Cover photo by Annie Spratt
By Mosun Layode, Executive Director, African Philanthropy Forum
Africa’s significant growth over the years has led to the emergence of a growing number of High Net Worth Individuals on the continent seeking to engage in strategic philanthropy. Unfortunately, they lack guidance on how to invest in the social sector, leaving Africa’s potential philanthropic capital valued at $2.8 billion annually, largely untapped.
A report by the Johannesburg Office of The Bridgespan Group in 2020 corroborated the above claim, as it revealed that just 9% of large gifts by African donors and 14% by non-African donors go to local nonprofits. This leaves local organisations competing with INGOs which tend to be larger, better-resourced, and better connected to funding networks, particularly in the Global North. Further research conducted by African Philanthropy Forum (APF) and Bridgespan in 2021 showed that lack of access to a credible pool of local nonprofits is a critical barrier to funding local nonprofit organisations. APF is changing this narrative by working with the African philanthropy community to unlock funding for local nonprofits. In May 2022, APF launched StartPoint, a unique platform designed to facilitate funding flows to local nonprofits by bridging the gap between donors seeking to fund credible African-led organisations and local organisations doing good.
Given APF’s vibrant community of philanthropists, convening power, and extensive footprints in Africa, we are uniquely positioned to facilitate the unlocking of local capital and strengthening of infrastructure to bridge African funders with African nonprofits while providing access to international funders seeking to fund credible local nonprofits. At APF we are convinced that when donors are brought together around a problem, armed with the information required to solve the problem, and connected to a community of partners with whom to collaborate, they are more likely to give strategically.
The term “StartPoint” was coined from the idea of local nonprofits leveraging the platform as a springboard to propel them forward in their development journey as it is designed to connect them to the resources they need to accelerate their impact in local communities. StartPoint aims to curb the disproportionate distribution of funds between local and international nonprofits. Some of its components are:
Connecting Nonprofits and Funders
Local organisations are able to:
- Gain visibility and access to African and global donors
- Tell their impact stories and showcase their work
- Connect with nonprofits with similar interests
Funders are able to:
- Access information on organisations doing good in Africa
- Filter organisations by country, sector, or size
- Connect with local organisations doing good in Africa
- Identify like-minded funders to collaborate and pool resources with
Serving as an Information Hub
In addition to being a place for connections, StartPoint provides information and resources that enable nonprofit organisations to:
- Build and strengthen their capacity
- Institute systems and structures for long-term sustainability
- Access call for proposals and grant opportunities
APF will also host webinars and virtual events to inform funders and nonprofits of the trends and opportunities in the philanthropic space. These events will provide the opportunity to spotlight nonprofits and facilitate one-on-one connections.
APF welcomes applications from nonprofit organisations that are registered in Africa, African-led and meet a set of preselected criteria. Organisations are vetted in line with the eligibility criteria, and those approved are profiled on StartPoint. Approximately 122 nonprofits have been profiled to date. By 2025, APF plans to have a robust directory of 5,000 credible local and African-led nonprofits. Being listed in the directory will increase the funding prospects of organisations that would ordinarily not have been visible to funders. Through StartPoint, funders can filter the listed nonprofits according to their regions, budget, area of focus, or years of operation. This is beneficial to funders as they are able to access credible data as well as identify and connect with nonprofits with similar objectives. Prior to settling on prospective nonprofits to fund, funders are expected to pass them through their grant application process.
APF’s vision is for a platform that will not only serve as a robust directory but also one through which African and international funders source and fund African nonprofits. StartPoint will also foster partnerships amongst like-minded African nonprofits to increase and scale their impact. Africa’s philanthropic sector is at an inflexion point and this initiative will be catalytic in its impact.
Mosun Layode is a development professional with two decades of experience in international development and nonprofit leadership. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Forum (APF) where she works extensively across Africa with established and emerging philanthropists who are committed to the sustainable and inclusive development of Africa.
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