Sankofa – A Return to People-centred Cultures of Resource Mobilisation
Catherine Mwendwa & Madonna Vicky Ainembabazi
Long before formal fundraising strategies existed, traditions of communal support, storytelling, and collective action were deeply embedded in daily life in Africa. Generosity, then, was not an isolated act between a wealthy individual and a cause far from home.
The institutionalisation of civil society led many to focus primarily on institutional resources. Over time, dominant narratives have centred wealth more than people, and positioned bilateral agencies and large funders as the main sources of support. The result was, often though not always, a growing distance between what we thought of as civil society and the citizens themselves. This institutional capture of the narrative and funding created both political risks and, more recently, funding risks as development aid funders disappear.
Institutional partnerships remain critical but may have drawn attention away from a powerful and proximate resource – the individuals and communities closest to the causes we serve. Today, that proximity can be both geographic and digital. As institutional funding pulls back, we are invited to look again at what has always been around us and to reconnect with a vision of civil society that is of, by, and for the people, where strong institutions are truly, visibly, and financially powered by the people.
We find ourselves returning to foundational questions: Who are our neighbours and networks? Where does community solidarity already exist? How might we rediscover the potential of individuals as partners and collective giving as a pathway to sustaining Africa’s development agenda? This might be an uncomfortable transition for some, but it is ultimately healthy for all. It can help break cycles of dependency and increase sustainability and solidarity.
There is, in many ways, no need to reinvent the wheel in the middle of this transition because our cultures and traditions of generosity offer a compass for the future of giving on the continent. Practices like harambee in Kenya, stokvels in South Africa, tontines in West Africa, and chamas and bulungi bwansi across East Africa are among the long-standing traditions of pooled resources and mutual support. These cultures and traditions remain as relevant today as ever in providing a contemporary reminder that resource mobilisation is more effective when rooted in participation and trust.
As research on philanthropy increases, it is validating what African communities have long practised – engaging people collectively for stronger giving. At GivingTuesday, our approach to collective, people-centred resource mobilisation is embodied in Community Campaigns. These are geographically focused community organising and resource mobilisation that uplift local cultures of giving (time, money, or voice).
More than a decade of GivingTuesday Data Commons research reveals that towns with Campaigns have consistently engaged 85% more donors and raised 90% more in donations (per capita) than communities without. Just as importantly, these campaigns have strengthened connections among residents, businesses, and NGOs, creating networks that can mobilise when communities need them most.
This aligns with research in Africa that has shown that people in Africa give when three conditions are present – a connection to the cause where people care because the issue affects them or those they identify with, trust in the actors or where there is confidence that resources will be used responsibly, and social reinforcement that comes from seeing others participate and increases individual willingness to contribute. Community engagement, whether through community campaigns, organising or collective well-being exercises such as bulungi bwansi in Uganda and ubudehe in Rwanda, strengthens all three conditions simultaneously.
When people unite around a shared purpose, their belonging grows, their trust deepens, and that shared participation becomes contagious, rallying millions more people and ultimately raising millions more in funding.
This thinking is at the heart of GivingTuesday Africa, where we are building a vibrant community of country leaders and strategic partners across 26 nations and more. We remain dedicated to exploring approaches that engage people collectively, firmly believing that every individual’s contribution matters and that, when individual generosity is channelled collectively, it can magnify the scale and scope of resources available to all of us. If the moment is calling us back to people and community, to whom and to what will you return?
** Sankofa, an Akan concept from Ghana meaning “go back and get it”, speaks to the idea that progress often requires returning to our roots. In the context of collective giving and fundraising, it reminds us that moving forward may mean reclaiming the community-based resource mobilisation practices of shared giving, mutual aid, and collective stewardship that have long sustained us.
(Catherine Mwendwa is the Hub Director – Africa, and Madonna Vicky Ainembabazi is the Grants Manager at GivingTuesday)
