Charitable Trust (India)
Updated 16 July 2026
This document is a template for establishing a charitable trust to hold and manage property for specific philanthropic purposes. It outlines the transfer of assets, investment powers of trustees, and strict compliance with tax-exempt regulations to ensure contributions remain tax-deductible.
Charitable Trust
The purpose for creating this trust is to promote ________________________________
I, ___________, trustor, create a trust fund of the property listed in Schedule A attached and incorporated by this reference, which I have delivered today to ____________.
I hereby give, transfer, and deliver the property described in Schedule A to the trustees in trust for the purposes stated.
The name of this trust shall be the _____________.
Trustor and Trustee, hereby agree as follows:
TRANSFER OF CORPUS
Trustor hereby gives and transfers to trustees the property described in the attached schedule together with its income and profits and any other sums that may be transferred to trustees or their successors pursuant to the terms of this agreement, to hold in trust for the uses and purposes set forth in this agreement.
INVESTMENT AND APPLICATION OF TRUST FUND AND INCOME
The trustees shall hold the trust fund and, in their discretion, invest it or parts of it in securities in which trustees are permitted to invest under applicable laws. The trustees from time to time in their own discretion may invest the income to the charitable uses and purposes described above solely by means of contributions to any charitable corporation, trust, community chest, fund, or foundation which at the time of the contribution by the trustees is one of those organizations described in the IRS Code of the United States, contributions to which are deductible for income tax purposes.
Trustees shall make distributions at such times and in a manner as not to subject the trust to tax and shall not act in any self-dealing as described in Section 4941 of the Internal Revenue Code. Trustees shall not retain any excess business holdings as defined in Section 4943 of the Internal Revenue Code and shall not make any investments as defined in Section 4944 of the Internal Revenue Code nor make any taxable expenditure, which would subject the trust or corporate trustee to tax under Section 4945 of the Internal Revenue Code.
RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF TRUST FUND
The trust fund and the income of the trust fund shall be used only for the purposes described above and shall not be used to benefit or inure any private person or corporation, except for the corporate trustee. No part of this trust shall be used for political purposes.
ADDITIONAL GIFTS TO FUND
Anyone from time to time may contribute to the trust corpus money or property to the trust, subject to the approval of the trustees.
TRUSTEES ACTIONS
The trustees shall not be responsible for any error or decision which is absent of bad faith.
TRUSTEES COMPENSATION
The corporate trustee shall be reimbursed from time to time as decided by the trustor and be paid by the trust. All expenses incurred through the administration of the trust fund shall be paid by the Trustor. The individual trustees shall serve without compensation.
DECISIONS OF THE TRUST
Any action by the trustees must be in writing and signed by a majority of the trustees and shall be filed with the corporate trustee.
CONTROL OF FUNDS
The corporate trustee shall have exclusive custody of the securities, cash, and other property of the trust fund.
SUCESSION OF TRUSTEES
In the case of a death or resignation of one of the trustees, the successor shall be appointed by the remaining trustees. The remaining trustees shall have full power to act under this agreement until a new trustee is appointed.
GIFTS IRREVOCABLE
Gifts made into the trust under this agreement shall be irrevocable. If it is determined that this trust is not tax exempt after making contributions or gifts in the manner and to the extent provided by the Internal Revenue Code, then such gifts as remain in the fund shall be given to a qualified tax exempt charitable organization selected by trustees to best carry out the purpose of this trust. This trust shall thereupon terminate.
_____________________________
TRUSTOR
_____________________________
TRUSTEE
About this template
What is this template?
Charitable Trust (India) is a free, ready-to-use Charities template you can open, customize, and download on GitLaw. It gives you a professionally structured starting point, so you never have to draft from a blank page. The wording is plain and modern, organized into clear sections that are easy to read, edit, and adapt to your own situation before you share or sign it.
When should you use it?
Reach for this Charities template whenever you need a reliable agreement quickly and want to be sure the essentials are covered. It suits individuals, freelancers, startups, and established businesses alike. Instead of paying for a document drafted from scratch, you can start here, tailor the details to your arrangement, and have a polished draft ready in minutes. This version is drafted with India in mind, though you should always review the final wording against the laws that apply to you.
What's typically included?
A well-drafted Charities usually sets out the parties involved, the scope of the agreement, and each side's rights and responsibilities. Expect sections covering key terms and definitions, how long the agreement lasts, how it can be ended, and what happens if something goes wrong. This template brings those building blocks together in a sensible order, so you can focus on the specifics rather than worrying about what to include. Open it to read the full document, then sign up to edit, negotiate, and e-sign it directly in GitLaw.