The Kays Foundation

Charity Number: 1149856

Annual Expenditure: £1.0M
Geographic Focus: Kenya

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,000,000+ (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation/strategic approach only)
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly by strategic investment
  • Geographic Focus: Kenya (early childhood development)

Contact Details

Email: KAYS@THETRUSTPARTNERSHIP.COM

Phone: 01258405668

Registered Address: 6 Trull Farm Buildings, Trull, Tetbury, Gloucestershire

Charity Number: 1149856

Overview

The Kays Foundation was registered as a UK charity on 21 November 2012 and operates as a charitable company (company number 08147905). With total income of £1,176,739 and charitable expenditure of £1,000,031 in the year ending April 2024, the foundation focuses exclusively on early childhood development in Kenya. Founded by Khilen Nathwani, the foundation's mission is “to create momentum around early childhood to make it a priority for everyone.” The foundation takes a strategic, investment-led approach to systems change, prioritizing long-term impact over short-term interventions. Their charitable objective is broad: “the advancement of such charitable purpose or purposes and/or the support of such charitable institutions in any part of the world,” providing flexibility in how they pursue their early childhood mission.

Funding Priorities

Strategic Approach

The Kays Foundation does not operate traditional grant programs with fixed amounts or cycles. Instead, they make strategic investments in initiatives aligned with their early childhood development mission. Known investments include:

  • Akili Kids! TV Channel: Lead investor in $1.8 million funding round (2019) for Kenya's first dedicated children's educational television channel
  • Research Initiatives: Commissioned ethnographic and quantitative research on childhood and childcare for 0-3 year olds in Coastal Kenya

Priority Areas

The foundation collaboratively designs and funds initiatives that:

  • Change the systems preventing children from thriving
  • Consistently improve the experiences of young children (particularly ages 0-3)
  • Understand, share, and provide for the needs of caregivers
  • Ensure consideration of early childhood experiences into projects across all fields and regions

The foundation believes that prioritizing early childhood is central to fighting systemic inequality and that high-quality early childhood experiences should be available to everyone, not just those with resources.

What They Fund

Based on Charity Commission filings, the foundation's areas of operation include:

  • Education/training
  • Disability support
  • Prevention or relief of poverty
  • Overseas aid/famine relief
  • Accommodation/housing
  • Economic/community development/employment

All funding appears focused on Kenya, with particular emphasis on early childhood development.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Pankaj Natwarlal Nathwani - Chair (appointed 12 October 2012)

Khilen Nathwani - Founder and Trustee (appointed 31 March 2025)

Manish Gudka - Trustee (appointed 2 April 2024, also trustee of The Aprirose Foundation)

Tom Kabuga - Trustee (appointed 15 January 2018)

Mitaj Natwarlal Nathwani - Trustee (appointed 12 October 2012)

Mansukhlal Gosar Gudka - Trustee (appointed 12 October 2012, also trustee of The Aprirose Foundation)

Sejal Manish Kanani - Trustee (appointed 12 October 2012)

The foundation has 7 trustees and 1 volunteer. No trustees receive remuneration or benefits from the charity.

Leadership Perspective

Khilen Nathwani, commenting on the Akili Kids! investment, stated: “Akili Kids! has the potential to greatly enhance childhood experiences, and thus later life outcomes, for millions of young Kenyans.” This reflects the foundation's focus on scalable, systems-level interventions with long-term impact potential.

How to Apply to The Kays Foundation

How to Apply

The Kays Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation operates through strategic identification and investment in initiatives that align with their mission, rather than accepting open grant applications from organizations.

Based on available evidence, the foundation appears to:

  • Proactively identify strategic investment opportunities
  • Take a hands-on, collaborative approach to initiatives they support
  • Commission research and form steering committees of experts
  • Act as lead investor in multi-stakeholder funding arrangements

Organizations seeking support from The Kays Foundation should be aware that this is a private foundation operating at trustee discretion, with a highly focused strategic approach to early childhood development in Kenya.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation has demonstrated involvement in:

  • Research partnerships: They commissioned research from experts in early childhood development, working with a steering committee of ECD specialists
  • Investment consortiums: They served as lead investor in Akili Kids! suggesting they participate in multi-funder initiatives
  • Systems-level initiatives: They prioritize long-term, systemic change over individual projects

Organizations working on innovative, scalable early childhood development initiatives in Kenya that align with the foundation's focus on ages 0-3 and systems change may wish to make contact via email to introduce their work, though there is no guarantee of response or funding consideration.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's strategic approach, the following factors appear important:

Alignment with Strategic Focus

  • The foundation is laser-focused on early childhood development (particularly ages 0-3) in Kenya
  • They prioritize initiatives that address systemic barriers rather than providing direct services alone
  • Scalability and potential for widespread impact appear to be key considerations

Systems Change Approach

  • The foundation seeks initiatives that “change the systems preventing children from thriving”
  • They value understanding caregiver needs and incorporating early childhood considerations across sectors
  • Their investment in Akili Kids! demonstrates interest in innovative delivery mechanisms (free-to-air television reaching millions)

Evidence and Research Foundation

  • The foundation has invested in research to understand early childhood experiences in Kenya
  • They work with expert steering committees and seek “unbiased insights”
  • Evidence-based approaches appear valued

Long-term Thinking

  • The foundation is described as taking a “long-term, systems change approach”
  • They appear interested in sustainable impact rather than short-term projects
  • Their research focus on ages 0-3 reflects understanding of critical development periods

Collaborative Approach

  • The foundation “collaboratively designs and funds initiatives”
  • They participate in multi-stakeholder funding arrangements
  • Partnership orientation appears important

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this is a strategic investment foundation, not an open grant-maker
  • Highly specialized focus: Early childhood development (ages 0-3) in Kenya exclusively
  • Systems change orientation: The foundation seeks to change underlying systems, not just fund individual projects
  • Substantial funding capacity: £1m+ annual charitable expenditure with demonstrated ability to lead multi-million investments
  • Evidence-based approach: Research, expert collaboration, and understanding of early childhood experiences are priorities
  • Long-term perspective: The foundation values sustainable, scalable impact over short-term interventions
  • Contact for strategic inquiries only: KAYS@THETRUSTPARTNERSHIP.COM should be used for substantive, mission-aligned introductions, not general funding requests

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References

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