Philanthropic Deserts in West and Francophone Africa: A Conversation with Gates Foundation and Segal Family Foundation
As part of Myriad USA’s international giving webinar series, we were joined by the Gates Foundation and Segal Family Foundation, two of the few philanthropic institutions in West and Francophone Africa, for a candid, in-depth conversation about why they are investing in this region and what it takes to give effectively, including navigating language and culture, building trust with key partners, and structuring philanthropic capital for lasting impact.
Reframing “Philanthropic Deserts”
African‑led organizations, driven by leaders closest to the challenges they address, remain chronically underfunded. They receive less than 2% of global philanthropic funding, with most funding directed to East Africa, leaving West and Francophone Africa as philanthropic deserts.
Yet, as both speakers and audience members emphasized, this framing overlooks a crucial reality: the region is not empty but rich in local innovation, leadership, and solutions. The real challenge is not a scarcity of ideas but a scarcity of connection, trust, and capital flow.
The Role of Bias in Funding Decisions
What donors often perceive as risk is in fact structural bias. Language, proximity, and familiarity continue to shape where capital flows, often favoring Anglophone ecosystems and well-networked geographies.
The session challenged the notion that English fluency should determine fundability, calling instead for recognition of deep community expertise, lived experience, and legitimacy of local leadership. The issue is less about risk, and more about whether donors know how to work in these contexts, a gap that is both systemic and solvable.
The Coordination Gap
Local organizations across West Africa are doing extraordinary work, often in parallel, but lack access to shared tools, networks, and visibility. Knowledge rarely travels between them, and relationships with global funders remain fragmented. This disconnect limits both scale and sustainability. There remains a critical opportunity: creating intentional spaces for peer connection, regional collaboration, and shared learning across organizations.
Rethinking the Role of Intermediaries
While intermediaries can bridge gaps in language, compliance, and access, they can also unintentionally become bottlenecks, reducing visibility or distancing local organizations from funders.
This tension highlights the need to redefine what impactful intermediation looks like. Effective intermediaries do more than move money. They amplify local voices, build trust in both directions, and strengthen the long-term capacity of organizations. The emphasis must shift from managing donor risk to enabling local actors to access capital directly and sustainably.
Trust-Based Philanthropy
There is a need for trust-based philanthropy that funds organizations before they appear fully ready. Many promising groups remain underfunded because they lack the systems, such as governance, data, and visibility, that funding would help build, creating a missing middle between early-stage support and large-scale investment. Addressing this gap requires flexible, multi-year, and unrestricted funding, paired with evolving capacity support.
At the same time, clearer pathways to visibility and proximity are critical. Whether through direct engagement, peer convenings, and stronger connections to funders, grassroots organizations should be recognized not as implementers but as architects of long-term solutions.
Toward a More Collaborative Future
The conversation repeatedly returned to the importance of collaboration among funders, across regions, and funding models. Pooled funding, donor collaboratives, and shared investment strategies were highlighted as practical ways to reduce risk, align resources, and increase impact.
Francophone West Africa is not a peripheral frontier. It is a critical, underfunded part of the global philanthropic landscape. The challenge is not whether solutions exist, but whether the systems of philanthropy are ready to support them.
The session featured:
Moderator: Kady Sylla, Director, Africa & Middle East, Myriad USA
Speaker: Dedo Baranshamaje, Interim Executive Director, Segal Family Foundation
Speaker: Niloufer Memon, Deputy Director, Gender Equality, Gates Foundation
Also read Myriad USA’s Insights article, Supporting Local Solutions in West Africa: A Lasting Legacy Brings Clean Water to Local Communities, an example of how long-term, trust-based giving in Burkina Faso is creating lasting impact through local leadership.
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This webinar is presented by Myriad USA, the leading resource for philanthropic giving overseas – a trusted advisor to individuals, families, corporations, and foundations seeking to support their favorite causes, anywhere across the globe. Discover our full portfolio of services at https://myriadusa.org/services/.