Ensuring equitable philanthropy in Africa.

Funding for African civil society organizations has tended to go to Northern-based rather than African-led organizations, as revealed by research supported by the Vodacom Foundation, Safaricom and the Vodafone Foundation. At a recent conference, civil and private sector leaders discussed how Africa can break free from its dependence on international aid.

It was discussed at the 2022 Trialogue Business in Society conference that Africa could break free of its dependence on international aid. All three panelists were members of the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and the Vodacom Group, which includes Takalani Netshitenzhe, the chief officer of Corporate Affairs for Vodacom Group.

While the majority of African civil society organizations rely on international donor funding, Moyo, co-author of the 2021 research report Building the Sector's Capacity and Potential to Scale Up, says that we have begun to see a decrease in donor funding inflows due to Covid-19 and the need to prioritize domestic needs of countries, says. Moyo. The decrease in funding inflows should be taken as a warning by Africans, according to Moyo, who argued that they should focus on domestic resource mobilization strategies. The opportunity for organizations to find new sources of revenue through social entrepreneurship was also emphasized by him.

When asked about non-profits' ability to raise money domestically, Hatang cited the Nelson Mandela Foundation as an example. International donors provided the Nelson Mandela Foundation with 80 percent of its funding prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the wake of Covid-19, international funders now make up only 40% of the foundation's budget, a dramatic shift.

Donor-recipient relationships can be tense because of the potential for power disparities. Transparency and accountability become even more critical as the amount of money at stake grows. This can lead to unnecessary red tape, which has a negative impact on civil society's ability to carry out its mission.

Philanthropy can be more flexible and allow for risk-taking than government or other large institutions, according to the report's findings. However, many smaller organizations lack the processes and language necessary to gain access to donor funding.

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