Accelerating Solutions for Foundational Learning

22 education organisations

form the Hempel Foundation’s education partner portfolio. Our partners are united by a vision to scale foundational learning solutions for children in some of the world’s least-developed countries.

Global

Education
PartnersGlobal Schools Forum,Building Tomorrow,Twaweza,Teach for Bangladesh

Why

Despite proven solutions, too many education initiatives face barriers that prevent them from growing and making a wider impact.

The world is facing a global learning crisis that demands collective action. Addressing this challenge requires collaboration across sectors, with specialised non-governmental education organisations playing a vital role in strengthening public education systems in low- and middle-income countries.

Yet, these organisations face major barriers to scaling their impact. Expanding within complex education systems requires more than effective programmes—it demands access to funding, evidence-building support, and connections with key partners like governments and major funders. Many organisations lack the platforms to share knowledge and scale what works, limiting their reach and effectiveness.

The Hempel Foundation is committed to tackling these challenges by supporting education partners in building networks, strengthening capabilities, and amplifying their impact - ensuring more children gain access to quality learning.

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70%learning poverty in low- and middle-income countries

Approximately 7 out of 10 children in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. This is what the World Bank refers to as Learning Poverty.

86%of educational innovations come from the non-state sector

Specialised education organisations are often pioneers in developing contextually relevant, cost-effective solutions to tackle the learning crisis.

How

The Hempel Foundation provides its education partners with flexible funding through grants that span two to four years.

These grant-making processes are designed to foster genuine, trust-based partnerships, providing organisations with the flexibility and long-term support needed to strengthen their capabilities and maximize their impact. By focusing on deep collaboration rather than short-term interventions, the Hempel Foundation ensures that its partners can develop sustainable strategies, scale their programmes effectively, and drive meaningful change in education systems.

To accelerate the impact of its partners, the Hempel Foundation’s approach is tailored to help organisations expand their networks and build strong relationships with key stakeholders, including governments, new funders, and knowledge institutions. Establishing these connections is crucial for long-term sustainability, enabling partners to integrate their solutions into public education systems and attract additional support for scaling. Furthermore, the Foundation actively supports partners in measuring, documenting, and sharing evidence of programme effectiveness. By helping organisations communicate their impact, refine their approaches, and share best practices, the Foundation plays a vital role in amplifying their reach and ensuring that successful education models can benefit more children in need.

A key partner in this effort is Global Schools Forum, a dynamic community, innovation accelerator, and partnership builder that supports non-state organisations striving to improve education at scale for underserved children in low- and middle-income countries. Global Schools Forum plays a critical role in supporting education organisations as they pilot and refine promising programmes with the potential for large-scale replication.

Through this collaboration, the Hempel Foundation and Global Schools Forum are working together to ensure that innovative, effective education solutions reach more children, transforming learning opportunities for those who need them most.

Read our Education Strategy
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our partners

Global Schools Forum

Global Schools Forum - GSF - is a collaborative community, innovation accelerator, and partnership builder working to improve education at scale for underserved children in low- and middle-income countries.

Through capacity-building, policy advocacy, and knowledge-sharing, GSF strengthens the impact of schools and organizations working to expand access to quality learning opportunities.

Building Tomorrow

Building Tomorrow partners with communities in Uganda to improve access to quality education in rural areas. Through school construction, teacher training, and innovative learning programs, it works to ensure every child has the opportunity to develop foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

Twaweza

Twaweza is a civic organization that uses data and public engagement to drive education reform in East Africa. By promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen-led learning assessments, it empowers communities and policymakers to improve education systems.

Teach for Bangladesh

Teach for Bangladesh is a leadership development program that recruits and trains high-potential graduates to teach in underserved schools. By nurturing a network of education leaders, it works to address educational inequities and build a movement for systemic change.

Accelerating Change

The Road to Change

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We are thrilled to collaborate with Hempel Foundation on the forthcoming launch of the Impact Accelerator, a transformative programme designed to support Hempel Foundation portfolio organisations working in education in low-resource communities. By providing targeted support in impact measurement, partnerships, resource mobilisation, and strategic communication, this initiative enables organisations to scale solutions and deliver equitable access to quality education for every child.

Aashti Zaidi Hai

Founder and CEO, Global Schools Forum