The Trusts of the Tatas

"Over the past 80 years the Tata Trusts have built a systematic agenda across the country, tying in with organizations and individuals to design and implement solutions to problems in issues as varied as water, agriculture, education, health and sanitation,” wrote chairman of the Trusts, Ratan Tata, in the Annual Report for 2013-2014 of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Allied Trusts. The Trusts spent Rs 1.43 billion (US $ 24.74 million) on its charitable programs in the year under review.

Reviving village crafts

Their work, spread over 170 districts in 17 states of India, touch the lives of over 800,000 households through diverse interventions that, apart from the basic necessities of life, include arts, crafts, culture and skill development, Tata mentions. "Given the fast changing environmental needs, the focus of the Trusts is also changing; creating new structural trends, a new appreciation of learning through interaction, a healthy opening up to the idea of larger collaboration… In order to enhance sustainability of interventions, the Trusts have recently adopted a cluster-based approach, supporting multiple interlinked activities in identified clusters of contiguous villages across select geographies… to include livelihoods, health, education, skills development among youth,” Tata elaborates.
The Annual Report, which was sent to Parsiana by Burzis Taraporevala, secretary and chief accountant of the Trusts, now incorporates a lot more graphical content in the form of info-graphics and photographs of activities that the Trusts support. "(It) also comprises case studies that capture the spirit of the communities that we reach out to,” Taraporevala mentions in his covering letter. Apart from institutional grants, the Trusts also have an active small grant program and continue with individual grants as well.