Instituted in 1986, Karuna Trust is a public charitable trust affiliated with Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra an Integrated Tribal Development Project located in B R Hills. The Trust began as a response to the high prevalence of Leprosy in Yelandur Taluk, Chamarajanagar district. Over the years, the Trust has expanded its scope of work to Health, Education, Livelihoods and Advocacy areas. Karuna Trust believes in providing need based, people oriented and culturally acceptable methods using appropriate technology with minimum cost to the community.

Vision is for a society in which they strive to provide an equitable and integrated model of health care, education and livelihoods by empowering marginalized people to be self reliant.