Together with his wife, Tinah Bingei Tanoto, Sukanto Tanoto created Tanoto Foundation in 2001. It’s his main foundation to support education and social empowerement in the society. The foundation is fully funded by the Tanotos and it becomes a non-profit organization with the main purpose to give back the benefits that the companies has had to the community. It’s actively involved in real efforts to reduce poverty. Tanoto Foundation is mostly active in social works in Indonesia, Singapore, Chine, and USA.
Tanoto Foundation mostly works on the coming generation. It’s based on the strong belief that the only way to reduce poverty lies in the hands of the young generation who can break the intergenerational poverty if they have the education and social supports. Therefore, Tanoto Foundation tries to give opportunities for these young children to pursue education and it also provides more empowerment opportunities. It also make activities for parents with societal values, so parents can support their children in pursuing education.
Tanoto Foundation has scholarship programs in every degree. It also has training programs for teachers. To support the scholarship programs, this foundation also builds school buildings from kindergartens to junior high schools, providing books and educational equipments, as well as providing research fundings at university level in various areas from forestry, disease detection and prevention, also biomass application.
In the empowerment area, Tanoto Foundation gives more attention in helping small businesses, especially the ones in the rural areas. It gives vocational trainings and microfinance trainings. It gives the chance for those small businesses to promote integrated farming system that will change their traditional way of farming. What used to be the slash and burn farmers will transform into self sufficient and sustainable farmers. Besides the educational and social empowerment support, Tanoto Foundation also provides disaster relief help. Whether it’s in earthquakes, floods, or volcanic eruptions, Tanoto Foundation takes parts to provide financial assistance and material help for the victims.
