CivFund is one of the ways through which CivSource Africa implements its strategy. The CivFund is a non-profit entity registered as a company limited by guarantee with no share capital based in Uganda. The goal of the CivFund is to strengthen civil society through flexible, responsive, and accessible funding, to ignite conversations, dreams, opportunities, and change for effective civic engagement in Africa. Operating as a ‘fund of funds’, the CivFund holds and manages several social justice funds concurrently under two core interventions: grantmaking and stewardship of resources for philanthropy through special initiatives, collaboratives, and fiscal hosting facilities.
Dignity: They value their common humanity and treat others with respect, guided by the Ubuntu Philosophy: I am because they are.
Audacious: They are bold original, challenge dominant narratives and are willing to take risks and chart new paths.
Reliable: They are dependable, transparent, accountable, and committed to excellence.
Equity: They believe in just and equal access to opportunities and resources, and space for civil society in its diversity.
Transparent: Their processes are clear and straight forward.
Optimistic: They are hopeful and confident about the future and in their shared abilities to shape the future.
Movement building perspective: The CivFund recognizes that civil society is stronger and more influential when it acts as a collective, and notes the power of movements, collaboratives, and coalitions to create change. The CivFund therefore funds at intersectionalities and facilitates opportunities and spaces for the communities it supports to come together to learn, share experiences and network.
Feminist in nature: The CivFund seeks to disrupt the status quo, supporting communities that are most affected by gender inequality and focusing their efforts on issues that matter to them. They adopt participatory decision-making processes to ensure that women and communities that are most affected by their work have a say in what happens. They also aim to build relationships based on trust and the belief that they all have something to bring to the table. They value the safety and security, health, and well-being of their partners – acknowledging that they are an invaluable resource in the development agenda. CivFund respects partner autonomy and privacy in all aspects of its work.
