60 seconds with Shalni Arora

Shalni Arora is a qualified accountant, successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and trustee of the British Asian Trust. We were delighted to speak to Shalni about what inspires her work with the British Asian Trust.

With your own foundation Savannah Wisdom, philanthropy and giving back is a big part of your life. What approach to philanthropy have you adopted and how much has this been influenced by your family business experiences?
The kind of philanthropy we (my husband Simon and I) have decided to engage with was driven by the learning from a Masters in Development and informed by our own careers – around structural change, social justice and ‘disruptive philanthropy’. Our experiences have taught us that you cannot achieve change without effective communication and policy work. You also have to be ready to take risks, and support core funding around issues that may not seem attractive at first. We approach each grant in the same way we would a business proposal.

What issues are you particularly passionate about supporting? And why?
We fund projects that are innovative in their thinking around protecting those that are vulnerable, for example access rights such as legal rights, corruption, peace and security. Many of the challenges the world faces are still the same now as they were a generation ago. Where previous interventions have not worked we have to look for radical, new thinking and challenge the system.

How do you stay passionate about what you do?
It is very easy. When I am in the field, I am at my most peaceful. When I give my time constructively, I feel really rewarded. When I meet incredible people, I feel inspired.

What is your view on the role of tech in the future of philanthropy?
Tech will be used to engage a new generation of philanthropists as it may change the way people give, for example crowd-funding around an issue. But most importantly, it will be around the way information is disseminated and acted on. Social media will also be used more to gather momentum for a cause or social movement, as it is easy to spread a message. This will bring certain issues to the forefront of philanthropy more than others. Tech and social media can also be used to hold organisations, institutions and people accountable and this will help philanthropy itself make sure it is accountable for the aims it wishes to deliver and the impact it wants to have.

Why did you first get involved with the British Asian Trust?
As a family foundation, our time resources are limited. I was looking for a partner through which to work in India, aligned to our way of thinking, whom I could trust with delivery of the impact we want to see

As a Trustee, what are you most looking forward to in the future of the British Asian Trust?
It is a very exciting time. We are expanding the ways we want to work and are thinking about long term, sustainable impact in South Asia.