Heart of Asia

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £68,744 (year ending 30 Nov 2023)
• Success Rate: N/A (no public application process)
• Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: £480 - £26,400+ per year
• Geographic Focus: Remote eastern Tibet (Kandze Prefecture, Yushu area, Sershul/Dzachuka)

Contact Details

• Website: www.heartofasia.org
• Phone: 07817002541
• Email: info@heartofasia.org

Overview

Heart of Asia is a small UK charity established in 2006 that operates as a grant-making organisation supporting vulnerable communities in remote areas of eastern Tibet. Run entirely by volunteers, the charity focuses on health, education and poverty relief in the Tibetan Plateau region. The charity is classified by the UK Charity Commission as a grant-making organisation that supports both individuals and organisations. However, Heart of Asia operates through a closed network model, identifying beneficiaries through trusted local community leaders and maintaining long-term support relationships with a very limited number of carefully selected projects. There is no public application process, and the charity functions more like a private charitable trust with trustee-directed giving.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Heart of Asia supports four main areas through direct grants:

• Yushu Orphanage Support: ~£26,400 annually - Main funder for 22 children orphaned by the 2010 earthquake (£1,200 per child per year)
• Nomadic Family Support Programme: £480-2,000 per family - Provides starter herds of Dri (female yak) to help families return to traditional nomadic life
• Gebchak Nunnery Fund: Variable amounts - Periodic donations to food and healthcare fund for Tibet's largest nunnery (400 nuns)
• Medical Emergency Fund: £2,000 per annum - Historical programme for Dzongsar/Meshu area (current status unclear)

Priority Areas

• Relief of sickness and preservation of health in rural Tibetan areas
• Physical and mental health of mothers, infants and young children
• Healthcare facilities development in remote areas
• Support for orphans and vulnerable children
• Preservation of traditional Tibetan culture and lifestyle
• Women's religious education and meditation traditions

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, based on their operational model:

• Projects outside eastern Tibet region
• General UK-based charities
• Projects without established local connections
• Short-term or one-off interventions
• Organisations without endorsement from their network

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

The charity has 5 trustees who serve as volunteers without remuneration. Diane Barker, co-founder of the charity, is an artist and photographer with extensive connections to Tibet. All trustees serve without receiving any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. The charity has no paid staff and operates entirely through volunteer efforts. Leadership emphasises working “with, and empowering, local people” in a manner that “supports the traditions, and suits the environmental conditions” of remote Himalayan areas.

How to Apply to Heart Of Asia

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on projects identified through their established networks in eastern Tibet. Beneficiaries are selected through:

• Direct connections with respected local community leaders
• Partnerships with Lamas and religious leaders in the region
• Trustee networks and personal knowledge of local needs
• Long-term relationships with existing beneficiaries

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - decisions made at trustee discretion without formal application process

Success Rates

Not applicable - no open application process

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no open application process

Application Success Factors

Given the closed nature of this funder's grant-making, traditional application success factors do not apply. Organisations can only access funding through:

• Existing connections to trustees or their networks in Tibet
• Introduction through respected Tibetan community leaders or Lamas
• Direct work in their specific geographic areas (Kandze Prefecture, Yushu, Sershul/Dzachuka)
• Alignment with their existing long-term beneficiary relationships
• Projects that directly serve the communities they already support

The charity maintains decade-long relationships with beneficiaries (supporting some since 2008), suggesting new grants are extremely rare.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Heart of Asia is technically a grant maker but operates without any public application process
• All funding decisions are made through trustee networks and established partnerships in Tibet
• The charity focuses exclusively on remote eastern Tibet with no indication of supporting work elsewhere
• With annual income of approximately £68,744 and existing long-term commitments, capacity for new grants is minimal
• Organisations without pre-existing connections to the trustees or their Tibetan network should not pursue funding
• The charity operates more like a private family foundation than a traditional grant maker
• Best suited for inclusion in databases with clear “invitation only” or “no public applications” designation

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Camellia Foundation
• The Tibet Relief Fund Of The United Kingdom
• The Brigade Of Gurkhas Education And Welfare Fund
• Lifelines International Fund For Education
• Humanitas
• The Silver Lady Fund Incorporating The All Night Travelling Cafe
• The Peter Stebbings Memorial Charity
• Rotary Club Of Felixstowe Charitable Trust
• The John Mason Family Trust
• Mjb Charitable Trust

References

• UK Charity Commission Register - Heart of Asia (Charity Number 1114708)
• Heart of Asia website (www.heartofasia.org)
• Heart of Asia Annual Newsletters, available on charity website
• Charity Commission Classification Data showing grant-making status
• Interview with Diane Barker, Artist, Photographer, and Chronicler of Tibetans, Raphael Block, February 2023