About CivFund

Who are we

CIVFUND is an afro feminist fund, designed to strengthen civil society across Africa through flexible, responsive, and accessible funding. Operating as a “fund of funds,” CIVFUND supports grassroots movements, artistic expression, and transformative leadership by stewarding resources that ignite civic engagement and social justice. Guided by feminist principles and participatory decision-making, CIVFUND is a catlytic fund that empowers communities, especially those affected by gender inequality, to lead change. With a commitment to transparency, equity, and the spirit of Ubuntu, CIVFUND offers grantmaking, fiscal hosting, and leadership development programs that nurture bold, resilient, and visionary changemakers.

Vision

Philanthropy that works and civil society that thrives.

Mission

To provide infrastructure for philanthropists that ignites and harnesses the potential of civil society in Africa.

Our Priorities

Over the next five years, the CivFund is working to realize the following outcomes:

1. To provide accessible and diverse resourcing for civil society in its diversity, including local philanthropy.

2. To harness the potential of civil society groups to navigate complex contexts and better manage their resources for sustainability.

3. To build organizational strength and operational excellence for CivFund to consistently deliver on her mandate.

How We Do It

All CivFund work and approaches are anchored on and informed by our core values:

Represented in the acronym ‘DARE TO’;

Dignity: We value our common humanity and treat others with respect, guided by the Ubuntu Philosophy - I am because we are!

Audacity: We are bold, original, resilient, challenge dominant narratives, and are willing to take risks and chart new paths.

Reliability: We are straightforward, consistent, dependable, and trustworthy in our processes, communication, and commitments.

Equity: We believe in just and fair access to opportunities, resources, and space for civil society to address systemic inequalities and ensure all civil society in its diversity has genuine opportunities to succeed.

Transparency: We operate with openness and honesty to build trust, ensure accountability, and enhance the impact of funding.

Optimism: We are hopeful and confident about the future and in our shared ability to shape it.

Our Approach

Research and documentation: To inform our grant making, we undertake regular comprehensive studies and analyses to identify priority needs, approaches and strategies for resourcing. From the learnings and experience/process of setting up funds, CivFund has developed and is refining a ‘fund development craft’. Beyond the thematic funding streams, CivFund provides grants for research and documentation to inform programming or learning, as well as leadership development for civil society leaders and institutions to the broader civil society ecosystem.

Intersectional Approach: Although our funding is packaged under different streams, we adopt a feminist movement building perspective in all our grantmaking. We believe that capacity can be grown and aim to support ideas and bold visions, meeting our partners wherever they are and providing accompaniment as needed.

Feminist Approach: CIVFUND’s feminist approach is rooted in the belief that transformative change must center the voices, experiences, and leadership of those most affected by inequality, especially women, girls, and gender-diverse communities. Guided by feminist principles, CIVFUND prioritizes intersectionality, care, and collaboration in its funding and decision-making processes. It challenges traditional power dynamics by promoting participatory grant making, nurturing grassroots movements, and investing in leadership that is bold, inclusive, and community driven. Through this lens, CIVFUND not only funds change, it helps reimagine systems that uphold dignity, equity, and justice for all.