Trust for Voluntary Organizations (TVO)

The Trust for Voluntary Organizations (TVO) was created as an indigenous grantmaking organization in 1990 following an agreement between the Governments of Pakistan and the United States of America to establish a Special Development Fund (SDF), TVO was set up to tap the potential of non-government organizations (NGOs). The purpose was to aid them in the development process and develop a mechanism for strengthening the contribution of NGOs towards a broader goal of improving the quality of life of the neglected segments of Pakistani population. The bottom-up working of NGOs meant that they could reach the people who most needed help and the funds would reach those who needed them the most. TVO was constituted as the agency to carry out the objectives of the SDF through the provision of grants, technical assistance and training for NGOs. The Trust became fully functional in 1992.