This ongoing collaboration between TrustAfrica and IssueLab, a service of the Foundation Center, will enable a better understanding of the nature of giving in Africa, encourage more widespread and cross-sectoral analysis of the gaps in our knowledge, and serve as a platform from which to develop new knowledge and as a basis for refining and adding to the discourse on African giving.
“Africa’s Wealthy Give Back” sheds light on what is currently happening and provides recommendations on how the sector can best allocate growing resources to ensure that Africa’s potential is fulfilled. According to the study, African philanthropists have a unique connection to the causes they support. Their personal history or the challenges they see around them shape their philanthropic activities.
The unburied dead, small change and the questionability of old men’s wisdom: on the eve of stepping down as executive director of TrustAfrica, an organization he founded some eight years ago, these are among the preoccupations of Akwasi Aidoo. Caroline Hartnell (Alliance magazine) talked to him and to his successor, Tendai Murisa, about how each sees the change and what lies ahead for African foundations.
Halima Mahomed (TrustAfrica, PSJP) presents her new report—Of Narratives, Networks and New Spaces: A Baseline Mapping of the African Philanthropy Infrastructure Sector. “Poor visibility of the sector and the limitations of existing frameworks in reflecting adequately its value, role and impact have been cited as important issues, as is the necessity of developing strong communications strategies to help profile and build awareness of the work.”
In early February, Alliance magazine will invite readers to take part in an online poll to pick a prize winner, to be announced on the Alliance blog. The judges’ winner will be announced at WINGSForum in March. The five finalists are listed here.
This month we explore one of six plenaries for WINGSForum—women in philanthropy. We look at regional cross border trade, philanthropy during national transitions, and the impact of women’s rights movements, along with new articles from Barbara Ibrahim, Ruth Jones, and CAF’s Adam Pickering. We also take a special look at gender and agency in Africa…
During a recent Skype call, we asked Mahomed to explain the state of gender within the African context, and to give us a few words on women in philanthropy as we approach WINGSForum 2014: The Power of Networks, where we will further explore the topic in one of six plenaries.
At the closing plenary of the EFC AGA last week, Jordi Vaquer of OSI Europe talked about the crises in Europe and the role that foundations need to be cognizant of playing within this context – essentially calling us to be much more intentional about how we use the advantages we have as foundations. Article by Halima Mahomed.
The impact of philanthropy is often constrained by concerns around the symptoms of poverty and injustice, missing in the process the factors that perpetuate them. Good social justice grantmaking attempts to ultimately address the root causes and mechanisms that underlie unjust treatment.
How can your organisation enhance its collaborative efforts? Examples include collaborative efforts of the Zimbabwe Alliance and online collaboration tools and resources.
Philanthropy in Focus 