The theme of the fourth Africa Philanthropy Conference that took place in Dakar and Saly between 31st July – 4th August was African Philanthropy at an Inflection Point, with sessions across four themes: People, Power, Policy and Practices.

The scope of the conference seemed as vast and all-encompassing as the continent of Africa itself, making us discuss the wide spectrum of what may be understood as African philanthropy. People in the room were from across private, public, and corporate philanthropic organisations, academic institutes, doctoral scholars from African and other universities, UN agencies, social enterprises and businesses with a focus across Africa, trade and regulatory professionals, very few community organisations and feminist and movement organisations, among others. On one hand, it is the need of the hour to be in dialogue across professional and ideological lines in order to collectivise towards an inflection point that serves all people and our planet. On the other hand, it poses a huge challenge in agreeing about the transformative nature of  change needed, given the diverse group also serves diverse interests.

African philanthropy is understood to be grounded in a long African history and culture of giving that is age old and homegrown, embodying the spirit of Ubuntu i.e. humanity to all. Everyday acts of giving and mutual aid, as well as remittances  have been omnipresent in the continent and are types of non institutionalised philanthropy. These are often driven by those economically underserved who may have little to begin with and yet share both means and spirit that keeps communities interwoven despite toughest of circumstances. As  was made more evident by the pandemic induced economic, political, and social disasters. In that sense, African people are located at the centre of understanding philanthropy in the continent.

What does it mean to centre the voices and lived experiences of African people, when womxn, LGBTQI+ people, human rights defenders, and other marginalised groups are increasingly under attack in today’s political and socioeconomic context across Africa? The feminist groups present in the conference laboriously directed the discussions towards these depleting civic and democratic realities. Pan African and feminist voices were present albeit in small numbers and we made our voices heard, even as they found more space in smaller, parallel, and informal sessions more than plenaries. As Hakima Abbas from Black Feminist Fund enunciated during the conference, “most philanthropy is wealth hoarding vs wealth redistribution”. As African philanthropic and allied actors increasingly innovate across the continent, we know and express that radical change rooted in social justice and peace will not be delivered by neoliberal capitalist projects.

Reclaiming public and natural resources, disrupting extractive financial models, and building grassroots power towards inclusive social change is the herstory of African feminist movements that have mobilised to strengthen womxn’s human rights within democratic frameworks; while simultaneously speaking truth to capitalist and patriarchal powers. The questions and curiosities around African and other philanthropies then are around trusting and being primarily accountable to those at the forefront of leading positive social change, particularly womxn human rights defenders.

The political context of authoritative policies skewing democratic liberties and individual freedoms in many parts of Africa seemed contested in part in some discussions. When anti-gender and anti-rights movements are internationally consolidating resources and power to heighten surveillance, criminalisation, discrediting, and attacking of womxn and queer human rights defenders, can philanthropy stay neutral? And what values, ideologies, and interests would such a neutrality uplift? In this sense, African philanthropy is certainly at an inflection point. A crucial force in this inflection is acknowledging and dealing with structural power that often sits within institutional philanthropy that can be both capitalist and patriarchal in nature, as is evident by the evil twin of philanthropy that is funding anti-gender and anti-rights agendas across Africa. How institutional and dominant philanthropic actors and allied organisations choose to strategically and politically respond will determine the curve that follows the inflection point.

At this point, what is crystal clear is that feminist social movements are driving democratic rebuilding of societies by radically envisioning economic and environmental alternatives in which all people and our planet thrives. Philanthropy is intertwined in a bigger ideological struggle, one in which it cannot afford to stay neutral if it is serious about having a positive and transformational impact for a sustainable world for all. Are philanthropic actors ready to build their own capacity to listen, trust, be accountable to, and be led by those who are driving intersectional social change for all people, particularly womxn, LGBTIQ+ and economically marginalised groups? Will African philanthropy lean into what is required of it in this moment, learn, listen and change its ways to truly shift power?

P.S.If you are interested in learning more about feminist and Pan African Philanthropy, read here about Pan-Africa Feminist Philanthropy Initiative led by Urgent Action fund Africa and Trust Africa.

Nikita Patodia, Director of Resource Mobilisation at Just Associates (JASS). JASS is a majority-world led feminist movement strengthening organisation, building intersectional feminist frontline power for reimagining economic and ecological alternatives.