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Endowment Grants

Task motivated, civil society institutions need to be sustained and fostered, so that they can continue to make a meaningful contribution to humanity. This view forms the basis of the Trust's strategy of making endowment grants, formulated in 1997 by Prof. Tushaar Shah, a consultant to the Trust. The endowment strategy paper illustrates the need of a well designed endowment grant that could spare the grantee organisations from the rigours of survival through resource generation on a recurring basis, thus leaving them free to concentrate their efforts towards their tasks and long term goals.

The Trust considers endowments to institutions which: (a) have activities that are closely integrated with the thematic areas of the Trust, along with a satisfactory and mutually rewarding programme partnership; (b) have an impact on society or are strategic in a sector of the field; (c) have demonstrated staying power; (d) have an established tradition of collective leadership and; (e) have a proven track record of being mission driven.

The Trust has realised that in some cases, endowment grants may be detrimental to an organisation, since it provides a sense of stability, which in turn could cause the organisation to stagnate, rather than having to constantly prove itself with its work. In order to prevent this, the Trust builds a challenge component in the endowment grant. This requires the organisation to raise funds from other sources, against which a matching amount is disbursed by the Trust, thereby keeping the former on its toes and rekindling its dynamic spirit and resourcefulness.

The Trust is constantly endeavouring to recognise worthy institutions from its portfolio and strengthening them through well designed endowments.

Organisations which have received endowment grants from Sir Ratan Tata Trust since 1995


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