Funding Partnerships
TrustAfrica’s primary aim is to provide African organizations with the resources they need to address the continent’s most pressing challenges. Our approach is unique in that we invite African thinkers — from civil society, academia, governments, regional organizations, and the private sector — to shape our program agenda by recommending ways to address these issues. After weighing this advice, we request funding proposals from key organizations already working on the issues at hand. Our major grants for collaborative projects, which range from US$25,000 to more than US$500,000, typically combine multiple strategies (like research, advocacy, dialogue, or creativity) and connect institutions from different countries and regions.

Strengthening Institutions
TrustAfrica also provides small grants for capacity building to help African organizations develop the institutional skills necessary to do their work effectively. Usually in the range of US$5,000 to US$10,000, this support is aimed at fostering sound management, transparent governance, fruitful collaboration, effective communication, and sustainable results. It may be used, for example, to pay for staff exchanges, consultant's fees, study tours, board training, the preparation of videos and other communications tools, and the establishment of specific management systems.

Our Grant-Making Policy
Please do not send a request for funding. TrustAfrica does not accept unsolicited proposals.

This policy reflects not only our focused mandate and limited resources, but also our fundamental approach to philanthropy and development. Our aim is to break out of the donor-driven mold. To that end, we convene workshops where thoughtful figures from across the continent can outline priorities and set strategies for development. We invite proposals for projects to advance these goals and then make grants to support the most promising ones.

Click to see an interactive map of our grants or an interactive chart of our grants, both powered by the Foundation Directory Online.

To learn more about our grant making, use this search tool.