TrustAfrica seeks to strengthen African initiatives that address the most difficult challenges confronting the continent. We currently focus on three critical areas:

• Securing the conditions for democracy;
• Fostering African enterprise and achieving broadly shared prosperity; and
• Cultivating African resources for democracy and development.

TrustAfrica works principally through collaboration and partnership with like-minded institutions and donors. As a catalyst and convener, we are committed to generating and testing new ideas. We also strive to practice good governance and promote it among our grantees.

Our History

TrustAfrica, first known as the Special Initiative for Africa, began in 2001 under the aegis of the Ford Foundation. Our premise was that Africans need a greater voice in the international donor community as well as philanthropic resources that Africans control.

During our pilot phase, we conducted a series of workshops that drew 160 leading figures from across the continent to set priorities and map out strategies for funding. After inviting our partner organizations to submit proposals to implement these recommendations, we made exploratory grants to fund approximately twenty projects.

In 2006 TrustAfrica became a truly African foundation with the opening of our new headquarters in Dakar, Senegal. The Ford Foundation continues to provide support, but we are now an independent organization governed solely by Africans. TrustAfrica is recognized in the United States as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Our Core Values

At TrustAfrica, we believe in:

• facilitating collaboration among African institutions and building long-term relationships with grantees;
• maintaining the highest standards of institutional performance, including sound management, accountable and transparent governance, effective communication, and sustainable results; and
• forging closer ties with the African diaspora to strengthen global alliances for Africa.