Institutional philanthropy and popular organising in Africa : some initial reflections from social movement activists

As popular forms of organising increasingly serve as sites for change in Africa, institutionalised private philanthropy, which hasgenerally stayed away from such activist spaces is slowly engaging. While anecdotal knowledge exists, evidence-based analysis onthese relationships is scarce. This study explored how African movements experience and see the role and nature of philanthropyin relation to their own functioning and objectives. It highlighted that it is not merely a question of whether it is appropriate forinstitutional philanthropy to engage, but the ‘how’ of engagement that matters most. As a result, different challenges and limitationsemerged. The research reflected critical concerns raised by movements about philanthropic orientation, ideology, and practice, andcalled for radical mindset shifts from institutional philanthropy – particularly on aspects such as power, control, accountability, andimpact – and provided practical observations for consideration.