glific (WhatsApp-based NGO communication), Avni (field data collection serving 500,000+ beneficiaries), and the Fractional CTO Program — reveal a consistent preference for organizations willing to adopt or build tools that can be shared sector-wide. Proposals for proprietary, single-organization solutions are less competitive than those framing the investment as a public good.

First-time applicants should invest in relationship-building before applying formally. The foundation's leadership regularly embeds with partner organizations through volunteer visits (SEARCH Gadchiroli, ATREE Bangalore, Nagaland community organizations), attends India sector convenings like Change the Script, and maintains close ties with Edelgive and Dasra. Facilitating a volunteer engagement or inviting a CGF representative for a field visit before submitting is culturally appropriate and strategically sound. The typical funding sequence is: initial relationship or referral, then qualifying application, short-listing (approximately 3-6 weeks), comprehensive application, interview round, and final selection.

Chintu Gudiya Foundation's annual giving has fluctuated substantially over the past decade, ranging from a low of $313,038 in total giving (FY2021) to a peak of $1,413,766 (FY2019). The FY2022 990 — the most recent filed — shows grants paid of $552,993 and total giving of $754,443, suggesting a partial recovery from the pandemic-era contraction. Historical data from FY2010 through FY2014 shows a consistent baseline of $571,000 to $791,000 in grants paid annually, implying a long-run operational range of roughly $600K-$900K when investment income is sufficient.

From the foundation's disclosed grantee data, 7 grants totaling $1,080,000 were recorded across recent filing periods, producing an average of $154,286 per grant. This figure is heavily skewed by a single $950,000 grant to Dasra. Excluding that outlier, the remaining grants average approximately $21,667, with a range of $5,000 (Green Our Planet — environmental education) to $75,000 (Gateway Public Schools — school development). The foundation's own reported median grant size is $22,500, which aligns with the non-Dasra grant pool.

By program type, giving divides into three tiers: - Strategic intermediary grants: Large one-time grants ($950K to Dasra; additional giving regranted via Edelgive) for sub-granting to Indian NGOs at ecosystem scale - Direct program support: Mid-range grants of $40K-$75K to organizations like Gateway Public Schools ($75,000 across 2 grants) and Upaya Social Ventures ($40,000 across 2 grants) for education and poverty elimination - Community micro-grants: $5,000-$10,000 to organizations the foundation actively volunteers with, such as Lowell High School PTSA ($10,000) and Green Our Planet ($5,000)

Geographically, disclosed US grantees are concentrated in California (3 grants), Washington (2), Texas (1), and Nevada (1). India-based grantees — Shelter Associates, IHMP, Magic Bus, Antarang Foundation, Sol's ARC, and Aangan — receive the majority of India-directed giving through intermediaries rather than direct grants.

Revenue sustainability is critical context: the foundation relies entirely on investment income (no significant external contributions in most years), generating $443,889 to $4,584,587 annually depending on market conditions. The 2019 spike to $4.58M in net investment income drove that year's record $1.2M in grants paid. In leaner investment years (FY2022: $443,889), giving contracts accordingly. Total assets have remained stable at $14.3M-$14.8M since 2019, with the current estimated asset base at approximately $15.4M.

Chintu Gudiya Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among its asset-peer set. All five comparable foundations hold assets in the $15.3M-$15.5M range and share the Education NTEE classification, but their programmatic focus, geographic reach, and application accessibility differ markedly from CGF.

Note: Annual giving for peer foundations is not available in the current dataset; N/A reflects unavailable 990 data, not zero giving.

Three characteristics make CGF stand out relative to this peer group. First, it is the only foundation in the set with an explicit India/international programmatic mandate — a rare resource for organizations working in India's social sector. Second, it builds and operates its own technology platforms (Glific, Avni, Fractional CTO Program) rather than simply issuing grants, a level of direct program involvement uncommon for a $15M private foundation. Third, its Tech4Dev rolling application window provides a structured — if non-cash — entry point for non-invited organizations, a feature largely absent among comparably sized private foundations in this tier, most of which operate on a fully closed or trustee-directed basis.

The foundation's most recent documented activity (August 22, 2025) is a field report from Nagaland, Northeast India, where foundation-affiliated professionals reflected on the imperative for funders to engage directly with communities. This dispatch is characteristic of CGF's philosophy of purposeful field presence — founder Donald Lobo and associates regularly embed with partner organizations rather than managing relationships remotely.

In September 2024, the foundation attended the Change the Script 2024 conference in Bangalore, a prominent India social impact sector convening, with two representatives offering different perspectives. One of those representatives had recently relocated to Bangalore, signaling a meaningful deepening of the foundation's India operational footprint and likely increasing its in-person due diligence and relationship-building capacity.

July 2024 produced two simultaneous volunteer reports: one documenting engagement with ATREE (Ashoka Trust for Research and Ecology) in Bangalore — an environmental conservation organization under active evaluation — and another capturing a 12-day volunteer embed at SEARCH in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra (June 2024) by Donald Lobo and Pranjali. SEARCH focuses on community health in tribal areas, an area adjacent to CGF's health and social welfare focus.

No new formal grant announcements, leadership changes, or program launches were found for 2025-2026 in publicly available sources as of July 2026. The foundation's grants page documents giving through 2024 but does not publish a current open RFP or application deadline. The Tech4Dev rolling application cycle remains the only active structured funding pathway, with the rolling window opening in March each year.

The foundation's preselected-only designation means most funding is relationship-gated. The Tech4Dev program is the one structured pathway, but even there, fit and ecosystem alignment matter as much as the formal application. Here are concrete, funder-specific tips:

Enter through Dasra or Edelgive. The most reliable warm-entry path is through Dasra ($950,000 — the foundation's largest single grantee) or Edelgive, CGF's other India regranting intermediary. Organizations that Dasra profiles, incubates, or presents at its philanthropy convenings are far more likely to receive a CGF introduction. Past direct grantees — Magic Bus, Aangan, Antarang Foundation, Sol's ARC — are also warm-relationship nodes worth cultivating.

Lead with open-source, sector-wide framing. CGF's Tech4Dev ecosystem is built entirely on shareable open-source tools (Glific, Avni). Applications describing proprietary or single-organization solutions are screened out at the qualifying stage. Frame proposals around what can be shared: 'We want to adapt Glific for maternal health NGOs across Maharashtra' outperforms 'We need a custom CRM for our team.'

Nail the two-stage application process. Stage one is a qualifying brief covering: specific project description, technology problem statement, expected beneficiary impact, current budget (must be under INR 10 Crore), and co-investment commitment (~33% of project cost, or INR 3-7 Lakhs). Send to tech4dev@chintugudiya.org. Rolling cycle opens in March — a March-June submission maximizes chances of the current review round. Stage two (if short-listed after approximately 4-6 weeks) requires full project detail, internal process documentation, and evidence of organizational implementation capacity.

Invite a site visit. Donald Lobo and associates personally volunteer with partner organizations for 12-day embeds and scouting visits. Inviting a CGF representative for a field visit before or alongside your application is culturally aligned with the foundation's operating model — not unusual, and likely welcomed.

Budget explicitly for no cash. Tech4Dev grants provide embedded technical associates and consulting, not a check. If your organization also needs hardware, cloud infrastructure funding, or staff salaries, seek cash grants elsewhere and approach CGF only for the consulting and implementation support layer.

For US-based organizations: CGF has funded US nonprofits (Gateway Public Schools in CA, Lowell High School PTSA) exclusively in education contexts with India diaspora relevance. US applicants must frame an explicit India connection or serve Indian-American communities to be considered outside the Tech4Dev pathway.

Respect the volunteer-officer pace. The foundation is run by two uncompensated officers with no paid staff. Follow up respectfully at 6-8 week intervals, and do not expect rapid response cycles.