The objective of the activity of the Folk Culture Endowment is to preserve, develop, enliven and support folk culture and preserve the national identity. Folk culture includes folklore movement, folk songs, folk dances, handicraft, amateur theatres, choirs, museums, nation studies.

To achieve the objectives, the Endowment supports:

• events and projects that promote international, national and regional cultural life;
• organisation of and participation in training and continued education in the area of folk culture;  
• extracurricular education related to folk culture;
• publication of printed matters in this field;
•  activity of professional associations and amateur groups;
•  participation in the top events of folk culture;
•  self-improvement or studies abroad;
•  devotion to creative work;
•  creative people involved in folk culture;  
•  commemoration of creative people in folk culture.

In order to achieve the objectives, the Folk Culture Endowment awards grants and benefits and gives awards.

The Endowment awards the project benefit for the promotion, introduction, popularisation of folk culture, publication of works of folk culture, commemoration of individuals involved in folk culture, participation in the top events of folk culture etc. The Folk Culture Endowment has established that the Estonian Amateur Theatre Association (Eesti Harrastusteatrite Liit), the Estonian Choral Association (Eesti Kooriühing), the Estonian Folk Art and Craft Union (Eesti Rahvakunsti ja Käsitöö Liit), the Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Association (Eesti Rahvatantsu- ja Rahvamuusika Selts) and the Estonian Folklore Council (Eesti Folkloorinõukogu) can apply for the activity benefits.

In addition to project and activity benefits, the Endowment awards creative people the creative work benefit that physical and legal persons can apply for four times a year.

The Folk Culture Endowment pays to meritorious individuals involved in folk culture one-time and regular life`s work benefits. The one-time life`s work benefits can be applied for four times a year, the regular life`s work benefits are awarded on the initiative of the Endowment.

The Folk Culture Endowment awards the jubilee benefit from 60th birthday every five years and from 95th birthday every year. The benefit is from 320 to 600 euros.

The Folk Culture Endowment pays the funeral benefit to compensate the costs incurred in relation to the funeral of a departed creative individual.

The Folk Culture Endowment supports commitment of creative people to their creative work with creative grants that can be applied for four times a year and are up to 3,000 euros.

The Endowment awards the creative people of the area also specialty grants (e.g. producer, instructor, leader of a choir, curator, designer etc.) that can be applied for four times a year.

The awards are given to acknowledge and inspire creative people, highlight their achievements and acknowledge the organisations active in folk culture. Four awards are given:

·         The Endowment`s annual award which purpose is to acknowledge excellent achievements in folk culture, encourage the development of the field and increase the prestige of this sphere in society. The award is up to 5,500 euros.

·         The life`s work award which purpose is to acknowledge a physical person`s long-term activity and contribution to the development of folk culture. The award is 10,000 euros.

·         The acknowledgement award which purpose is to recognise or inspire creative people to devote to their professional activity that has influenced the development of the area and inspire them for further professional activity. The award ranges from 300 to 2000 euros.

·         The competition award which purpose is to acknowledge creative people that have achieved success in creative or professional competitions. A condition of the competition award is that the competition is registered at the professional association; otherwise, the competition has to be declared publicly.