Round Table India Foundation

What Round Table India Foundation does

Round Table India Foundation (RTIF) is a charitable trust established in 1980 and headquartered in Chennai, India, operating as the grant-making and donor-recognition arm of the Round Table India, Ladies Circle India, and 41 Clubs ecosystem. The foundation funds education-infrastructure projects — classrooms, toilet blocks, and furniture for government schools — primarily through its "Freedom Through Education" initiative, with project execution handled on the ground by local Round Tables and Ladies Circles across India. Eligibility for annual grants (Rs. 1.5 Lakh to Rs. 2 Lakh per Table/Circle) is tied to the percentage of LMF members in the applying chapter.

RTIF's revenue mechanics rest on three streams: tiered individual donor recognition via the Louis Marchesi Fellow (LMF) program (Rs. 20,000), Golden LMF (Rs. 50,000), and Platinum LMF (Rs. 100,000); major-donor recognition tiers (Knight, Silver Knight, Golden Knight, Platinum Knight, King Arthur's Medal) ranging from Rs. 10 Lakh to Rs. 1 Crore; and corporate CSR partnerships (Rs. 5 Lakh to Rs. 1 Crore) with bundled project branding and detailed reporting. All contributions are tax-deductible under Section 80G, and the foundation is FCRA-registered, enabling foreign donations from international Round Table/Ladies Circle chapters and institutional partners such as the Timken Foundation of Canton.

The organization operates with a small staff (11-50 employees) out of the owned Jagadish Chandran Center on Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai — built in 1984 with a Rs. 20 Lakh contribution from 41er. R. Jagadish (Bob) Chandran. Go-to-market is event-driven and network-mediated rather than sales-led: recognition ceremonies (e.g., the August 2023 'Honouring the Knights of the Round Table' event in Coimbatore), newsletters, and word-of-mouth through the member network substitute for traditional donor acquisition. There is no proprietary technology stack; the foundation's differentiation rests on 42+ years of operating history, the reputational capital of its donor-recognition tiers, and the volunteer-driven project delivery infrastructure of the broader Round Table family.

Name

Round Table India Foundation

Legal name

Round Table India Foundation

Website

https://roundtableindiafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Round Table India Foundation is a Chennai-based charitable trust, founded in 1980, that funds education-infrastructure projects for government schools through grants to local Round Tables and Ladies Circles, financed by tiered individual donor recognition (LMF/Knight programs) and corporate CSR partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Community service
• Charitable foundation
• Philanthropy services
• Social development
• Nonprofit programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fellowship Contributions: The foundation receives donations through its Louis Marchesi Fellow (LMF) program with tiered contribution levels. Individuals and entities contribute to receive recognition and honors. All contributions are tax-deductible under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.
2. CSR Partnerships: Companies donate to RTIF as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility obligations. In return, they receive project branding, detailed reporting, and recognition through the Knights of Round Table program.
3. Grant Disbursements to Tables and Circles: RTIF provides grants to eligible Round Tables and Ladies Circles for education and community projects. Grant amounts vary based on the LMF status of the applying Table/Circle and member participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Round Table India Foundation operates as a charitable nonprofit foundation associated with Round Table India, an Indian chapter of the international Round Table service organization. The foundation channels philanthropic activities, community service programs, and donor-supported initiatives focused on social development within India.

Product overview

Round Table India Foundation operates as a grant-making charitable organization supporting education infrastructure projects across India. The Foundation offers a portfolio of recognition programs (Louis Marchesi Fellow tiers and Knight of Round Table honors), manages project grants for Tables and Circles, and provides CSR partnership opportunities for corporate donors. The organization connects funding to education-focused initiatives primarily through its 'Freedom Through Education' program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of contributions applied to projects with no overhead costs

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tangent IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Signed agreement to have office in Round Table India House building. Tangent President Mrs. Nalini Srinivasan discussed arrangements with RTIF Trustee 41er. Sridharan Chettiar.
• Ladies Circle USAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022American Ladies Circle chapter providing FCRA donations. Contributed USD 1,256 in Q4 2021-22.
• Ladies Circle DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021German Ladies Circle organization providing FCRA donations. Contributed Euro 2,995 in Q2 2021-22.
• Ladies Circle InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020International partner providing FCRA-compliant donations to RTIF. Ladies Circle International has made multiple donations across various quarters, including Euro 10,475 in Q4 2019-20 and Euro 11,500 in Q1 2020-21.
• Round Table DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020International Round Table organization contributing Euro 3,500 in Q2 2020-21 via inward remittance.
• Ladies Circle Suomi FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Nordic Ladies Circle chapter providing FCRA donations. Contributed Euro 490 in Q4 2019-20.
• Ladies Circle DanmarkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Danish Ladies Circle chapter providing FCRA donations. Contributed Euro 481 in Q4 2019-20.
• Ladies Circle Austria DACHVEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Austrian Ladies Circle chapter providing FCRA donations. Contributed Euro 3,595 in Q1 2020-21.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• GiveIndia: India's largest online donation platform connecting donors to vetted NGOs. Adjacent to RTIF as an enabling layer in Indian philanthropy, though it does not itself run programs — donors who use GiveIndia could otherwise fund RTIF directly.
• Round Table International: Global umbrella of Round Table organizations across 60+ countries. RTIF is the grantmaking arm of the Indian Round Table family; the international body is an ecosystem peer that channels donor referrals and FCRA inflows from affiliated Tables and Ladies Circles globally.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF India): International philanthropy-enabling organization with an India presence, providing donor advisory and grantmaking services. Adjacent to RTIF as an intermediary in the cross-border giving ecosystem from which RTIF receives some of its FCRA inflows.

Direct peers

• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest NGOs focused on improving education quality for under-served children, operating across most Indian states. Comparable to RTIF as an India-based, education-focused, grant-and-program organization with individual and institutional donors.
• Naandi Foundation: Large Indian foundation focused on education, livelihood, and skilling programs for under-served communities. Comparable to RTIF as a domestically rooted, education-and-community-focused grantmaking/implementing foundation operating through a regional partner network.
• Akshaya Patra Foundation: India's largest mid-day meal program serving government schools, funded by individual donations and corporate CSR. Directly comparable to RTIF in donor base (CSR partnerships, individual recognition tiers) and beneficiary segment (government-school children).

Broad incumbents

• Azim Premji Foundation: India's largest education-focused philanthropic foundation (endowed by Wipro's founder), running large-scale school improvement and teacher programs. A broader incumbent in the same education-philanthropy space as RTIF, but with vastly greater scale and professional staffing.
• Tata Trusts: India's largest philanthropic conglomerate supporting education, health, livelihood, and rural development. A broader incumbent operating a grantmaking portfolio that overlaps with RTIF's education infrastructure focus, but across many causes and at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/round-table-india-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Round Table India Foundation