Philanthropy highlights blog

A study by CivLegacy Foundation examining local businesses in Arua, Gulu, Jinja, and Mbale found that 94% were already contributing to their communities through financial support, in-kind donations, voluntary service, partnerships, training, and awareness-building.

The findings challenge the perception that philanthropy is primarily driven by international organisations and highlight the significant role local businesses play in supporting schools, community-based organisations, NGOs, orphanages, and vulnerable communities. The study also calls for stronger collaboration between civil society and the private sector to make local giving more intentional, sustainable, and responsive to community priorities.

Read more

At a roundtable dialogue held at The Mansion Hotel in Jinja City, CivLegacy Foundation and FABIO Uganda brought together civil society organisations, private-sector representatives, the media, and other development actors to explore how local philanthropy can be strengthened through partnerships, Corporate Social Responsibility, and structured sponsorships.

The conversation examined the barriers affecting collaboration between businesses and civil society, including communication gaps, limited accountability, competing funding requests, and differing priorities. Participants called for stronger coordination, regional philanthropy hubs, shared learning spaces, and sustained engagement to ensure that local giving contributes meaningfully to resilient, community-led development.

Read more

At the 10th East Africa Philanthropy Conference in Addis Ababa, leaders challenged the sector to move beyond replacing lost aid and begin building systems that create, retain, and grow African-owned wealth. The conference explored how endowments, pooled capital, community foundations, local investment vehicles, and collective giving can strengthen institutions long after individual grants have ended.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of strategic foresight in preparing philanthropic institutions for future disruption. Wealth creation gives African philanthropy assets to own, while foresight helps protect those assets through changing political, economic, and funding environments. Together, they offer a pathway from dependency towards resilient, locally governed development.

Read more

As international aid contracts, communities and civil society organisations are being forced to confront long-standing questions about power, dependency, and who gets to define development priorities. Session Five of Reclaiming the Frame explored how this moment of disruption can create space for locally led approaches rooted in community knowledge, ownership, and collective giving.

The conversation called for partnerships that strengthen local agency rather than dictate it, while reminding local leaders to exercise power with humility, accountability, and inclusion. Even amid uncertainty, communities continue to organise, collaborate, and build alternatives that position them not as beneficiaries of development, but as its authors.

Read more

The future of development financing will depend on more than securing larger grants or funding individual projects. At the Uganda Philanthropy Forum, philanthropy practitioners, civil society leaders, government representatives, researchers, development partners, and private-sector actors explored how stronger ecosystems can support resilient and locally rooted development.

The conversation highlighted the importance of financing models built around institutional purpose, community priorities, trust, collaboration, and long-term sustainability. By connecting philanthropy, businesses, government, faith institutions, diaspora networks, and community giving, development financing can become a system that strengthens institutions rather than continually reshaping them around short-term funding opportunities.

Read more

CivLegacy Foundation and the First African Bicycle Information Organization convened civil society, private sector, media and local government actors in Jinja to explore stronger locally led partnerships. The dialogue highlighted local donor mapping as a vital strategy for identifying who is giving, understanding their priorities and connecting their investments to community needs. Participants noted that many businesses already support social initiatives, but limited information, fragmented engagement and repeated funding requests often result in missed opportunities and donor fatigue. Civil society organisations were encouraged to approach companies as strategic partners rather than only as sources of funding, while also aligning shared interests and complementary strengths. Proposals included establishing a shared regional donor database and strengthening coordination among organisations to support sustainable local resource mobilisation.

Read more about how intentional donor mapping can transform scattered giving into lasting and impactful partnerships.

CivLegacy Foundation and the Gulu NGO Forum convened civil society and private sector actors in Gulu City to explore opportunities for advancing social justice through collaboration. The meeting highlighted that lasting partnerships depend on aligning interests, recognising the distinct strengths each sector brings and identifying areas of mutual benefit. Participants discussed the mistrust and misconceptions that have often limited cooperation, while reflecting on how businesses can contribute resources, expertise, visibility and practical support to community initiatives. The dialogue encouraged civil society organisations to move beyond transactional requests and approach businesses with proposals that connect social impact to clear business interests. It also emphasised the need for trust, transparency, continuous communication and long-term partnerships that support both community development and economic growth.

Read more about how shared interests can strengthen collaboration between civil society and the private sector.

Reflections from the Launch of Community Foundations Cohort 3

The launch of Community Foundations Cohort Three marked another important step in strengthening community philanthropy in Uganda. Bringing together 11 organizations from diverse communities, the initiative reflects a growing commitment to building institutions that are rooted in local realities, shaped by community trust, and able to sustain change from within. At a time when external funding systems are becoming more uncertain, community foundations continue to show why local leadership, generosity, and collective responsibility matter so deeply for the future of development.

Read more.

Philanthropy in Africa does not begin with institutions. It lives in neighbours showing up for one another, families sharing what they have, and communities taking responsibility together through long-standing cultures of care. In one Kampala suburb, residents recently came together to repair a road that had long been dismissed as a government problem. Some brought cement and gravel, others offered labour and tools, while a few pooled money to bring in extra support. What emerged was more than a repaired road. It was a powerful reminder that giving is often local, relational, and deeply rooted in collective responsibility. Across the continent, this same spirit appears in rotating savings groups, diaspora support for community projects, and informal giving circles that respond quickly to everyday challenges.

Read more to explore how African philanthropy continues to thrive through shared care, reciprocity, and community action.

In February 2025, CivLegacy Foundation convened stakeholders in Gulu for a powerful validation and collaboration convening on local business philanthropy, spotlighting how businesses in Gulu, Arua, Jinja, and Mbale are already supporting communities through corporate social responsibility, financial contributions, and in-kind giving. Against a backdrop of shrinking donor funding, the convening called for a stronger shift toward African-led philanthropy, deeper collaboration between civil society and the private sector, and more intentional, structured local giving that can drive long-term social impact and sustainability across Uganda.

Read more

#AfricanPhilanthropy

Reflections from Peace Connect 2025

Peace Connect 2025 brought together civil society activists, community defenders, peacebuilders, and Indigenous groups in Nairobi for a gathering rooted in care, reflection, and collective response to a year marked by funding shocks, shrinking civic space, and escalating conflict. In these reflections, Josephine Atuhaire explores the shift toward community-led pathways for resilience, including community philanthropy, mutual aid, and local accountability, while questioning donor-driven measures of success and calling for power, decision-making, and risk to move closer to communities. With wellbeing intentionally centred through rest, counselling, and space to process, the gathering became a lived reminder that collective care is possible and that peace remains within reach when shaped and resourced by those closest to the work.

Read more.

Makerere University and CivSource Africa have established the Ukarimu Centre, a first-of-its-kind academic and practice hub in Eastern Africa dedicated to researching, teaching, and amplifying African philanthropy. Based at Makerere University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and supported by CivLegacy Foundation, the Centre will generate African-led research and learning that elevates everyday giving, strengthens locally grounded philanthropy, and informs policy and practice across the region.

Read more.

In September and October 2025, more than 400 delegates gathered at Mestil Hotel, Kampala for the 2025 National Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Convention, a national platform for learning, reflection, and joint action across Uganda’s civil society ecosystem.

Read the full story for key highlights, insights from speakers and delegates, and the emerging priorities shaping civil society sustainability.

The WINGS “Acting Together to Lift Up Philanthropy” Training of Trainers offered a powerful lens for understanding and strengthening philanthropic ecosystems. It aligned well with CivSource Africa’s 5Cs, adding a complementary focus on capacity, capability, connection, and credibility. A key highlight was the Kumu mapping exercise, which revealed hidden champions and immediate collaboration opportunities within the network. The training also reminded us that real impact is measured not only in outputs, but in trust built, alignment strengthened, and pathways opened, insights now shaping our work at CivSource Africa and CivLegacy Foundation. Read more

CivLegacy Foundation is proud to celebrate our own Josephine Atuhire, Programme Support for Philanthropy, whose commitment to strengthening giving ecosystems continues to shine on regional and global stages. Josephina participated in and completed the inaugural #LiftUpPhilanthropy Training of Trainers course convened through WINGS, joining 26 participants from 20+ countries to deepen practical skills in ecosystem mapping, facilitation, and strategy for building stronger philanthropic systems. The course marks an important step in growing a global community of ecosystem builders equipped to support more connected, locally grounded, and resilient philanthropy movements. The reflection piece captures key insights, lessons, and what comes next for this growing network. Read more

A convening held in Arua City in October 2025 brought CSOs and private sector actors together around a clear message: the era of sporadic corporate giving must evolve into deliberate, strategic collaboration. Participants reflected on how each sector brings essential strengths, CSOs with deep community insight and trusted grassroots networks, and businesses with capital, innovation, and operational capacity, and how combining these strengths can unlock solutions neither side could achieve alone. Speakers emphasised that meaningful partnerships are built on mutual understanding, clear communication, trust, and accountability, and that today’s interconnected challenges require long-term engagement rather than transactional support. The convening also modelled the spirit it championed, having been curated through joint leadership by West Nile Regional Civil Society Network (WECISNET), Uganda National NGO Forum, and CivLegacy Foundation, with ecosystem support linked to CivSource Africa, laying stronger groundwork for sustained partnership and community impact.

Read more

CivLegacy Foundation, together with CivSource Africa and a wide circle of like-minded partners, joined communities across Uganda to celebrate Good Deeds Day 2025, a colourful gathering held at Nakivubo Blue Primary School under the theme “From Waste to Worth: Innovating for Clean and Green Communities.” Designed to promote climate action and waste-management advocacy through creative expression, the day blended music, dance and drama, community engagement, and practical acts of service that planted seeds of generosity, especially among young people. Activities ranged from a spirited march through Kampala led by a brass band, to blood donation, sharing food with street children, youth talent showcases, and exhibitions by local organisations demonstrating how they are building cleaner, healthier communities. Beyond the event itself, the celebration amplified a clear message online through #GoodDeedsDay, #OmutimaOmugabi, and #DoingGood: kindness has a ripple effect, and generosity, through time, talent, and treasure, can be a powerful tool for social change.

Read more:

The Unite for Girls Dinner, hosted at Hotel Africana on 10 October 2025, brought together students, parents, teachers, government leaders, and philanthropy actors for an evening dedicated to celebrating, empowering, and protecting the girl child. Curated by Raising Teenagers Uganda and Wezesha Girls Network – Uganda, the gathering was both a celebration of progress and a clear call to action, grounded in the reminder that girls must feel safe, valued, and supported for them to thrive. A standout moment came from two courageous girls from Mt. Olive School Namugongo, who shared the Child Raise Child Project, a student-led initiative showing how even 500 shillings can help another child stay in school. The night also reinforced the power of collective action, with reflections that lasting change is built together, turning the dinner into more than an event, but a shared promise to keep raising voices and widening opportunities for girls.

Read more

The Role of Ubuntu, Collective Action, and Entrepreneurship in Transforming Africa.

At the 2025 African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) Conference in Nairobi, held under the theme “Driving Sustainable Investments and Innovations for Resilient Growth,” one message stood out clearly: Africa’s journey from dependence to true independence will be built through Ubuntu (“I am because we are”), collective action, and entrepreneurship. Conversations with philanthropists, investors, and social entrepreneurs reinforced the shift from traditional grant-making to catalytic capital that turns bold ideas into investable, scalable solutions. From climate and health to agribusiness and education, speakers challenged leaders to move from extraction to creation, and from charity to partnership, aligning purpose with profit, and intent with execution, so Africans are not just beneficiaries of development, but architects of their destiny.

Read more

African philanthropy is strongest when its bridges are rooted in local realities and connected to global networks, and that is exactly what the newly launched WINGS Africa Working Group is designed to do. In November 2025, 29 members from nine countries met in Nairobi to co-create a shared roadmap for African philanthropy, exploring how to strengthen community philanthropy, local giving ecosystems, enabling environments, knowledge sharing, and strategic capital flows. Through its thematic Circles of Collaboration, the working group is building “living networks” where members can think, build, and experiment together, ensuring that African models of generosity, resilience, and innovation shape global conversations on giving.

Read more about how the WINGS Africa Working Group is weaving a stronger, connected future for African philanthropy.