   As foreign-born and raised giving is still the mainstream philanthropic form in Africa nowadays, homegrown giving is emerging to become the new force and possibly the future for Africa.
   There has been a vast amount of charity, donations, and philanthropy going to and coming from the post-colonial Africa for decades. While those that went to Africa were via corporations, foundations, institutions, etc., those that have come from Africa were via foundations, groups, and individuals.
   Charity, Donations, and Philanthropic funds go to Africa primarily through big corporations, global foundations, and multinational institutions. According to the Foundation Center’s report, the number of the US foundations giving to Africa increased from 135 in 2002 to 248 in 2012 along with the amount of funding growing from $289 million to $1.46 billion respectively. Similarly, 36 out of 54 African countries have benefited from the financial support 1. However, these figures do
not include the in-kind forms of philanthropy that most Africans receive and depend on.
   Charity, Donations, and Philanthropic funds, originated in Africa, are generated primarily from local foundations, community groups, and wealthy individuals. In modern-day Africa, giving comes typically in the way of high-net-worth Africans making donations to institutions and causes, local organizations raising funds from various sources, or communities pooling resources together to tackle their own challenges. These are local solutions for local problems. For instance, the Safaricom Foundation based in Kenya invests in various sectors, such as health, education, economic empowerment, water, technology, and disaster relief for Kenyan communities and people.
   The most notable U.S. organizations that have contributed millions even billions US dollars to the continent are: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and many other private foundations. Many of them choose to fund international coalitions or organizations, such as the World Health Organization, which has extensive programs throughout Africa. 2 While private foundations receive most of the attention from the U.S. giving to Africa, tax exempt charities that sponsor donor advised funds and US-based nonprofits that have operations in Africa are also playing a significant role, which deserves more attention in future research.
   Many African wealthy individuals have established their own foundations and aiming at doing good for their home countries. The notable examples include:
- Aliko Dangote and Dangote Foundation in Nigeria;
- Nicky Oppenheimer and Brenthurst Foundation in South Africa;
- Patrice Motsepe and Motsepe Foundation in South Africa;
- Mohammed Dewji and Mo Dewji Foundation in Tanzania;
- Strive Masiyiwa and Higher Life Foundation in Zimbabwe.3
   African female philanthropists form a considerable force in giving back to their native regions as well. The outstanding ones among them are:
- Olajumoke Adenowo and Awesome Treasures Foundation in Nigeria;
- Ndidi Nwuneli and LEAP Africa in Nigeria;
- Tsitsi Masiyiwa and Higherlife Foundation in Zimbabwe.4
   These foundations are funding and supporting programs and projects primarily in their respective countries of origin.  Â
   The global and formal approach for giving to Africa is providing funds to and conducting research on programs related to health, environment, agriculture, education, sanitation, hunger, family planning, disaster relief, and institutional capacity. Children, young people, women, girls, persons with disabilities, and people living with HIV constitute the primary beneficiaries of such initiatives, with Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa being listed among the top grant recipients in 2012.5Â
   The local and informal approach for African philanthropy is the daily benevolence conducted by African civilians allocating their time and labor to solve various social issues. These day-to-day activities seek to support unemployed women, underprivileged children, start-up entrepreneurs, individuals with disabilities, elderly, and so on.
   African countries that have the least wealth per capita in 2015 are Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia 6 whereas the poorest African countries that need the most help and support are Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Liberia, and Niger.
   Foreign-born and raised giving tends to get more mainstream recognition worldwide. Their U.S. counterpart contributed mainly to increasing access to food, water, and energy by resources reallocation and utilization of academic and technological measures. Africa has enough food, water, and energy to support itself, yet its people are still suffering from hunger, lack of access to clean water and sustainable energy resources.
   Homegrown and raised giving on the other hand, awaits more mainstream recognition. Africans in Africa have also helped with increasing access to food, energy and water by utilizing traditional fundraising methods such as Harambee, Tontine, and Susu.7
   The most effective philanthropy in Africa is motivated by the deep and genuine passion on empowering the local communities to be integral actors in progressive initiatives and programs. That is why the African Diaspora and the allies of African countries have a greater chance on creating and developing sustainable giving to Africa. Africans who traveled abroad or live overseas are in pivotal position to use their traditional cultural intelligence to make philanthropy more effective and efficient than it is today.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tony K Ansah, Jr. is a self-published author, a public administrator by profession, and a social entrepreneur based in Rhode Island, U.S.A. He is also the founder and owner of Ansah Africa, a consulting and marketing startup established in 2017.
Email: tkansahjr@outlook.com or owusu@ansahmisc.com
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DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the SDG Philanthropy Platform. The SDG Philanthropy Platform is a global initiative that connects philanthropy with knowledge and networks that can deepen collaboration, leverage resources and sustain impact, driving SDG delivery within national development planning. It is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, Brach Family Charitable Foundation, and many others.Â
References:
1Â https://www.alliancemagazine.org/feature/a-new-era-for-african-philanthropy/
2Â https://www.cafamerica.org/just-charity-nexus-impact-philanthropy-investment-african-context/
3Â https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2018/4/19/rise-of-the-rest-africas-new-philanthropists
4Â http://fortune.com/2016/05/31/africas-female-philanthropists/
5Â http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/funding_for_africa2015.pdfÂ
6Â https://www.afrasiabank.com/en/about/contact/afrasia-bank-africa-wealth-reportÂ
7Â http://ayibamagazine.com/afrilanthropy-why-african-philanthropy-needs-its-own-name/Â