“AGAG has been shaped and sustained by the people who have been part of its evolution… they have demonstrated the positive influence that can happen when colleagues come together in a welcoming and inclusive space.””
2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group (AGAG). For over two decades we have worked to build a global network of grantmakers funding in communities across Africa. Conversations With Africa Grantmakers: Reflections on Navigating Roles and Relationships presents snapshots from our conversations with a diverse group of 17 individuals who have been a part of AGAG’s network over the years. We asked them about their experiences and how they see and navigate the various internal and external relationships that are part of the grantmaking process.
The group we spoke with reflects the diversity of the AGAG network. They were born in different countries and come from different backgrounds. They work for different types of funding organizations, including ones headquartered in Canada, South Africa, and the United States. They have various titles, some more senior than others. Collectively they represent the wealth of insights gained from their experiences funding organizations working to benefit communities across Africa. Some of them have been part of the AGAG network since its inception in 2000 while others for over a decade. But all of them have contributed to AGAG’s growth and evolution through sharing what they have learned and being open to learn from each other. We hope these reflections will provide useful perspectives for new grantmakers as they evolve their own practice, along with offering a view of their work that resonates with those with more experience.
Please note that in this report, we use “grantmaker” to refer to the individual program staff person and “funding organizations” to refer to the organization they represent. .
The following is a sampling of their reflections organized across four themes
Navigating Roles and Relationships
Few of these grantmakers started their careers intending to work in philanthropy. Many of them previously worked in academia or for NGOs. Others worked for funding organizations in roles other than grantmaking, and a couple characterized this career move as accidental. We also heard from grantmakers who took a more intentional approach to working in philanthropy.
Grantmakers are often seen as the primary artibeurs of funding decisions. Many discussed the challenges they face in influencing strategy and funding decisions, especially within organizations that are hierarchical and where leadership has limited knowledge about the communities they are funding. Although none of those interviewed expected to have complete autonomy about who and what gets funded, some shared the constraints under which they operate, reflecting how little power grantmakers can have on specific funding decisions.
Many grantmakers said their experiences have taught them to embrace the “messiness” of the process. Several grantmakers acknowledged the power dynamics inherent in grantmaking that can hinder candid conversations and preempt the important two-way learning that can help to balance these dynamics and enable the formation of real partnerships.
Understanding Different Contexts
“When trying to do philanthropy at an international level, you know nothing. You did not grow up in that place. You don't understand the tiny differences.” Therefore, it is essential that those seeking to work in philanthropy “take this job as an opportunity for learning.”
“As we expand into new geographies, I'm quickly learning that [the country I was focused on] is not the same as the other countries in the continent. This has shifted a major focus of the work toward “understanding the new spaces we’re getting into and how my grantmaking needs to adapt to those contexts.”
“Once you’re moved to a new country, you have to learn a new local context,” noted a program staffer whose foundation requires staff to limit time spent working on one country. As a result, “program officers are only getting the context when they’re leaving.”
Forming Collaborative Relationships
“It’s not a natural thing for funders to collaborate,” especially with “the corporatization of philanthropy using metrics and branding and...having to account for our funding doing this.’” Funding organizations are required to move fast and alone to show their individual impact. In this context, the work of funding organizations is “about attribution and not contribution [which] precludes collaboration.” They emphasized the importance of funding organizations moving beyond this perspective so that “true collaboration” can take place.
“When you look at communities, they bring a huge basket of issues they need to deal with. And no single organization can address all of the issues.” This reality “creates a lot more room for funders to come together and think about how to work together.”
“I tend to think funder collaboratives are less valuable then diverse, multisector collaboratives.” The reasons for this include, “because our reach and mandate is small.” An example is the SDGs, which are “well-conceived from a participatory basis as goals but that have poor implementation plans [that] a group of foundations is not going to solve.” To address this challenge, funding organizations “need to have broader collaborations and specifically [collaborate] with entities that have mandates on the ground.”
Understanding Change
Equally important for grantmakers to understand is how the changes within the philanthropic sector, especially among funding organizations themselves, impact their work. Learning from experience and using those insights to influence practice is an ongoing process.
“One of the things I feel most pleased about in the foundation world is how many younger staff of African origin now have positions in foundations. These staff have huge struggles, and power isn't necessarily being shared. But nonetheless, I find that really encouraging.”
As many of these grantmakers described, their role enables them to work in partnership with organizations on the front line of change and to be a part of helping to advance change. However, that role can be complicated by limited actual decision- making authority within their funding organizations. This tension can be heightened by external perceptions that individual grantmakers hold much of the ultimate decision- making authority.
What is also clear from these conversations is that there is no need for grantmakers to go it alone. Whether they fund the same priorities or in similar regions, are
based in Africa, Europe, North America, or elsewhere, grantmakers can serve as informal learning partners, helping peers to grow professionally and refine their craft. They may also serve as formal collaborative funding partners in their roles as representatives of their organizations. In both of these cases, grantmakers have the opportunity to benefit from experiences, knowledge, and wisdom accumulated over many years being involved with Africa-focused philanthropy.