What MJF FOUNDATION INC does

MJF Foundation Inc is the US-incorporated affiliate of the MJF Charitable Foundation, a Sri Lankan non-profit organization established in 1990 by Merrill J. Fernando, founder of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company. The foundation operates as the philanthropic arm of Dilmah and is funded by a 15% commitment of pretax profits from Dilmah and the MJF group of companies, supplemented by the Fernando family's personal assets.

The foundation operates an integrated service delivery model through a network of 10+ community centres across Sri Lanka (including Moratuwa, Peliyagoda, Kalkudah, Jaffna, Point Pedro, Siyambalanduwa, Weligama, Ambalantota, Monaragala, and Maligawatta), employing over 200 teachers and implementing more than 150 community projects. Its programme portfolio covers child education (MJF Kids), disability services through the National Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Developmental Disorders (NCCCPDD) and Rainbow Centres, youth vocational training (Empower Culinary and Hospitality Schools, Curtiss Institute of Design Technology), women's empowerment, and micro-enterprise development (Small Entrepreneur Programme, People's Markets).

The foundation deploys two proprietary technology products: the Avaz Alternative Communication App (the first alternative communication app in Sri Lanka, available in Sinhala, Tamil and English) and a disABILITY Screening App, both developed in partnership with Avaz India and the University of Kelaniya. It also runs the Genesis Project agripreneur incubator, the Around the Pearl annual cycling fundraiser, and is engaged in a national cervical cancer eradication initiative. All services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, with no pricing model in the commercial sense. The foundation depends entirely on Dilmah-linked funding and operates with limited paid staff (the US entity reports 6 employees), relying on partner organizations and a large volunteer/teacher base for programme delivery.

Name

MJF FOUNDATION INC

Legal name

MJF Charitable Foundation

Website

https://mjffoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MJF Charitable Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, operating 10+ community centres across Sri Lanka that deliver free education, vocational training, disability services, entrepreneurship support, and healthcare to underserved tea plantation, urban, and disabled communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit community services and philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets (BPAGABAM), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Youth vocational training
• Disability support services
• Micro entrepreneurship grants
• Nonprofit education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Peliyagoda

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dilmah tea company profit-sharing: 15% of all pretax profits from Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company and MJF group of companies fund the MJF Charitable Foundation. Personal funds and assets of Founder Merrill J. Fernando and his family also contribute to funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MJF Foundation Inc (MJF Charitable Foundation) is a Sri Lankan non-profit organization that delivers free community programmes in education, healthcare, vocational training, disability support, and micro-enterprise development to underserved populations. It operates 10+ MJF community centres across Sri Lanka, runs the MJF Kids, disABILITY, Empower Culinary & Hospitality, Small Entrepreneur, and Women's Development programmes, and is funded primarily by 15% of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company's pretax profits and the Fernando family's personal assets.

Product overview

MJF Charitable Foundation operates as a multi-programme non-profit organization implementing over 150 different community projects across Sri Lanka. The foundation provides a portfolio of interconnected programmes including the MJF Kids Programme for child empowerment, disABILITY Programme for children with special needs, Empower Programme for youth development, and Empower Culinary and Hospitality Schools (ECHS) for vocational training. Supporting initiatives include the Small Entrepreneur Programme (SEP) for livelihood support, Women's Development Programme, Cricket Live Foundation for sports-based youth empowerment, and MJF Education Hub for academic support. Technology products include the Avaz Alternative Communication App and disABILITY Screening App. The foundation operates MJF Centres across the island providing facilities for these programmes, with the Curtiss Institute of Design Technology offering accredited vocational courses. The organisation directly and indirectly benefits over 10,000 underserved people annually through these integrated initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MJF Kids Programme (disABILITY): Programme supporting children and youth from vulnerable communities including those with disabilities, providing education, therapy, and life skills.
• Empower Culinary and Hospitality School (ECHS)
• Small Entrepreneur Programme (SEP)
• NCCCPDD (National Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Developmental Disorders)
• Dilmah t-Lounge
• DCSARC (Dilmah Conservation Sustainable Agriculture Research Centre)
• Tuk Tuk Poth

Products and services

• MJF Kids Programme Child empowerment programme providing educational support, art, life skills, and a caring environment for children from vulnerable and marginalized communities across Sri Lanka.
• disABILITY Programme (NCCCPDD & Rainbow Centres) Comprehensive support for children and youth with disabilities including therapy, education, and skills training, operating through the National Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Developmental Disorders (NCCCPDD) and Rainbow Centres.
• Empower Culinary and Hospitality Schools (ECHS) Worldchefs-accredited culinary training institutions in Moratuwa and Kalkudah offering free practical and professional competency training for less-privileged youth to pursue careers in culinary arts and hospitality.
• Small Entrepreneur Programme (SEP) Micro and small business support initiative providing grants, equipment, mentorship, and market alignment to empower entrepreneurs from less fortunate and disaster-affected communities.
• Women's Development Programme Initiative to empower and upskill women through education, vocational training, and livelihood support, with over 633 women empowered through the programme.
• MJF Community Centres Network of community centres across Sri Lanka (Moratuwa, Peliyagoda, Kalkudah, Siyambalanduwa, Weligama, Point Pedro, Monaragala, Jaffna, Ambalantota, Maligawatta, Pallansena) delivering integrated education, healthcare, vocational training, and community development services.
• Curtiss Institute of Design Technology Design and technology training institute at MJF Foundation Moratuwa Centre, offering an ICTT course accredited at NVQ Level 3 by TVEC.
• The Genesis Project Innovation hub and centre of excellence for Nature-based solutions at Maligawatte, serving as an incubator for agripreneurs to develop and reach international markets.
• NVQ-Level Computer Courses at MJF Centre East TVEC-registered Computer Unit at MJF Centre East offering NVQ-Level courses for children and youth in the Eastern Province.
• Cashew Processing Centre Cashew processing centre at the eastern MJF Centre for Dignified Empowerment, part of the Greening Batticaloa Programme to plant 1 million cashew trees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 47,688 beneficiaries supported in tea and cinnamon community
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Cricket Live Foundation (New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative supporting underprivileged children through cricket coaching, life skills, education and academic support. Nearly 1000 young girls and boys have been supported. Mike Dormer Awards introduced to honor excellence among participants.
• Tokai Coop (Japan)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual school bag donations for preschool children on tea estates, providing educational supplies for children starting school.
• World Vision LankacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on community mobilisation projects in Batticaloa District, supporting the MJF Centre East for dignified empowerment.
• World Association of Chefs' Societies (Worldchefs)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation partner for Empower Culinary and Hospitality Schools - the only Worldchefs accredited culinary training institution in Sri Lanka.
• Bocuse d'OrcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational culinary competition connection with Sri Lanka chapter, judges visiting Empower Schools, supporting culinary excellence.
• Avaz IndiacoreTechnology or IntegrationDevelopment partner for Avaz alternative communication app - Sri Lanka's first alternative communication app for children with disabilities.
• University of KelaniyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in development of Avaz app and other disability support initiatives.
• Cerebral Palsy Lanka FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner for National Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Developmental Disorders (NCCCPDD).
• AuSLMAT (Australia Sri Lanka Medical Assistance Team)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical teams conducting health camps across Sri Lanka including plantations, providing healthcare, diabetes awareness, eye care, and echocardiogram testing.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognition awarded for initiatives to support and empower Persons with Disabilities.
• Colombo Friend In Need SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership since 2006 for AIDEX sports meet for amputees, providing grants to entrepreneurs and supporting students with disabilities.
• Caxton College (Spain)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudents walking to raise funds to support wheelchair camps conducted by MJF Charitable Foundation.
• Food Matters Tours New ZealandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKiwi culinary tour company visiting MJF Foundation with donations and support for children.
• UNDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate sector facility partnership for donating vital medicines to Ministry of Health.
• RotarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in national initiative to eradicate cervical cancer by 2030, contributing Rs. 75 million initially.
• Hilton ColombominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTours of hotel facilities for Empower Culinary School students, providing industry exposure.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsunami recovery partnership supporting Small Entrepreneurship Programme with nearly 2,000 recipients.
• Plantation Human Development TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on healthcare initiatives for plantation communities including High Dependency Unit at Nawalapitiya Hospital.
• Kahawatte PlantationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company collaboration funding healthcare facilities like Rs. 25 million High Dependency Care Unit and ambulance donations.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Major international grantmaking foundation with active programming in South Asia and globally. Comparable to MJF Foundation as a large-scale philanthropic grantmaking body supporting community development, education, and social justice initiatives.
• Tata Trusts: India's largest philanthropic foundation backed by the Tata corporate group. Directly comparable to MJF Foundation in corporate-philanthropy hybrid model, multi-sector grantmaking, and family-stewarded long-horizon community development programmes.
• BRAC: One of the world's largest non-governmental development organizations operating integrated community programmes in South Asia. Comparable to MJF Foundation in micro-enterprise support, education, healthcare, and women's empowerment focus.
• Aga Khan Foundation: International development foundation operating across South Asia with integrated community development programs. Comparable to MJF Foundation in family-endowed philanthropic structure, multi-sector programme portfolio, and emphasis on community-based empowerment.

Direct peers

• SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka: International NGO supporting children and youth welfare in Sri Lanka. Comparable to MJF Foundation in child-focused programmes, education, and family strengthening services for marginalized communities.
• Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan affiliate of the global housing non-profit. Comparable to MJF Foundation in addressing plantation and low-income community needs through housing, sanitation, and integrated community development programmes in Sri Lanka.
• Save the Children Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka operation of the global child-welfare NGO. Comparable to MJF Foundation in child-focused education, healthcare, and protection programmes serving vulnerable and marginalized communities across Sri Lanka.
• Sarvodaya: Sri Lanka's largest non-governmental development organization operating community-based programs across the island. Directly comparable to MJF Foundation in geographic focus, community empowerment model, and breadth of programmes spanning education, health, livelihoods, and disaster recovery.
• World Vision Lanka: Sri Lanka operation of the global World Vision NGO, an active MJF Foundation partner. Comparable in child welfare, community development, and disaster recovery programmes serving plantation and rural communities in Sri Lanka.
• Foundation of Goodness: Sri Lankan non-profit providing holistic community development through education, healthcare, and livelihood training in rural areas. Comparable to MJF Foundation in operating community centres, vocational training, and integrated rural empowerment model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mjf-foundation-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MJF FOUNDATION INC