Maitri Trust

The Maitri Trust, an independent UK charitable foundation established in 2006 by Stewart Investors, is dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers to quality primary education in India and South Africa, ensuring every child can reach their full potential and contribute to resilient communities. Rooted in values of partnership, equity, long-term impact, and trust-based philanthropy, it prioritizes collaboration with committed organizations driving large-scale, sustainable reforms in government primary school systems, emphasizing flexible unrestricted grants, strategic support, and active engagement over transactional funding.

It exclusively funds systems-level education reform initiatives targeting the most disadvantaged children, including teacher development, school leadership, early childhood transitions, learning assessments, and community-school engagement. Focus areas are concentrated in India's Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi regions, alongside national, provincial, and district work in South Africa, supporting holistic approaches aligned with SDG 4 for transformative teaching, learning outcomes, and equity.

Eligible partners are medium to large NGOs, networks, or consortia with proven track records in multi-year, systemic education reform; no geographic base restriction applies, but activities must target specified regions—no small grassroots groups or UK-based work. Funding is invitation-only, with no unsolicited applications, open calls, or deadlines; the executive team proactively sources partners via research and recommendations, offering multi-year flexible grants typically £300,000–£1,000,000 (up to £2m+ cumulatively), covering core costs, capacity building, and collaboration, with ad hoc trustee meetings.

Maitri stands out for its deep thematic specialism, aversion to quick wins or project silos, and rejection of capital-only, emergency relief, or non-strategic funding outside its niches, distinguishing it as a partnership-led force for education equity rather than a generalist grantmaker.