Round Table Indien Stiftung (RTIF)

Community Service Project

Verband

RTIN

Status

Ongoing

Project Period

From 1980

Round Table India Foundation (RTIF) is a charitable trust established in April 1980 to support community-service projects associated with Round Table India. It builds a permanent fund, or corpus, whose earnings help finance local projects. The Foundation also supports projects undertaken by Ladies Circle India and brings together past and present Tablers through charitable giving and project support. [1]🔗 [2]🔗

Origins and Round Table House

Related Article: Round Table House

Round Table India’s Hand Book 2011–12 records the registration of the Round Table Foundation in Coimbatore on 18 April 1980, following a ₹20 lakh donation from R. Jagadish “Bob” Chandran, a former president of Round Table India and WOCO. R. V. Rajan and Suresh Gokuldas were founder trustees; Krish Chitale chaired the trust and designed its building. [3]🔗

Round Table House in Chennai opened on 28 December 1984. The Foundation’s office and national secretariat were formally inaugurated on 16 February 1986. The Foundation now lists its address as the Jagadish Chandran Centre, Round Table House, 80 Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai. [3]🔗 [4]🔗

How the Foundation supports service

The Foundation’s funding model combines a lasting corpus with income available for community work. Its official introduction describes grants supported by corpus earnings; the historical handbook also identifies rental income from Round Table House as a source of project funding. [1]🔗 [3]🔗

Local Tables and Circles identify and carry out projects. RTIF’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme describes education as a priority and offers donors project reporting, recognition and acknowledgement on project plaques. It states that projects are supervised and executed by Tablers and Circlers. Its claim that contributions are applied entirely to projects is the Foundation’s own published description of its funding arrangements. [2]🔗

A published Area 7 project record illustrates the kinds of work supported: school construction, classroom improvements, a science laboratory and sanitation facilities. That record separates RTIF and Round Table India Trust support from the total project cost, showing how grants can contribute to a larger locally organised project. It is a historical example rather than a current list of grant amounts or eligibility rules. [5]🔗

Governance

According to RTIF’s official introduction, a managing committee comprising the chairman, secretary and treasurer administers the Foundation. Trustees include former Round Table India members and serving national officers: the president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and project convenor. The website does not date this description, so it should not be treated as a current named trustee roster. [1]🔗

Louis Marchesi Fellows and donor recognition

The Louis Marchesi Fellow (LMF) scheme was introduced in 1987 to strengthen the Foundation’s corpus and future grant-making. It recognises contributions made by individuals, or in someone’s honour or memory. [3]🔗

RTIF maintains a public recognition register covering Tablers, former Tablers, Tables, Circles and other donors. Its additional honours include Knight of Round Table, Silver Knight, Golden Knight, Platinum Knight and King Arthur’s Medal. Contribution levels and recognition arrangements should be checked with the Foundation rather than inferred from older handbooks. [6]🔗 [2]🔗

Relationship with Round Table India Trust

Round Table India Foundation (RTIF) and Round Table India Trust (RTIT) are separately named bodies. The national handbook gives each its own section and governance description, and Area 7’s project record identifies support from each separately. Their funding and achievements should therefore be attributed to the relevant body. [3]🔗 [5]🔗

Sources and further reading

1. RTIF — official introduction, corpus and governance🔗.
2. RTIF — CSR programme and donor recognition🔗.
3. Round Table India, Hand Book 2011–12🔗, sections XIII–XIV, printed pages 57–59 (PDF pages 57–59). Historical source for the Foundation’s origins and the LMF scheme.
4. RTIF — official website, project galleries and contact details🔗.
5. Round Table India Area 7 — historical RTIF/RTIT-supported education projects🔗.
6. RTIF — public donor recognition register🔗.