Varkey Foundation

The Varkey Foundation was established in 2011 by Sunny Varkey, the founder of GEMS Education, with the goal of improving education standards and raising the status and capacity of teachers across the world. Its programmes seek to learn from and share best practices, in areas ranging from teacher training to leadership, and to improve access to education among underprivileged, remote and displaced children. The foundation also organises the annual $1m Global Teacher Prize, which seeks to recognise outstanding teachers worldwide, and convenes conferences and events to promote shared learning. The foundation is primarily funded by the family’s Varkey Group, but also receives donor grants for some of its projects.

Related sustainable development goals

  • No Poverty
  • Quality Education
  • Gender Equality
  • Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Reduced Inequalities
  • Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • Responsible Consumption and Production

Focus areas

Focus sectors

  • Education
    • Education services
    • Educational management
  • Public affairs
    • Public policy

Focus populations

  • Academics
    • Students
    • Researchers
    • Teachers
  • Adolescents
  • Children
  • Immigrants and migrants
  • Preteens

Focus geographies

  • Africa
    • Ghana
    • Cote d'Ivoire
    • Uganda
  • Americas
    • Argentina
    • Dominican Republic
    • Colombia
  • Europe
    • Slovakia
    • United Kingdom
  • Middle East
    • Lebanon
    • United Arab Emirates

Grantees

  • Arab Campaign for the Education of All
  • Bridging Education and Mobility (BEAM)
  • Invincible Me
  • Jusoor
  • Pro.Svit: Center for Innovative Education
  • Teach for Ghana
  • Teach for Uganda
  • Zivica

Programmes

  • Global Student Prize
    The Chegg.org Global Student Prize is a US$100,000 award presented to an exceptional student, making a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond.
  • Global Teacher Prize
    The Global Teacher Prize is a $1m award presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.
  • Instructional Leadership Programme (Uganda)
    This aims to improve the quality of teaching by creating networks of highly trained professionals who can guide untrained teachers locally.
  • Leadership and Innovation (Argentina)
    An intensive six-week program designed for current and aspiring school leaders with a special focus in leadership, innovation, communication and technology.
  • Make Ghanian Girls Great
    This programme uses solar-powered and satellite-enabled distance learning infrastructure to deliver interactive learning sessions to students, teachers, communities and government officials in Ghana with the aim of improving literacy and numeracy learning outcomes and support girls with the transition from primary to secondary school.
  • Teach to Reach Remote Classrooms (Ghana)
    This is an interactive distance learning project which aims to improve the educational experience of refugee children from Cote D'Ivoire.
  • The Atlantis Group
    This is a research and convening platform for former ministers and government leaders to exhange ideas on education reform.

Financials

Funding model

  • Cash grants
  • Foundation-administered programme awards
  • Grants to Individuals
  • Matching grants

Primary funders

  • Argentina Ministry for Education and Sport (related programme: Programme for Leadership and Innovative Education)
  • UK Aid (related programme: Making Ghana Girls Great)
  • Varkey family
  • Varkey Group Ltd

Operations

Key staff

  • chief education ambassador, Saima Rana
  • executive director, Nicole Lui
  • head of advocacy and analysis, Nicholas Piachaund

Board members

  • Harsha Varkey, Patron
  • Karen Giles, Trustee
  • Michael Vernon Lockett, Trustee
  • Sunny Varkey, Founder
  • Vijita Patel, Trustee

Contact details