Our Impact.
The Human Face of Big Bets.
At the Rouben Malian Memorial Foundation, we are obsessed with results. However, we recognize that in the world of philanthropy, "results" can often feel cold when reduced to spreadsheets and pie charts. While we track every dollar with rigorous precision, we believe that our true return on investment (ROI) is best measured in the tangible transformation of human lives.
​
A statistic cannot smile. A spreadsheet cannot feel the pride of a first paycheck. A graph cannot capture the relief of a parent who knows their child finally has the tools to succeed.
​
This page is dedicated to the Stories of Change. Here, we pull back the curtain on our "Big Bets" to show you exactly what happens when potential meets opportunity. These are the chronicles of resilience, the case studies of empowerment, and the living legacy of Rouben Malian.
Our Methodology of Measurement
Before we tell the stories, it is vital to understand how we measure them. We do not practice "sprinkle-down" charity—scattered donations with no follow-up. We practice Strategic Philanthropic Investment.
​
When we deploy funds to a project, we track three distinct metrics:
-
Immediate Output: The tangible goods or services delivered (e.g., 500 laptops distributed, 200 hours of coding classes taught).
-
Intermediate Outcome: The direct change in behavior or status (e.g., student grades improved by 15%).
-
Long-Term Impact: The systemic shift in quality of life (e.g., a family moves above the poverty line).
We believe that true transparency requires sharing not just the victories, but the journey it took to achieve them.
Case Study: The Digital Divide
Project: "The Classroom Without Walls"
Location: Rural Tavush Region Beneficiary Focus: K-12 Education
​
The Challenge: In the remote villages of the Tavush region, the Digital Divide was not just a gap; it was a canyon. Schools were operating with textbooks that were decades old. Internet connectivity was sporadic at best, and non-existent at worst. Bright, ambitious students were effectively cut off from the global economy, their potential stifled by their geography.
​
The "Big Bet": The Foundation didn’t just donate computers; we invested in an ecosystem. We partnered with local ISPs to subsidize fiber-optic lines to three village schools. Simultaneously, we deployed 150 high-performance laptops loaded with educational software and established a "Tech Mentorship" program connecting these students with IT professionals in the capital.
​
The Story of Anahit: Anahit, a 14-year-old student, loved mathematics but had never written a line of code. Her school had one computer, which was kept in the principal's office. Through our initiative, Anahit received a laptop and joined our remote coding bootcamp.
​
The Result: Two years later, Anahit is not only top of her class in math; she has built a basic website for her father’s beekeeping business, allowing him to sell honey to customers in Yerevan. This is the multiplier effect: one laptop empowered a student, who digitized a business, which supported a family.
​
The Ripple Effect
When you read these stories, we hope you see what we see: Potential unleashed.
​
The "Big Bet" philosophy asserts that we cannot fear failure when the cost of inaction is so high. Every donation made to the Rouben Malian Memorial Foundation is a seed planted in fertile ground. We nurture it with strategy, we water it with advocacy, and we protect it with integrity.
​
But the harvest does not belong to us. It belongs to Anahit, who is coding the future. It belongs to Davit, who is building a stable life. It belongs to the community that remembers where it came from while looking toward where it is going.
​
Are you ready to be part of the next story?​