Our Approach

At NTT, we are committed to being more than just a grantmaker. We recognize that traditional grantmaking often perpetuates hierarchical power dynamics, where external donors impose solutions on communities. In contrast, our approach is rooted in local leadership, participatory processes, and human rights principles. We prioritize community-driven initiatives, ensuring that those most affected by issues are at the forefront of decision-making.

We view our role as partners, not gatekeepers, working alongside communities to co-create solutions that are contextually relevant and sustainable. This collaborative model challenges the conventional donor-recipient relationship, fostering mutual respect and shared accountability. By embracing this approach, we aim to empower communities, uphold their dignity, and contribute to a more just and equitable society.

Our Footprint

Spanning diverse regions across Sri Lanka, this map illustrates NTT’s footprint as a local grantmaker, highlighting partnerships with community-based organisations and grassroots actors. It reflects a commitment to equitable resource distribution and to strengthening civil society ecosystems through responsive and context-driven grantmaking approaches.

58 Partners

95 Partners

44 Partners

43 Partners

48 Partners

33 Partners

40 Partners

37 Partners

48 Partners

Explore the map to view our

grantee partners across Srilanka

Partnerships and Alliances

Foundations for Peace Network

Foundations for Peace Network (FFPN) is a coalition of locally rooted peacebuilding foundations across conflict-affected societies. Since its launch in New York, it has grown into a platform facilitating mutual support, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy for locally driven peace processes. The network prioritizes empowering victims, involving women and youth, and reinforcing community-based philanthropy as catalysts for sustainable, authentic peacebuilding. NTT is a founding member of FFPN.

Human Rights Funders Network

The Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN) is a global community of over 450 grantmaking institutions from more than 70 countries, working together to advance human rights through collaborative and movement-centred philanthropy. Founded in 1994, HRFN connects funders across foundations, donor networks, and institutions to share knowledge, shift power and resources to grassroots movements, and strengthen justice-focused grantmaking. Guided by values of accountability, transparency, racial justice, and collective care, HRFN promotes open philanthropy through research on funding trends, practical grantmaking principles, peer learning spaces, and global convenings. By centring marginalized voices and fostering collaboration, HRFN is reshaping the human rights funding ecosystem to be more inclusive, just, and responsive.

Global Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status

The Global Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is an international coalition dedicated to abolishing laws and enforcement practices that criminalise people for their socioeconomic status, identity, or activism—rather than for any actual wrongdoing. It targets outdated colonial-era and modern laws, such as vagrancy, loitering, begging, sedition, and public order offences, which disproportionately affect marginalized groups including people in poverty, women, homeless individuals, migrants, sex workers, LGBTQIA+ persons, and others. Through litigation, advocacy, legal guidance, regional convenings, and strategic resources, the campaign aims to reform laws rooted in colonial legacies and support marginalised communities globally.

WINGS

WINGS is the leading global philanthropy conference held every three years by WINGS, a worldwide network of philanthropic associations and support organizations. It gathers 350–400 delegates from numerous countries—spanning foundations, networks, academics, and funders—to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and reimagine philanthropy’s future. Through peer learning, innovation spotlighting, and strategic dialogue, WINGS serves as a powerful platform for enhancing philanthropy’s role in societal impact and civil society strengthening.