Our Final Chapter

In October 2022 AGAG announced our plans to conclude our work.

Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group (AGAG) is committed to meeting the evolving needs of the Africa grantmaking community and this means that significant changes are ahead. We used our 20th-anniversary milestone in 2020 to reflect on changes in the Africa funding landscape and our work over the past two decades.

For over a year we engaged in a process that helped to inform our plans for AGAG’s next and final chapter. AGAG’s Final Chapter includes the AGAG Legacy Project (ALP), an exciting initiative to capture our contributions to the sector, and our decision to hold our final convenings in 2023.

Thanks to the involvement and support from the philanthropy community, we have achieved an impressive track record. Together, we have convened funders, curated knowledge, and connected people and ideas to build an informed and engaged global network of grantmakers. Over the years, AGAG has become regarded as an intellectual and political home where funders are influenced by the professional and personal relationships made possible through their participation within the AGAG community.

Why conclude AGAG’s work now?

The significant changes in the philanthropy landscape and funding context since AGAG’s founding were major factors in our decision to conclude our work. When AGAG was formed in 2000, there was no continent-wide institutional advocate for American private philanthropy support for African communities. There was little information about funding trends and few formal professional development opportunities for new and experienced Africa program staff. AGAG emerged to fill these critical needs and roles.

The current philanthropy landscape both within and outside of Africa has seen dynamic growth and diversification of individual and institutional philanthropy. New leaders have emerged, and this new environment calls for fresh approaches led by new voices. We are stepping aside to create space and encourage the next generation of grantmakers active in Africa to lead. This decision is not without precedence. AGAG emerged when the Southern Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group, founded to catalyze American foundation support to communities in southern Africa and their efforts to end apartheid, concluded its work in response to the post-Mandela era's changing context. Now, over two decades later, AGAG will do the same. We appreciate the integral role that the participation, support, and solidarity from the Africa grantmaking community has played in AGAG’s work and collective legacy in leveraging philanthropy resources in support of African communities.

We will share insights and lessons from our experiences with the next generation of grantmakers. We are confident in the emergence of a new entity that will not only carry on our legacy but also steward a fresh approach to leveraging philanthropic resources working in partnership with communities across Africa.

AGAG Legacy Project - A Resource for Future Efforts

The AGAG Legacy Project began with organizing our archives and curating materials that document AGAG's rich history. The Project includes digital and print materials including stakeholder interviews and keystone publications from AGAG’s work over two decades. These resources will serve as an important resource for future private philanthropic efforts, help improve the sector’s practices and impact, and promote scholarship about the history of philanthropy. 

The Project has published the Story of AGAG podcast series based on interviews with twenty grantmaking practitioners with experience in making grants to benefit African communities. Listen to episodes “Creating Community” and “Challenging Narratives and Practices ”on Apple or your favorite podcast platform.  

 Final Convenings held in 2023 in New York and Johannesburg

In 2023 continued to share knowledge, connect as a community, and celebrate our rich legacy. On May 8-9, 2023 we held a two-day convening, Celebrating Our Legacy, in New York that marked our final convening in the United States. Read highlights from that convening HERE. 

On October 9-11, 2023 we held a two-day convening, Footprints of our Legacy, in Johannesburg, South Africa that was our final convening.. Read highlights from that convening HERE.

Our History

The Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group (AGAG) emerged from the Southern Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group (SAGAG) that worked to galvanize American foundation support for organizations working to dismantle apartheid and provide support for the communities being affected. AGAG was established in 2000 in response to a call for a broader and increased philanthropic interest in Africa. AGAG’s mission was to promote robust, effective, and responsive philanthropy to benefit communities across the African continent. Its work was based on the belief that a connected, knowledgeable, and informed network of funders will help to grow and strengthen the impact of private philanthropy in Africa.

In the absence of institutional advocates who called for raising Africa’s profile and promoting equitable and responsive practices, AGAG has served as an intellectual and political home to funders mobilizing resources in Africa. It has cultivated an empirical learning community, a safe space, and a trusted source of information on American private philanthropy targeting Africa. It offered new and experienced grantmakers opportunities to build professional relationships and gain knowledge and information to inform their funding decisions.

Our Impact

For over 24 years, the AGAG has convened funders, curated knowledge, and connected people to build an informed network of grantmaking practitioners engaged in robust, effective, and responsive philanthropy to benefit African communities. We have made contributions to the advancement of the field, garnering a reputation as an effective learning community of funders equipped to make a positive impact through their philanthropy for communities and institutions across the African continent. With support from our contributing members and vast network of partners, we have built an impressive track record of accomplishments and forged an informed, knowledgeable, and connected network of practitioners. See the list of our annual meetings HERE.

Our Network

For almost 25 years a diverse and dynamic group of grantmaking practitioners from funding organizations based in Africa, Europe, and North America were part of the AGAG network. They reflected the range of strategies and approaches used to support efforts at all levels to improve the life for their communities, ranging from local organizations to international NGOs to academic, medical and research institutions. Membership contributions and grants supported our work that included annual conferences, meetings, webinars, special research projects, and publications. We appreciate the integral role that the participation, support, and solidarity from the Africa grantmaking community has played in AGAG’s work and collective legacy in leveraging philanthropy resources in support of African communities.

Convening

AGAG has organized local, regional, national, international, and virtual convenings for hundreds of practitioners working in different geographic and thematic areas. Their annual meeting was its signature event. These convenings have enabled funders to examine their efforts in relationship to each other and within a broader geographic context.

Connecting

AGAG has contributed to the professional development of hundreds of grantmaking practitioners through cultivating a space where new and experienced practitioners have deepened their knowledge and understanding of current strategies. AGAG’s interdisciplinary approach has fostered an understanding of context and the synergy between the issues facing communities across the continent.

Curating

AGAG has conducted groundbreaking research, curated information, and disseminated one-of-a-kind findings to fill the information gap on trends and practices in American private funding targeting Africa.

Our values

AGAG’s work and approach reflected its values.

● Diversity & Respect: We value and are committed to fostering a diversity of constructive experiences, opinions, and approaches. We encourage new voices and ideas from current and potential members and the full range of philanthropic and other stakeholders working in support of positive change in Africa.

● Accountability: We hold ourselves to a high standard of ethical conduct and accountability and encourage the same of our members, stakeholders and the field of Africa philanthropy.

● Knowledge and Learning: We value knowledge, learning, candor and critical thinking and believe that gathering, curating and sharing knowledge are essential activities in effective funding.

● Collaboration and Partnership: We are committed to building collaborations and partnerships to advance our vision, mission and goals.   

Africa Grantmakers' Affinity Group is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gift may be tax deductible pursuant to §170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please visit www.tides.org/state-nonprofit-disclosures/ for additional information.

ADDING VALUE TO PHILANTHROPY TO AFRICA

Why the Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group?

We believe that a strong network of informed and connected funders is a necessary ingredient for robust, effective and responsive philanthropy to benefit African communities.