About Philanthropy
CivSource Africa is an independent advisory firm that is committed to nurturing a more sustainable, effective and connected civil society that advances the dignity and voices of all people. We do this through promoting reflective, responsive and accountable philanthropic practice.
While our current clients are philanthropic organizations based in the West, we have a deep passion for and desire to support the field of philanthropy here in Uganda. This is based on 2 reasons:
The unpredictable funding terrain and issues around sustainability for CSOs means that we must look (partly) inward to homegrown solutions and resources to fund work that advances the development and promotes human rights.
For now, the narrative around philanthropy is mostly Western and yet there are many local people and institutions that give towards community needs. We need to change the lens through which local philanthropy is viewed and show how much value this sector brings to the development of Uganda. In this regard, we see ourselves doing 5 key things below:
Reflections
Catalysing
We are committed to building the base for the next generation of the philanthropy movement in Africa by starting young. We engage with institutions and movements of young people to encourage giving and generosity practices and are intent on promoting the practice of giving among schools, students and young givers’ networks across the continent.
Chronicling
We gather and tell the stories of African philanthropy. We are passionate about and committed to shining a spotlight on the work that African philanthropy does, the lives it is changing and the communities it is impacting. We see these stories as vital to shaping the narrative and contributing to strengthening the practice of philanthropy in Africa.
Collecting
We collect data about and undertake research in the field of philanthropy. There is limited research and knowledge on the history of African philanthropy and the contribution of philanthropy to the development of the continent. We are intentional about developing a body of knowledge on the sector to advocate for, support and refine the practice of philanthropy.
Consulting
We provide advisory services to philanthropists and philanthropy support organisations across the globe. We support local philanthropists through strategy development that advances their giving and provides platforms through which their giving to social justice causes can be managed.
Connecting
We support collaboration, networking and partnership between and among philanthropists and philanthropy support organisations in the region. We are intent on providing platforms that bring philanthropists together for the purposes of creating a collective voice on issues of philanthropy ranging from policy and legal environment to inward and outward accountability, developing ‘industry’ standards, among others.