Heart Of Asia

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £65,000-70,000
• Success Rate: N/A (no public application process)
• Decision Time: N/A (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: £480 - £25,000+ per year
• Geographic Focus: Remote eastern Tibet (Kandze Prefecture, Yushu area, Sershul/Dzachuka)

Contact Details

• Website: www.heartofasia.org
• Phone: 07754052108
• Email: info@heartofasia.org
• Registered Address: The Old Swan, Alfrick, Worcester, WR6 5HY

Overview

Heart of Asia is a small UK charity established in 2006 that operates as a grant-making organization supporting vulnerable communities in remote areas of eastern Tibet. Run entirely by volunteers with an annual giving of approximately £65,000-70,000, 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 organization that supports both individuals and organizations. 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 Programs

Heart of Asia supports four main areas through direct grants:

• Yushu Orphanage Support: ~£25,000 annually - Main funder for 21 children orphaned by the 2010 earthquake (£1,200 per child per year)
• Nomadic Family Support Program: £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 program 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
• Organizations without endorsement from their network

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• Diane Barker (Chair) - Artist and photographer with connections to Tibet
• Valerie Smith
• Claire McDonald
• Lesley Rhodes
• Birgit Kotschi

All trustees serve as volunteers without remuneration. The charity has no paid staff and operates entirely through volunteer efforts. Leadership emphasizes working “with, and empowering, local people” in a manner that “supports the traditions, and suits the environmental conditions” of remote Himalayan areas.

Application Process and Timeline

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. Organizations 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 giving of only £65,000-70,000 and existing long-term commitments, capacity for new grants is minimal
• Organizations 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 PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITY
• Humanitas
• Lifelines International Fund for Education
• The Silver Lady Fund Incorporating The All Night Travelling Cafe
• Sydney and Phyllis Goldberg Memorial Charitable Trust
• Rotary Club of Felixstowe Charitable Trust
• T. & J. Meyer Family Foundation Limited
• Byrne Family Foundation

References

• UK Charity Commission Register - Heart of Asia (Charity Number 1114708)
• Heart of Asia Annual Report and Financial Statements, Year ending 30 November 2024
• Heart of Asia website (www.heartofasia.org)
• Heart of Asia Annual Newsletters 2012-2025, available on charity website
• Charity Commission Classification Data showing grant-making status