Noshir Dadrawala’s Contribution At International Center for Non-Profit Law

Noshir Dadrawala is known to most on our community as an eloquent speaker and a prodigious writer on religious and community related issues, or as a trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet.

Article published on Parsi Times

However, few know of his professional attainments in addition to the above. On 9^th June, 2018, Noshir completed two terms of office as Director of the Board of the globally renowned International Centre for Nonprofit Law (ICNL), which is headquartered in Washington DC (USA). He was the first Indian to be appointed on this Board in June 2012 and as per ICNL’s constitution, since no Director is allowed to continue beyond two terms of three years each, in recognition of his contributions, he has been requested to continue as a member of ICNL’s Advisory Board.

ICNL works in over a hundred countries worldwide with the mission to promote an enabling environment for civil society, philanthropy and civic participation around the world. Through ICNL, Noshir has also been contributing for the last several years to the Council on Foundation’s country codes and laws which are intended to assist grant-makers and their advisors when undertaking equivalency determinations for foreign grantees under IRS Revenue Procedure.

Noshir has actively worked with ICNL on several research programs, the most recent being, ‘The Philanthropy Law Reports’, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The report can be read online . ICNL’s President and CEO, Prof. Douglas Rutzen who teaches at Georgetown University Law Center and serves on the Advisory Board of the United Nations Democracy Fund, said, “You (Noshir) are an inspiration to me.  You’ve worked on issues of philanthropy and civil society for many years and despite challenges, you’ve retained your optimism, dedication, and constructive engagement.  It’s an honor working with you.”

Noshir has also contributed his expertise for the ‘Civic Freedom Monitor’ and his Report on India can be read at: http://www.icnl.org/research/monitor/india.html. Noshir’s country note on India can be read online at: https://www.cof.org/content/india.

ICNL’s Chairperson, Dr. Oonagh B. Breen who is also Professor of Law at the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, while giving Noshir a formal farewell, referred to him as a “reliable Indian knowledge source.”