What Pundi Asa Is
Guided by Pundi, Asa, and Manusia, we mobilize resources through public support, philanthropy, and institutional grants to sustain long-term, independent human rights work.
Our story began when two of our founders, Najwa Shihab (Nana) and Alfatih Timur (Timmy) served on the board of a legal aid organization in Indonesia. In this role, they witnessed a stark contrast. They saw the profound impact of the organization’s work, while seeing firsthand the constant struggle to operate with limited and unpredictable funding.
This brings us back to a persistent structural challenge shared by many civil society organizations: reliance on foreign aids, uncertainty and unpredictable funding cycles, and minimal support for essential operations. These constraints make it difficult for organizations to sustain the long-term work required to advance human rights.
Recognizing this urgent need, Nana and Timmy teamed up with Arief Aziz (Arief) to create a foundation. The idea first took shape during the pandemic, and in 2023, the foundation was officially established as Yayasan Pundi Asa Manusia. Its name carries deep meaning: Pundi means fund, Asa means hope, and Manusia means people, reflecting the essential elements at the heart of our work.
The mission of the organization, which drives all our work, revolves around answering two critical questions:
1. How do we create a funding structure that ensures financial stability and independence of the organizations?
Our endowment fund aims to support organizations with the financial stability they need to focus on impact, while maintaining complete autonomy over their work. We also aim to take part in shaping a more sustainable funding ecosystem for Indonesia’s civil society in general.
2. How do we craft narratives to boost public willingness to support these causes?
Although Indonesia ranks highly in global generosity (CAF World Giving Index, March 2022), donations for human rights causes remain low. We aim to mobilize public support, both to raise awareness and raise funds, serving as a bridge that connects people to these causes and helps sustain their impact.
Fundraising
Our mission is built on three core pillars: mobilizing resources, managing funds, and delivering strategic grants. Here’s how they work together.
Endowment Fund
Source of Funds
Funds from public donations, philanthopy/charity, and institutional grants come together to form the endowment’s core fund.
Fund Management
The core fund is managed using an ethical investment approach that upholds ESG principles.
Return on Investment
The investments generate returns. Typically 4-5% per year, depending on asset performance.
Fund Allocation
We allocate the returns to support organizations and communities advancing gender, climate, and social justice.
Reinvestment
A small portion of the returns is reinvested to grow the core fund
Your Impact
Your contribution continues to grow, enabling us to reach and empower even more organizations and communities over time
FAQ on Endowment Fund
When you donate to our endowment fund, the impact that you create is not one-off. Your contribution becomes part of an invested core fund that generates returns every year, supporting more and more organizations and communities over time while your original contribution stays intact and keeps giving far into the future. It’s a meaningful way to create long-lasting, sustainable impact.
The fund follows a disciplined, ethical investment strategy managed by licensed professionals. We diversify investments across low-risk instruments to ensure stability and steady returns. Additionally, the fund is overseen by governance structures and policy that prioritize accountability, compliance, and long-term protection of the fund.
Absolutely. Our endowment fund grows through collective action. Every contribution, big or small, adds to the core fund and fuels long-term impact. Because the fund generates returns every year, even modest donations grow into meaningful support over time.
While we don’t provide individual reports, you can access our annual reports anytime under the Insights tab
Grantmaking
Our grantmaking approach is being shaped and will be shared in due course.
Be Part of The Mission
Our Story
Our story began when two of our founders, Najwa Shihab (Nana) and Alfatih Timur (Timmy) served on the board of a legal aid organization in Indonesia. In this role, they witnessed a stark contrast. They saw the profound impact of the organization’s work, while seeing firsthand the constant struggle to operate with limited and unpredictable funding.
This brings us back to a persistent structural challenge shared by many civil society organizations: reliance on foreign aids, uncertainty and unpredictable funding cycles, and minimal support for essential operations. These constraints make it difficult for organizations to sustain the long-term work required to advance human rights.
Recognizing this urgent need, Nana and Timmy teamed up with Arief Aziz (Arief) to create a foundation. The idea first took shape during the pandemic, and in 2023, the foundation was officially established as Yayasan Pundi Asa Manusia. Its name carries deep meaning: Pundi means fund, Asa means hope, and Manusia means people, reflecting the essential elements at the heart of our work.
The mission of the organization, which drives all our work, revolves around answering two critical questions:
1. How do we create a funding structure that ensures financial stability and independence of the organizations?
Our endowment fund aims to support organizations with the financial stability they need to focus on impact, while maintaining complete autonomy over their work. We also aim to take part in shaping a more sustainable funding ecosystem for Indonesia’s civil society in general.
2. How do we craft narratives to boost public willingness to support these causes?
Although Indonesia ranks highly in global generosity (CAF World Giving Index, March 2022), donations for human rights causes remain low. We aim to mobilize public support, both to raise awareness and raise funds, serving as a bridge that connects people to these causes and helps sustain their impact.
Fundraising
Our mission is built on three core pillars: mobilizing resources, managing funds, and delivering strategic grants. Here’s how they work together.
Endowment Fund
Source of Funds
Funds from public donations, philanthopy/charity, and institutional grants come together to form the endowment’s core fund.
Fund Management
The core fund is managed using an ethical investment approach that upholds ESG principles.
Return on Investment
The investments generate returns. Typically 4-5% per year, depending on asset performance.
Fund Allocation
We allocate the returns to support organizations and communities advancing gender, climate, and social justice.
Reinvestment
A small portion of the returns is reinvested to grow the core fund
Your Impact
Your contribution continues to grow, enabling us to reach and empower even more organizations and communities over time
FAQ on Endowment Fund
When you donate to our endowment fund, the impact that you create is not one-off. Your contribution becomes part of an invested core fund that generates returns every year, supporting more and more organizations and communities over time while your original contribution stays intact and keeps giving far into the future. It’s a meaningful way to create long-lasting, sustainable impact.
The fund follows a disciplined, ethical investment strategy managed by licensed professionals. We diversify investments across low-risk instruments to ensure stability and steady returns. Additionally, the fund is overseen by governance structures and policy that prioritize accountability, compliance, and long-term protection of the fund.
Absolutely. Our endowment fund grows through collective action. Every contribution, big or small, adds to the core fund and fuels long-term impact. Because the fund generates returns every year, even modest donations grow into meaningful support over time.
While we don’t provide individual reports, you can access our annual reports anytime under the Insights tab
Grantmaking
Our grantmaking approach is being shaped and will be shared in due course.
