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A Foundation Built on Belief

From Colombo to the World

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.

Founders at inaugural board meeting, Colombo, 1998
Inaugural board meeting, Colombo · 1998

Milestones

1998

Foundation Established

Incorporated in Colombo with a USD 2M endowment by ten founding members.

2001

First International Grant

USD 400,000 awarded to the Bangladesh Rural Education Trust for 12 schools.

2005

Scholars Programme Launch

First cohort of 80 university scholars selected across Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal.

2009

Africa Expansion

Established regional office in Nairobi; partnered with 6 African ministries of education.

2013

USD 50M Milestone

Cumulative grant disbursements exceeded USD 50 million; 500+ schools built.

2018

Climate-Resilient Schools

Launched dedicated programme for flood- and earthquake-resilient school construction.

2023

25th Anniversary

285,000 students reached; USD 180M+ granted; 42 active countries.

Meet the Founders

Dr. Margaret Osei-Asante, Founding Chair

Founding Chair

Dr. Margaret Osei-Asante

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.

Mr. Rajan Subramaniam, Co-Founder

Co-Founder & Treasurer

Mr. Rajan Subramaniam

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.

Board of Directors

Our Board comprises nine independent directors elected for three-year terms, serving a maximum of three consecutive terms.

Dr. Amara Perera, Chair

Dr. Amara Perera

Chair

Prof. James Obi, Vice Chair

Prof. James Obi

Vice Chair

Dr. Laleh Ahmadi, Secretary

Dr. Laleh Ahmadi

Secretary

Mr. David Nkosi, Treasurer

Mr. David Nkosi

Treasurer

Dr. Sofia Reyes, Director

Dr. Sofia Reyes

Director

Mr. Chen Wei, Director

Mr. Chen Wei

Director

Ms. Fatima Al-Zahra, Director

Ms. Fatima Al-Zahra

Director

Prof. Elena Vasquez, Director

Prof. Elena Vasquez

Director

Governance & Accountability

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 Report

Administrative 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