Highlights
At the 9th East Africa Philanthropy Conference in Kigali (11–13 June 2025), 300+ changemakers from 32 countries converged around a clear message: agility is now the baseline for relevance. As funding shrinks and policy headwinds grow, CSOs, especially in the Global South, face an existential crunch. APN’s capacity-building (Nov 2024; 1–3 July 2025, Arusha) exposed the risk: most participants said they wouldn’t survive five years without foreign aid. The provocation “mass graves for CSOs?” isn’t doom, it’s a demand for a new model. The pivot is clear: diversify into community philanthropy, social enterprise, impact investing, and local resource mobilization, backed by storytelling, mapping, and peer learning (e.g., Thubutu Africa Initiatives; DEC–Ethiopia). As Dr. Stigmata Tenga puts it, “Diversifying funding is no longer optional, it is essential.” Adapt now, or watch civic voice fade. Read More:
Philanthropy Week 2025 celebrated generosity in all its forms, spoken, danced, debated, played, and lived. From Kampala’s boardrooms to Kibuye’s roundabout, from Adjumani’s playing fields to the Ndere Cultural Centre stage, we witnessed giving that serves, stays, and sustains. This special edition of the CivSource Africa Galaxy Newsletter captures the moments that mattered: conversations that challenged us, performances that moved us, street activations that energized us, and symposium reflections that dared us to reimagine the future of African giving.
Should we start preparing “mass graves” for CSOs? Funding is drying up, policy space is tightening, and too many organizations in the Global South are being pushed to downsize or shut down. This isn’t just institutional loss, it’s the erosion of civic voice and agency. As APN’s Dr. Stigmata Tenga warns, “It’s not just the organizations that die, it’s the voice, the dignity, and the agency of the people they served.” Recent APN trainings revealed a stark reality: many CSOs wouldn’t survive beyond five years without foreign funding.
With external support declining (including from major partners like USAID), programmes are stalling even as community needs intensify. On Spirit TV’s Truth, Lies and Politics (Aug 2025), Catherine Mugabo (CivLegacy Foundation), Moses Mulindwa (UNNGOF), and analyst Charles Rwomushana urged a reset: fiscal discipline, policy realism, and serious local resource mobilization. Catherine framed aid as a “painkiller,” not a plan, calling for leadership that demystifies “resources” to include talent, volunteerism, networks, and local knowledge.
To watch the conversation live on YouTube, CLICK HERE:
Koona DanceWorkout and the DWONA Initiative (under GivingTuesday Uganda) hosted Dance With A Purpose at Lugogo Indoor Arena in Kampala, mobilizing the community for menstrual justice and the RUMPs for Rural Girls program, which uses art and play-based learning for menstrual education and sustainable pad-making. The event drew 124 participants in the morning and 115 in the evening, raising UGX 8,365,000 to keep girls in school.
What does it take for philanthropy to stay relevant when everything is shifting?
At #9thEAPC (Kigali, June 2025), 300+ changemakers from 32 countries agreed: agility is non-negotiable. Philanthropy must decentralize power, listen differently, finance adaptively, and measure what communities value. Key takeaways included unlocking diaspora remittances, building public-private-philanthropy partnerships, and using storytelling and flexible platforms to deepen trust and accountability.
The Jinja convening validated more than research; it unveiled a movement. Local businesses across Uganda are stepping up as partners in development, driven by purpose, proximity, and a desire to give meaningfully. From health outreach to skills training and menstrual equity, their stories reveal a philanthropic spirit grounded in trust and community. But to scale this impact, we must move from recognition to collaboration. Now is the time to rethink how private sector actors and CSOs work together, not as separate sectors, but as co-creators of lasting change. Let’s build a future powered by local giving, rooted partnerships, and collective vision.