CivSource Africa (CSA) is an independent advisory organization that seeks to refine the practice of philanthropy and the footprint of civil society for authentic civic engagement in Africa. We influence the practice of philanthropy by shaping narratives on the various symbols and expressions of giving in Africa and in so doing we hope to strengthen the effectiveness of civil society. We identify and support the work of funding agencies and philanthropists in Africa and we particularly seek to connect with and support local/ Africa led philanthropy. Our philanthropy work is premised on 5Cs, Collecting, Chronicling, Catalyzing, Consulting and Connecting. As part of our objective to re-ignite conversation on philanthropy, CSA is organizied a webinar, Mainstreaming local philanthropy in National Development.
The webinar took place on Wednesday, 13th April 2022 from 10:00am to 12:30pm.
An Enabling Environment for philanthropy simply refers to the conditions within which philanthropy not only exists but is also appreciated, celebrated and nurtured to thrive. For CivSource Africa to foster this environment in Uganda, it intends to re-ignite conversations on local philanthropy with key stakeholders and engage key policy makers to identify areas for review and reform in the legal and policy frameworks that govern philanthropy and Philanthropy Support Organizations (PSOs).
Furthermore, there is a need for PSOs and philanthropists to identify strategic actions for strengthening the institutional and policy environment for local philanthropy in Uganda. The purpose of philanthropy is to improve the wellbeing of mankind. In the Global North, the more developed countries recognize philanthropy and its role in contributing to national development. Often, it is referred to as the third sector, the voluntary sector or the independent sector (Northern Bridge,2022).
However, in Africa, philanthropy is a nascent space and for most nations the sector is not clearly understood, the subject is not clearly documented and therefore not celebrated or recognized. In Uganda, not much research has been done on the sector and therefore little is known about philanthropy. There is no explicit legislation on philanthropy in Uganda and like other findings from other countries, it is regulated through other laws. However, the National Development Plan (NDP) III, unlike its predecessor the NDPII mentions the approach as contribution to development finance in the country (CSA, 2020). The overall objective of this project is to foster an enabling environment for philanthropy in Uganda.
Foundation to this, CSA seeks to engage key stake holders on the contribution philanthropy makes to national development, referring to NDP III, National Comprehensive Development Framework and Vision 2040. These conversations are a precursor to the planned engagements with policy makers and other key stake holders in the sector.
These conversations on philanthropy and national development aim to raise awareness of local philanthropy and local philanthropic initiatives in Uganda, examining the role of philanthropy in Uganda's development, and laying the groundwork for the next stage of discussions that focuses on philanthropy in Uganda's legal and policy frameworks.
The webinar conversation marked the start of a series of conversations to better understand the role that philanthropy plays in Uganda's national development plan.