Luminary Foundation was incorporated in 1998 by a group of Sri Lankan educators and entrepreneurs who had each benefited from a fortunate education — and who resolved to extend that fortune to others. The founding endowment of USD 2 million was contributed by ten individuals who expected nothing in return except results.
In our first decade, we built 140 schools across South Asia and awarded 1,200 scholarships. By 2010, the Foundation had expanded to Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Today, with operations in 42 countries and an annual disbursement exceeding USD 18 million, we remain guided by the same founding conviction.
Our governance model combines rigorous academic oversight with practitioner leadership, ensuring every grant decision is grounded in evidence and delivered with integrity.
1998
Incorporated in Colombo with a USD 2M endowment by ten founding members.
2001
USD 400,000 awarded to the Bangladesh Rural Education Trust for 12 schools.
2005
First cohort of 80 university scholars selected across Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal.
2009
Established regional office in Nairobi; partnered with 6 African ministries of education.
2013
Cumulative grant disbursements exceeded USD 50 million; 500+ schools built.
2018
Launched dedicated programme for flood- and earthquake-resilient school construction.
2023
285,000 students reached; USD 180M+ granted; 42 active countries.
Founding Chair
Former Dean of Education at the University of Colombo, Dr. Osei-Asante spent 30 years studying the conditions that enable children from low-income households to thrive academically. She remains Chair Emerita of the Foundation's Academic Advisory Council.
Co-Founder & Treasurer
A chartered accountant and former partner at a leading regional firm, Mr. Subramaniam designed the Foundation's financial governance model — including its independent audit committee and endowment investment policy.
Our Board comprises nine independent directors elected for three-year terms, serving a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Chair
Vice Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Luminary Foundation maintains the highest standards of non-profit governance. We publish annual audited accounts, programme evaluations, and board minutes on our public document portal.
We hold Charity Platinum status with GuideStar, an A+ rating from CharityWatch, and are accredited by ICFO.
Read Our Impact ReportAdministrative Overhead
8%
92% of all funds go directly to programmes
Programmes & Grants
92%
Direct educational impact
Independent Audit Score
97%
Three consecutive years
Grant Funds Deployed On-Time
99%
2023 fiscal year