A live band entertains delegates at Serena Hotel, Kigali on the eve of the 9th East Africa Philanthropy Conference taking place between June 11 and 13, 2025.
In just a few hours, the 9th East Africa Philanthropy Conference will officially open its doors at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda.
Delegates have already arrived, and the hotel’s evening air was alive with lively conversations and networking.
On the eve of the conference, the attendees were treated to an elegant cocktail reception, accompanied by vibrant Rwandan entertainment that set an uplifting tone for the days ahead.
A Gathering of Changemakers
Organized by the East Africa Philanthropy Network, this year’s flagship event—running through June 13—brings together over 500 participants. They include heads of foundations and trusts, government officials, educators, social entrepreneurs, impact investors, and civil society leaders from across East Africa and beyond.
Under the stirring theme “Agile Philanthropy: Adapting to Economic, Social, and Political Shifts,” delegates are poised to explore what it takes to remain nimble in an era of unpredictability.
The backdrop couldn’t be more relevant—a time marked by volatile global economies, shifting donor priorities, and tightening regulatory environments.
Confronting New Realities
Amid shrinking traditional aid, inflation-driven donor restrictions, and emerging nationalist tendencies, the conference agenda dives deep into pressing questions: How can philanthropy pivot toward venture and blended finance? What role can AI, blockchain, and digital platforms play in grantmaking while guarding against inequity and bias? And as governments tighten control over foreign funding, how can organizations preserve civic space and independence?
Shifting Power, Embracing Local Leadership
A key throughline this year is the movement toward locally led, trust-based funding. African communities are reclaiming their agency, asking philanthropists to shift from top-down charity toward partnerships grounded in local knowledge, participatory decision-making, and community trust.
Featured voices such as Devang Vussonji, founding partner of Axum, echo this sentiment. Vussonji—who will speak during the conference—has spent decades integrating public, private, and philanthropic efforts across the continent, including educational and climate resilience initiatives.
His presence underscores the conference’s emphasis on systems thinking and locally rooted impact.
Beyond Talk: Building Practical Solutions
While the setting evokes prestige, the content promises substance. Attendees will map out financial sustainability strategies that move beyond traditional donor models toward impact investing and corporate partnerships.
They will also collaborate across sectors, leveraging tools such as AI analytics and blockchain to reimagine governance and enhance transparency—including shaping policy that protects philanthropic autonomy.
EAPN describes the summit as more than discourse—it is a decisive forum for architecting adaptive strategies and advancing actionable, scalable philanthropic models.
A Bold Start to Agile Philanthropy
As Kigali’s Serena Hotel buzzes with optimism and energy, the conference is already delivering on its promise: delegates are connecting, ideas are sparking, and entertainment is setting a collegial tone.
Now, the challenge begins in earnest—for the next three days, participants will work to chart a new, agile path for philanthropy across East Africa.
