Generally, a foundation started by Rio Tinto is a legal entity with a board of directors that includes community and company representatives. Operations decide for themselves whether or not they see a trust or foundation as an effective vehicle for community relations and development in their circumstances.

It is a way of sharing control of community relations and development with community leaders. It is funded by the operation and often by other entities with an interest in the foundation's activities, such as governments or other private companies. In addition, there may be partnerships with charities and trusts.

Some foundations began by concentrating on community relations and then turned to regional or national development issues. In other cases this pattern is reversed so that foundations with national or regional involvement return to service mine community relations requirements. In some instances the foundation or trust executes most of the community relations programme for the mining operation, and in others responsibilities are shared. This is now the case at Kelian mine in Indonesia where community relations responsibilities are shared with the Indonesian Rio Tinto Foundation.

With the passage of time the initial role of most foundations has changed. For example, the Rössing Foundation in Namibia began by having and executing corprate responsibilities. However, as time passed the foundation gradually became a national development agency. In Zimbabwe, the Rio Tinto Foundation also began to develop a national focus but was much more selective in its involvement. In Australia, the Rio Tinto Aboriginal Foundation has a national focus, while in Indonesia the Rio Tinto Foundation is currently confined in its operation to the immediate area of the Kelian mine in Kalimantan, as is the Palabora Foundation in South Africa.

The Rio Tinto WA Future Fund