This grantmaker offers a model for long-term, African-led philanthropy

  In the shifting landscape of global development, Masana wa Afrika offers a quietly radical alternative: an African-led grantmaker that centers trust, time, and local proximity. Formed in 2023 after a decade of incubation under the ELMA Foundation’s Community Grants Program, Masana wa Afrika emerged as a fully independent organization to channel multiyear, flexible support to community-based organizations improving the lives of children across the continent. From incubation to independence Masana wa Afrika’s transition from ELMA was as strategic as it was symbolic, Director Ruth Mapara told an audience of business development professionals during a Devex Pro Funding Briefing. For Mapara, the shift represented a move toward deeper ownership and relevance within the African philanthropic ecosystem. The goal was twofold: to strengthen direct support for African community-based organizations and to serve as a conduit for funders to reach local organizations constrained by capacity or logistics. “By leveraging our well-established grantmaking infrastructure, we aim to create partnerships that bolster local organizations,” Mapara said, “and therefore address the funding void which most community-based organizations in Africa tend to face.” Today, Masana wa Afrika funds 135 partners across 13 countries in East and southern Africa — from Lesotho to Malawi to Uganda — with active plans to expand into West Africa, beginning with Ghana and Senegal. Funding beyond projects Unlike most donors, Masana wa Afrika’s grants are multiyear and unrestricted, allowing local organizations to apply resources where they matter most. The philosophy is simple: Community-based organizations and proximate leaders already understand their challenges and solutions — they simply need the means to act. “Often, people ask, ‘Why multiyear or general support?’ It’s an acknowledgement of the challenges that organizations and communities face, that these are interconnected, interlinked challenges that cannot be dealt with in isolation,” Mapara said. This approach has given small but capable African NGOs the gift of breathing room. Many use funds to address structural issues — such as staff retention or financial sustainability planning — that more restrictive grants rarely cover. Building institutional health through partnership Beyond grants, Masana wa Afrika invests in organizational development through a blend of in-house training and external expertise. Its capacity-strengthening priorities focus on financial management, program development, and leadership support, in addition to communications and fundraising skills. Crucially, it encourages peer learning among grantees; an organization excelling in nutrition might coach a peer NGO in a neighboring country, for example. “There are organizations that are doing excellent work and actually provide capacity support to the others who might not be doing so well in that particular area,” Mapara said. “As much as we’re using Masana team experts, we’re also using the partners themselves, because they are also experts in what they’re doing.” ‘They trust you know the solution’ For partners such as the Nzeve Deaf Centre in Zimbabwe, Masana wa Afrika’s model has been transformative. The center’s director, Blessing Chaipa, who also participated in the Pro Funding Briefing, described how flexible funding changes everything: “You are given room to address the needs that are there, because every child is unique, every family is unique,” Chaipa said, “So when you have this room to support the needs that you see, you’re actually able to do more.” Trust over transactions Unlike project-bound grants that end abruptly, Masana wa Afrika’s long-term funding allows continuity and credibility within communities. The grantmaker’s funding relationships typically begin with a two-year onboarding phase followed by renewable three-year cycles. “You’re looking at a child from birth, and that takes resources. That takes time as well,” Mapara said. “It just helps to create sustainability and support to the partners. So, it’s really a long-term relationship that we’re seeking.” With offices in South Africa and Uganda, the grantmaker maintains proximity to its partners, building relationships grounded in mutual understanding. Reporting is kept to a minimum — just one annual submission — so organizations can focus on impact rather than paperwork. “Because we have that trust relationship, you are free to say things as they are so that you actually get the help that you need,” Chaipa said, “You don’t feel you’re being judged. You feel you can say anything and get help and support.” A model gaining momentum Masana wa Afrika’s trust-based model is drawing growing attention from other funders. The organization has shared its approach at the Skoll World Forum and the African Philanthropy Forum, where many donors acknowledge the difficulty of funding at the community level. “This model requires you, as a funding partner, to acknowledge the expertise of the leaders who are running these organizations, to acknowledge that it’s not one size fits all or a short-term solution,” Mapara said, “It requires long-term thinking and also a realization that the issues that communities are dealing with are interconnected.” Current funders include the ELMA Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, and the Patchwork Collective. The grantmaker plans to double its portfolio within five years while inviting new aligned funders to join its model. Resilience in a time of contraction The recent decline in U.S. and bilateral aid — including closures of USAID programs — has made Masana’s flexible funding approach more vital than ever. Chaipa noted a ripple effect caused by the USAID shutdown. “You are faced with a community that is in a greater need than they were before, because now there’s this gap,” Chaipa said. “But sometimes, because your resources are limited, you’re also not able to close the gap.” Mapara noted that there is also an opportunity emerging from the shift away from bilateral funding. “It’s been just an opportunity for organizations and other partners to look at what else can we do in terms of resourcing organizations beyond this crisis,” Mapara said. “How can we start to build resilient and sustainable organizations that are not dependent on a single funder?” The future: Collaboration and local power Despite the challenges, Mapara remains optimistic. “This is a point of reflection for us as the philanthropic ecosystem, to look at how we can shift from traditional funding to an inclusive funding approach that allows for sustainable development,” she said. At its core, Masana wa Afrika is both a funder and a model that shows that African organizations are not passive implementers but central architects of their communities’ future. “This is an opportunity for us to be looking at how to drive sustainable development, and that just requires resources that are flexible in terms of how you can prioritize where they need to go,” Mapara said.