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TRANSFORMATIVE PARTNERSHIPS & PHILANTHROPY

Collective action through coalition work is central to movement-building approaches. Our philanthropic advocacy is rooted in our values of respect, integrity and organising with a soul that keeps us rooted in concepts prioritising African womn’s movements, collective action, independence, and agency that advance inclusive and intersectional political and feminist agendas.

The Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy portfolio drives UAF-Africa’s pan-African and feminist philanthropic agenda, identity, and commitment to shifting narratives.

We boldly and audaciously drive the Fund’s ambition in Africa and within the global funding ecosystem of feminist and womn’s movements. Transformative partnerships and philanthropy reflect our alignment to inspiring growth for positive impact through our work with partners in the philanthropic space.

We recognise this is a difficult time for philanthropy, with multiple intersecting global crises, including climate change.

In Africa, rising religious and cultural fundamentalisms, the rolling back of progressive human rights and social justice agendas, heightened militarisation, the shrinking of civic space, rampant and incessant violence against womn, and deepened inequalities require philanthropies to be more centred on these fast-unfolding realities.

Furthermore, as a portfolio, we are constantly aware of the urgent need for resources that facilitate the resilience and regeneration of feminist, womn’s rights and gender justice civil societies, which need a variety of complementary approaches, including providing a continuum of funding that provides flexibility and sustainability to groups, and is responsive to their changing circumstances, needs and opportunities.

Despite these challenges, we remain steadfast in our unwavering commitment to upholding and celebrating the efforts of AWHRDs and their formations through our philanthropic advocacy and resource mobilisation, where we continue to scan the trends in the philanthropic space and the rapidly evolving feminist funding ecosystem.

As a Fund, we have strengthened our approach to crisis response, infrastructure, and resourcing. Through our philanthropic advocacy and as part of the UAF Sister Funds, we continue to lead and practice trust to reshape accountability, a core feminist philanthropy principle.

“A path is made by walking on it.”

- African Proverb

Objective

To work with others to set an agenda for, and both directly and indirectly, influence policy and practice on philanthropy and the situation of African womn human rights defenders.

Fostering Cultures of Care
Fostering Cultures of Care
Sustaining Defenders
Sustaining Defenders
Sustaining Defenders
Sustaining Defenders
Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy
Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy
Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy
Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy
Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy
Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy
Feminist Knowledge Leadership
Feminist Knowledge Leadership
Feminist Knowledge Leadership
Feminist Knowledge Leadership

Our Footprint

Urgent Action Fund Africa is a pan-African and Feminist Rapid Response Grant Making Fund. We have resourced more than 5,200 grants with a geographical presence in Africa’s 54 countries.

Collectively, our Board Members and Staff members are physically present in more than 15 African countries and speak more than 46 African languages

The Regions We Fund

  • East Africa
  • West Africa
  • North Africa
  • Central Africa
  • Southern Africa