During their 26-year tenure building the Prax Group from a startup oil trading company into a global integrated conglomerate, Sanjeev and Arani Kumar Soosaipillai embedded philanthropy into the organisation’s identity. Prax Foundation Roots, the charitable arm they established, focused on supporting orphanages in Sri Lanka and communities near Prax operations on a zero-cost basis.
Philanthropy entered the company’s DNA from the start, and the Foundation’s structure bore the imprint of the co-founders’ shared outlook. The Prax Group positioned itself from the outset as a kind and compassionate entity, instilling what it termed “altruistic behaviours at the very core of its soul”. The charity was conceived not as peripheral to business activities but as an integral expression of values. The Soosaipillais’ influence appeared in how this abstract commitment translated into operational reality.
Sri Lankan connections drove initial focus
The foundation concentrated primarily on Sri Lanka through two hostels for girls, though plans existed to extend its reach worldwide.
The charity’s name itself referenced these origins.
The logo design encapsulated Prax Foundation Roots’ developmental philosophy. A tree with strong foundations represented the children supported, whilst branches symbolised their personal growth. The imagery suggested the people-centred thinking both founders brought: just as employees required support structures to flourish professionally, beneficiaries needed frameworks enabling them to establish their own roots.
This approach differed from transactional charity models. Foundation activities in Sri Lanka included organising tailored experiences: custom dresses made by visiting tailors, drama competitions, sports meets, and pen pal schemes with UK schoolchildren. These initiatives mirrored corporate HR principles Arani championed, such as development through varied experiences, recognition of individual preferences, and building connections across borders.
UK expansion reflected community investment principles
When the Foundation expanded into UK communities near Prax operations, the leadership philosophy of Sanjeev and Arani Kumar Soosaipalli became more visible. For example, the partnership with Onside’s Horizon Youth Zone in Grimsby demonstrated strategic philanthropy aligned with business presence. Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery and Prax Foundation Roots became committed to Cornerstone Patron status, providing a financial commitment over four years alongside crucial early development support.
Similar patterns emerged in other UK partnerships. Support for Harbour Place, a shelter for homeless and vulnerable people in North Lincolnshire, included monthly food donations and financial contributions towards operating costs. At Hounslow Community Foodbox, Prax Foundation Roots organised cake sales, raffles, and volunteer sessions. Ormiston South Parade Academy’s food bank received funding and essential supplies through financial donations and staff-organised raffles. As a Charity Partner to Aberdeen Cyrenians, a charity and social care provider tackling homelessness, violence, domestic abuse and other forms of social exclusion in the North East of Scotland, Prax Foundation Roots provided monthly funding and food contributions.
Integrating values across business operations
Arani and Sanjeev Soosaipillai centred the organisation’s efforts around five core values: integrity, commitment to excellence, principled and passionate approaches, drive and dynamism, and philanthropy. Prax Foundation Roots operated as the visible manifestation of the fifth value, with other values equally applicable to its charitable work.
Integrity: Transparency and reliability
The first value, integrity, emphasised transparency, fairness, and honesty in all dealings. The Soosaipillais applied this principle to Foundation partnerships, maintaining open communication with beneficiaries, donors, and partner organisations.
Commitment to excellence: Professionalised operations
Commitment to excellence, the second value, stressed maintaining high standards and continual improvement. Prax Foundation Roots professionalised its operations through dedicated administrators, systematic volunteer coordination, and structured fundraising programmes. Rather than ad hoc charitable giving, the organisation developed best-in-class practices for sustained community engagement, mirroring the operational excellence Prax pursued in energy markets.
Principled and passionate: Relationship-focused partnerships
The third value, being principled and passionate, prioritised loyalty, dependability, and compassion whilst maintaining service orientation and relationship focus. This manifested in the Foundation’s approach to partnerships. Support for Harbour Place adapted when the shelter extended to 24-hour operation. Relationships with food banks involved ongoing dialogue about community needs. The value’s emphasis that “if they succeed, we succeed” applied equally to employees and beneficiaries, with Prax Foundation Roots treating charitable partners as long-term collaborators rather than grant recipients.
Drive and dynamism: Empowering people as family
Drive and dynamism, the fourth value, celebrated entrepreneurial spirit, independence, and shaped how Prax Foundation Roots implemented community feedback. Young people pitched directly to senior leadership for funding for Onside Horizon Youth Zone, given agency rather than treated as passive recipients. Girls at Sri Lankan hostels participated in competitions, ran races, and pursued higher education, activities emphasising their potential and ambition. Employee participation in “Love In A Box” campaigns and fundraising events across multiple continents reflected the family-oriented culture that the value articulated.
Philanthropic: Generosity at the centre
The fifth value, philanthropy, positioned generosity at the organisation’s centre. Prax Foundation Roots embodied this commitment, whilst the value also encouraged staff charitable projects beyond the Foundation’s remit. This dual approach, institutional philanthropy alongside grassroots employee initiatives, created multiple channels for expressing generosity. The value acknowledged that philanthropy supported “causes that are close to our hearts”, explaining the Foundation’s focus on the Sri Lanka (reflecting the Soosaipillais’ heritage) and communities near Prax operations (reflecting commitment to being good neighbours).
Structural philanthropy embedded in operations
Prax Foundation Roots functioned less as an external charity and more as an integrated expression of company values that Sanjeev and Arani Soosaipillai helped define and implement. The Foundation’s governance structure, with trustees including senior executives, ensured alignment between business operations and charitable activities. This integration was deliberate rather than coincidental.
The model allowed employee participation at scale. Teams across continents contributed to campaigns, volunteer programmes operated from multiple offices, and workplace fundraising generated thousands of pounds complemented by Prax Foundation Roots matching the amounts raised. Prax Foundation Roots stood as a testament not just to philanthropic intent but to the leadership that transformed intent into a durable institutional reality.
