Together with the Global Fund for Community Foundations, TrustAfrica organized a symposium in April 2008 on how philanthropy can become a more effective instrument for development. Held in Naivasha, Kenya, the gathering drew 20 grantmakers from across the continent seeking to develop a programmatic framework and philosophy for supporting the development of community foundations and local philanthropic infrastructure in Africa. It was also designed to advance the debate about the nature of African philanthropy, to identify emerging trends in different regions, and to clarify some of the key issues that need to be addressed with regard to linking traditional forms giving with “new” forms of organized philanthropy.
The conversation was lively and reflective and touched on a wide range of subjects, some of which are evoked below in a collection of video clips and interviews from the meeting. One cluster of issues concerned foundation management and governance; the question of leadership and succession was a recurring theme, for example, as was the importance of both interpersonal and competence-based trust in building sustainable philanthropic institutions. There was much discussion around the importance of articulating a shared value base among a critical mass of African foundations as a way of influencing and encouraging good practice among emerging players. Participants also discussed broader contextual issues, including the potential effects of “philanthrocapitalism” and Africa’s own new philanthropists on the continent, as well as the need to challenge and revisit the assumptions of “international and expatriate-influenced” models of philanthropy to ensure that they resonate locally.
To further this conversation, TrustAfrica and the Global Fund have prepared a discussion paper and set up a forum for online dialogue about this increasingly significant field. We encourage you to share your thoughts! The short clips and interviews videotaped during the April symposium and featured above include the following participants:
some of the key issues that need to be addressed with regard to linking traditional forms giving with “new” forms of organized philanthropy.
