Our vision is to create the largest sustainable charity fund in Eastern Europe that supports youth development. We aim to grow the fund’s assets as efficiently and transparently as possible, providing regular updates on the fund’s growth, charitable work, and investments.
Supporting the Foundation
The Foundation’s primary supporters are students participating in the Southwestern Advantage summer program and its alumni.
At the annual charity auction held during the Southwestern Advantage Sizzler trip in Egypt in January, Southwestern Advantage students collectively donated a record-breaking €26,550 to the Foundation. This marks the fourth consecutive year in which a new fundraising record has been set. Over the past four years, the Sizzler charity auctions have raised a total of €77,460 in support of the Foundation’s charitable mission.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Patrik Roostfeldt, who organized the charity day, and to Jan Khurana and Oskar Orglaan for hosting the auction. We are also deeply grateful to everyone who participated in the auction: Gaudrius Sadaunykas, Gustav Ilves, Alex Ajangu, Austeja Varyte, Rafal Mikelionis, Arina Fitingova, Ruta Hamstere, Ieva Jasko, Ieva Struckaite, Kaspar Süvaorg, Mattias Härsing, Alex Tobreluts, Martin Rikberg, Tristan Pugi, Marek Käsper, Patrik Roostfeldt, Sindija Loze, Marius Jõemägi, Martin Tsanev, Kristofer Kartau, Elina Apanasevica, Lisette Metsalu, Andre Otti, Sander Kangur, Merili Tamm, Taavi Arula, Mark Murru, Robert Veide, Piia Maria Leesme, Patrik Rahula, and everyone who donated items for the auction.
Your generosity is creating opportunities that will benefit young people for generations to come.
To date, the Foundation has raised a total of €187,904 in donations, distributed by country as follows:
Charitable Giving
We are committed to supporting charitable projects and scholarship programs that align with the Foundation’s mission of helping young people develop the character, skills, and mindset needed to achieve their dreams.
As of the end of March 2026, the Foundation has awarded a total of €33,069 in grants and scholarships since its establishment in 2017. Our next scholarship application round will open later this spring for the annual Greete Poderat Young Athlete Scholarship.
Since the spring of 2024, we have awarded Entrepreneurial Youth Scholarships in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, providing a total of €11,000 in financial support. The scholarship recognizes and encourages active, ambitious, and entrepreneurial young people who are willing to step outside their comfort zones and pursue personal growth. We are excited to continue this initiative during the 2026 fall semester, with €4,000 allocated for scholarships across the Baltic States.
Investments
The Foundation’s long-term investment objective is to achieve an average annual asset growth of at least 10%. This strategy enables us to allocate approximately 5% of the Foundation’s assets each year to scholarships and charitable grants while continuing to grow the endowment. In this way, every donation continues to create opportunities for future generations of young people. We are also committed to keeping the Foundation’s operating expenses as low as possible, ensuring that administrative costs become an increasingly smaller proportion of the Foundation’s assets as it grows.
As of today, the Foundation’s assets have grown to €186,290, and the budget allocated for scholarships and charitable grants in 2026 amounts to €8,138. Compared to the same time last year, the Foundation’s assets have increased by 30%, and by 14% since the beginning of the year. This strong growth has been driven primarily by the continued generosity and support of Southwestern Advantage program participants and alumni.
The Foundation’s asset allocation is presented below:
In response to the challenging geopolitical environment and its impact on the regional economy, the Foundation further diversified its investment portfolio in the end of 2025 by allocating approximately 10% of its assets to U.S. equity index funds.
The mission of the Southwestern Advantage Foundation is to become the largest investment-based charity fund in Eastern European countries, helping young people gain knowledge and develop character so they can fulfill their dreams in life. We help young people across Europe access better entrepreneurial education and share investment knowledge with those who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity. Our goal is to reduce and prevent poverty through education and empowerment.
We direct our contributions to charitable projects in line with this mission. We donate only from the fund’s passive income — allocating 50% of the returns to charity and 50% back to the fund. In this way, your good deed keeps doing good forever.
Help us make a difference: https://swacharity.eu/en/donate/
