The African philanthropy landscape is incredibly rich, characterised by a diversity of actors, practices, and policies. Very old traditions of giving, rooted in cultures of solidarity, co-exist with more modern forms of philanthropic institutions and practices, bringing energy and opportunity to unlock more local resources, as well as challenges in terms of coordinating players and reinforcing collaborations. However, the importance of having a strong and well-connected philanthropy support ecosystem (PSE) is not fully understood which leads to critical underinvestment in the field, and missed opportunities.
As part of collaborative efforts to strengthen the local philanthropy support ecosystem, organizations from West Africa are gathering on September 28-29 at Le Niambour Hotel, Dakar, Senegal to build connections, map the actors in the field and work on their vision for the future of philanthropy in Africa.
The theme of the two-day workshop is: “Strengthening the West African Philanthropy Support Ecosystem” - organized byTrustAfrica and WINGS, in partnership with African Philanthropy Forum (APF), the African Philanthropy Network (APN), Center for African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at Wits Business School, Global Fund for Community Foundation (GFCF), and African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA).
The purpose of the workshop is to:
- Present the results of a research project to map the philanthropy support organizations in West Africa
- Gather new information from attendees to improve the visual map of actors, in particular by adding the relationship dimension connection between actors
- Work on the challenges and opportunities in each country and region, and identify key recommendations to strengthen the field and actionable steps to address them
- Co-build a locally owned roadmap in which local actors will take responsibility for strengthening the field, building on the recommendations identified by the group.
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After the workshop, WINGS and TrustAfrica will engage in the production, publication and dissemination of a research report and related policy briefs, to support broader advocacy around the importance of strengthening the philanthropic field in West Africa, with the ultimate goal of providing access to needed funds for vulnerable and underprivileged communities.
WINGS is a global network of philanthropic actors committed to ensuring philanthropy reaches its fullest potential as a catalyst for social progress. WINGS has a history of working with partners across the world to promote the importance of strong, sustainable, and collaborative philanthropy support ecosystems to unlock the potential for all forms of private resources for the common good.
TRUSTAFRICA is a pan-African organisation which contributes to sustainable development initiatives by supporting diverse advocacy movements and advancing systemic change through collaboration with social movements, civil society, and feminist organizations. It carries out its activities by convening dialogues, awarding grants, generating knowledge, strengthening institutions, and providing technical assistance.
The collaboration between these two organisations and others at the workshop will help to foster African enterprise and advance efforts to achieve broadly shared prosperity and development on the continent.
ENDS
