What Trevor Noah Foundation does

The Trevor Noah Foundation (TNF) is a South African nonprofit company (NPC) founded on April 4, 2018 by comedian and media figure Trevor Noah, headquartered at WeWork at the Link in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The foundation's mission is to improve educational outcomes for youth (ages 5-35) in historically disadvantaged African communities through six core programs: the Khulani Schools Programme (KSP), a flagship initiative operating across 19 partner schools with 200+ upgraded classrooms; the Education Changemakers Programme (ECM), a leadership development cohort across 14 East and Central African countries; the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund (KNIF), a venture philanthropy vehicle; the Faranani Infrastructure Project, a construction skills training program; the Khula Funda Literacy Project in partnership with Nal'ibali; and the Take a Learner to Work career exposure initiative. Since inception, TNF reports reaching more than 50,000 young people, with 13,000+ participants in 2024 and a 100% matric pass rate at Siyabonga in both 2024 and 2025.

TNF operates a donor-funded grant and partnership model rather than a commercial revenue model. Its funding has come from a mix of corporate and institutional grants: the Elevate Prize Foundation's Catalyst Prize ($250K, April 2021), Faranani infrastructure funding (R8M, 2021), Oak Foundation (R13.5M, 2022), a R30M anchor for KNIF (April 2025), and a Microsoft three-year commitment of $2M (July 2025). The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) acts as TNF's US fiscal sponsor, enabling tax-deductible donations from US donors. Programs are delivered through partnerships with the Gauteng Department of Education, Nal'ibali, YouthBuild South Africa, the Regional Leadership Center East Africa at Kenyatta University, and 14 KNIF grantee organizations. The foundation is led by Trevor Noah (Founder) and Shalane Yuen (Founding Managing Director), with a board including Norman Aladjem, John Power, Ryan Hardruth, and Thabiso Madiba, and a staff of approximately 13.

Name

Trevor Noah Foundation

Legal name

Trevor Noah Foundation NPC

Website

https://trevornoahfoundation.org/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

South African nonprofit founded in 2018 by Trevor Noah to improve educational outcomes for youth ages 5-35 in historically disadvantaged African communities, operating flagship school support, leadership development, infrastructure, and venture philanthropy programs funded by institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

Keywords

• Education nonprofit
• Youth development
• Venture philanthropy
• Teacher training
• School infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: The foundation operates on donations from individuals and organizations. South Africa donations and international donations are accepted through the website.
2. Corporate Grants: Major grants from corporate partners including Microsoft (technology partner since 2018), Oak Foundation (R13.5 million grant in 2022), and Elevate Prize Foundation ($250K grant in 2021).
3. Tax-Exempt Donations: Registered as a Nonprofit Company (NPO 194-701) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930 058 347) in South Africa. In the United States, Trevor Noah Foundation is a fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with EIN: 95-1644609.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Trevor Noah Foundation is a non-profit education foundation that delivers free educational programs to youth aged 5-35 in historically disadvantaged African communities. Its core offering includes school-level holistic support (infrastructure, psychosocial, digital skills, career guidance), leadership development for young educators, construction skills training for unemployed youth, and venture philanthropy grants to education nonprofits. The foundation operates primarily in Gauteng, South Africa, with leadership programs extending to 14 East and Central African countries.

Product overview

Trevor Noah Foundation is a non-profit education foundation (NPO 194-701, PBO 930 058 347) focused on increasing equitable access to quality education for youth ages 5-35 in historically disadvantaged African communities. The foundation operates through a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Khulani Schools Programme (KSP) as its flagship intervention, supporting schools with infrastructure, psychosocial support, digital skills, and career guidance; the Education Changemakers Program providing leadership development for young educators; the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund offering venture philanthropy to education nonprofits; the Faranani Infrastructure Project providing construction skills training; the Khula Funda Literacy Project improving early literacy; and the Take a Learner to Work Initiative offering career exposure. The foundation partners with Microsoft (technology partner since 2018), YouthBuild South Africa, Nal'ibali, and the Regional Leadership Center East Africa at Kenyatta University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Khulani Schools Programme (KSP): TNF's flagship intervention launched in 2018, operating in Ivory Park, Braamfischerville, and Eldorado Park in Gauteng. The programme provides comprehensive support to underserved schools including community building, psychosocial support, career guidance, digital skills, and infrastructure improvements.
• Education Changemakers Programme (ECM)
• Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund (KNIF)
• Faranani Infrastructure Project
• Khula Funda Literacy Project

Products and services

• Khulani Schools Programme (KSP) Comprehensive school support program providing community building, psychosocial support, career guidance, digital skills training, and infrastructure improvements to 19 partner schools in Ivory Park, Braamfischerville, and Eldorado Park in Gauteng, South Africa. Targeted at learners, teachers, and school leaders in historically disadvantaged communities.
• Education Changemakers Program (ECM) Leadership development program providing intensive in-person training (four weeks in Nairobi, Kenya), six months of post-training mentorship, coaching, and small grants for young educators, school leaders, education innovators, and policy advocates aged 18-35 from 14 East and Central African countries.
• Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund (KNIF) Venture philanthropy initiative providing flexible, unrestricted funding up to R3M over 3 years to South African education nonprofits implementing innovative approaches for teacher development and youth opportunity pathways. Currently supports 14 grantee organizations.
• Faranani Infrastructure Project Skills training initiative in partnership with YouthBuild South Africa that teaches construction, life, entrepreneurship, and work readiness skills to unemployed youth while improving school infrastructure. Over 200 classrooms upgraded and 143 toilet facilities repaired.
• Khula Funda Literacy Project Parent, school, and community-driven literacy initiative implemented in 7 primary schools in Braamfischerville, Soweto. Boosts educator confidence in teaching reading and increases parent-child reading practices through storytelling, DEAR sessions, and classroom libraries.
• Take a Learner to Work Initiative Career guidance program giving Grade 9 learners from Khulani Schools the chance to step into real workplaces, meet mentors, and explore careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Siyabonga Secondary School achieved 100% matric pass rate in 2024 and 2025 (up from 87.9% in 2019)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 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

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

• Regional Leadership Center East Africa at Kenyatta UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026Spearheads the Education Changemakers Program in East and Central Africa. Implements intensive in-person leadership training in Nairobi, Kenya, as Phase 1 of the program. Supports young education leaders from 14 countries.
• Nal'ibalicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership to implement the Khula Funda Literacy Project, a parent, school, and community-driven literacy initiative launched in 2022. Implemented in 7 primary schools in Braamfischerville, Soweto, focusing on storytelling, DEAR sessions, and classroom libraries.
• YouthBuild South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership launched in 2021 to implement the Faranani Infrastructure Project, addressing school infrastructure gaps while creating employment opportunities for unemployed youth. The project trained local youth in construction skills who then built and rehabilitated school facilities. Over 200 classrooms upgraded, benefiting 23,000+ learners.
• MicrosoftflagshipTechnology or Integration · 4 April 2018Microsoft has been TNF's technology partner since 2018, when Brad Smith joined Trevor Noah in Johannesburg to launch the foundation. The partnership supports digital skills and technology-enabled learning in South African schools. In 2025, Microsoft Elevate joined as co-funding partner for the Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund with a $2 million investment over three years. Microsoft provides AI training, software licenses, and capacity-building tools.
• Johannesburg Parent Child Counselling CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018One of TNF's first trusting partners at launch in 2018, providing counselling and support services.
• Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn the United States, TNF is a fund of EIF, a public 501(c)(3) organization. EIF is a Charity Navigator 4-Star Charity that meets all 20 Better Business Bureau charity standards and carries the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.
• PKF OctagonminorOthersProfessional services firm providing audit and accounting support to the foundation.
• Gauteng Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership supporting the Khulani Schools Programme. Key stakeholder in education initiatives including Faranani Infrastructure Project and inclusive education expansion across 18 schools in Gauteng.
• Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund Grantees (14 organisations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrantee partners include: Citizen Leader Lab, Digify Foundation NPC, Ilitha Labantu, INMED South Africa, Ntataise Youth Power, Phola NPO, SLED, EELC, The Valley Trust, CIDA-E3, GRIT, iSchoolAfrica, ORT SA Cape Trust, and Umuzi. Each receives up to R3M over 3 years for teacher development or youth pathway innovations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: One of the largest global development nonprofits operating education, healthcare, and livelihoods programs across Africa and Asia. Comparable in delivering large-scale education programs in underserved communities and combining direct service delivery with capacity-building for local organizations.
• Nelson Mandela Foundation: South African foundation promoting Mandela's legacy through dialogue, education, and social justice programs. Comparable as a high-profile South African foundation with national reach, though broader in mission beyond education.

Emerging players

• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Africa-focused philanthropy supporting entrepreneurship and youth economic empowerment across the continent. Comparable in mission (African youth empowerment), founder-led philanthropy model, and pan-African grantmaking operations.

Direct peers

• Ubuntu Education Fund: South African nonprofit providing cradle-to-career education and health services in Port Elizabeth townships. Comparable in delivering holistic, multi-dimensional support (education, psychosocial, career guidance) to youth in historically disadvantaged South African communities.
• Room to Read: Global nonprofit focused on literacy and gender equality in education across Africa and Asia. Comparable in targeting underserved school systems, running school-level interventions, and operating a portfolio of complementary programs (literacy, girls' education, school libraries).
• African Leadership Academy: South Africa-based pan-African institution developing young African leaders through secondary and university-level education. Comparable in targeting African youth leadership development, pan-African recruitment, and operating in Johannesburg with similar mission alignment.
• PEF (Partners for Possibility): South African nonprofit connecting business leaders with under-resourced school principals to drive school transformation. Comparable in targeting South African schools, focusing on leadership development for educators, and working through the Gauteng Department of Education.
• Malala Fund: Global nonprofit founded by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai advocating for girls' education and funding local education programs in developing countries. Comparable in mission (education access for disadvantaged youth), fundraising model (celebrity founder-driven), and global programmatic reach.
• Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation: Celebrity-founded education foundation in South Africa supporting underserved youth through school development and scholarships. Highly comparable to TNF given shared South African geography, celebrity founder, and focus on educational equity for disadvantaged communities.
• Nal'ibali: South African literacy-focused nonprofit that is also a TNF partner through the Khula Funda Literacy Project. Operates school-based literacy programs in under-resourced South African communities, directly comparable to TNF's literacy and education-access components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/trevornoahfdn?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/trevornoahfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/trevornoahfoundation

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Trevor Noah Foundation