A contribution to TSE is a genuine donation, given permanently, and that permanence is what makes the fund work. Because the principal is never spent, it keeps generating returns and giving to communities in Sri Lanka indefinitely. If there is any chance you might need the money back, please do not contribute it. Only give what you are comfortable parting with permanently. There is no minimum amount and no pressure at all.

Not initially. TSE will be registered as an Australian charity with the ACNC (ABN 73 698 867 408), but does not hold Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status at the outset, meaning contributions are not tax deductible at this stage. DGR status requires additional steps and takes time to obtain. It is something we are actively working toward as the fund establishes itself. We understand this matters, and we are actively working toward DGR status as the fund establishes itself. In the meantime, many of our founding contributors are giving because of their connection to Sri Lanka and the communities we serve, but we recognise a tax receipt is a legitimate consideration, and we hope to be able to offer that in time.

Distributions reach communities through a trusted network of relationships on the ground in Sri Lanka, built over many years. Goods are purchased locally, books, shoes, food, and delivered directly to the communities identified through those relationships. Funds are transferred via standard bank or remittance channels in the charity's name. Every distribution is documented with photos and receipts, and you will receive a personal update after each giving round.

You will receive two types of updates. After each distribution to Sri Lanka, all contributors receive a personal update: photos from the ground, a note about the communities visited, and a clear record of what was given and to whom. Once a year, you will also receive a brief annual fund performance report covering investment returns, the total amount distributed, and how the corpus has grown. The goal is full transparency, you should always know where your contribution is, how it is growing, and what it is doing.

This is one of the most important reasons for formalising the fund as a registered charity. A registered charity has its own independent legal identity, it belongs to no single person. TSE has at least two responsible persons (directors), and the governing constitution sets out clearly what happens in every scenario. The fund's assets are legally protected and must remain dedicated to the charitable purpose. Your contribution keeps giving regardless of what happens to any individual involved in running the fund.

The fund is built with a deliberate buffer between what it earns and what it distributes. We target a 7% annual return but distribute only 5.5%, retaining 1.5% to grow the corpus. In practice the buffer is larger: the historical long-run return of a diversified portfolio is closer to 9–10% per year, so most years the fund earns well above our conservative assumption.

In a genuinely bad year, we have a clear policy: we slow down. Distributions may be smaller, less frequent, or temporarily deferred. We aim for 2 to 6 distributions per year under normal conditions, in a difficult year that number may fall. What will never happen, under any circumstances, is touching the corpus. The principal contributed by donors is permanently protected. This is not just our intention, it is a structural commitment embedded in how the fund is governed.

The fund is designed for decades, not individual years. A bad year is noise. The direction of travel is always forward.

TSE operates under a formal Investment Policy Statement (IPS) that governs how the corpus is managed. The policy is designed to preserve capital over the long term while generating reliable returns sufficient to fund annual distributions and grow the corpus.

In summary, the fund targets a broadly diversified, low-cost portfolio guided by five principles:

The full Investment Policy Statement is available to any contributor on request.

Absolutely. The fund is designed to grow over time and will always welcome contributions, whether a single gift now or smaller amounts added each year. Both are equally valued and both become a permanent part of the corpus. Every additional contribution directly increases the annual distributions reaching communities in Sri Lanka, not just once, but every year thereafter, in perpetuity.

Contributions are made by direct bank transfer to the account below. Please use your name as the reference so we can attribute your contribution correctly.

Account name: The Serendib Endowment Ltd
BSB: 034-001
Account number: 898129
Reference: Your name

If you would like to discuss a larger contribution first, please reach out via our contact form and we will be in touch.