UNMUTED Campaign targets US$1 million to support 100 African NGOs

The African Philanthropy Forum (APF) has launched a campaign seeking to raise US$1 million to support 100 African non-governmental organisations working to address community challenges in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

The UNMUTED Campaign, launched through APF’s StartPoint initiative, aims to mobilise individual and institutional donors to fund locally led organisations and increase the visibility of their work.

The initiative was unveiled during the 2026 APF Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, held from October 25 to 27.

“ We are not waiting for others to fund our future. We are backing these organizations ourselves and making them visible,” the campaign states on its website, positioning the initiative as a collective effort to mobilise resources for African organisations.

The campaign aims to raise US$1 million to support 100 credible NGOs across the three countries. Its funding model provides that every US$10,000 raised unlocks support for another organisation on the waiting list.

The organisations are working across five focus areas: health, gender justice and digital technologies, youth empowerment, education and economic empowerment.

These areas reflect challenges that community-based organisations are addressing through initiatives ranging from improving access to healthcare and education to expanding economic opportunities for women and young people.

The campaign also seeks to make giving more accessible by allowing individuals to contribute different amounts through its online donation platform.

“Every donation is a drumbeat, clear, intentional, and collective,” the campaign states, using the metaphor of drums that historically carried messages between African communities to describe how individual contributions can build into collective support.

According to the campaign’s website, donations directly fund vetted African NGOs, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the field, excluding bank charges.

Through StartPoint, APF seeks to connect donors with African-led organisations and help bridge the gap between local initiatives and access to philanthropic funding.

The initiative comes amid wider discussions within African philanthropy about the need to direct more resources towards organisations rooted in the communities they serve, particularly those that often struggle to attract funding and visibility.

The campaign’s US$1 million target is intended to build collective support for these organisations while enabling more groups to access resources as fundraising progresses.

Individuals and institutions can contribute through the campaign’s website at https://unmuted.startpointafrica.org/.