Hon. Yusuf Murangwa, Rwanda's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, at the 9th East Africa Philanthropy Conference on June 11, 2025.
Kigali, Rwanda – Philanthropies operating in East Africa and globally have been challenged to redefine their strategies amidst a global landscape of shrinking aid and heightened expectations.
This urgent call to action was delivered by Hon. Yusuf Murangwa, Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, at the 9th East Africa Philanthropy Conference.
The conference, themed “Agile Philanthropy: Adapting to Economic, Social, and Political Shifts,” is currently underway at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, from June 11 to 13, 2025.
Rwanda’s Philanthropic Foundation
Minister Murangwa underscored Rwanda’s deep-rooted connection to philanthropic values and its historical reliance on such support.
“Our society has built on many of the values of philanthropies, such as solidarity, community participation and engagement, coming together, building self-reliance and sustainability, leaving no one behind,” he stated.
He further acknowledged that “in our development journey, as a society and a country, Rwanda has benefited a lot from philanthropies”.
The Evolving Landscape of Aid
The Minister highlighted the increasing importance of philanthropy as official development assistance (ODA) continues to decline.
“Even, in the current situation, we have seen many philanthropies stepping up to fill part of the gap created by reducing official development assistance,” Murangwa observed.
He stressed that this trend is not confined to Rwanda or East Africa but is a global phenomenon.
With ODA projected to continue its decline, Minister Murangwa emphasized the escalating pressure on philanthropic organizations.
“In the current context, full of uncertainties of all kinds, one thing is sure, aid is and will continue reducing,” he asserted. “This is a given. As such, expectations on philanthropies are heightened and may continue to rise higher”.
A Time for Reflection and Redefinition
This pressing reality, he noted, makes the conference’s theme particularly timely. “It is therefore, a very good time for reflection and redefining – may be not the core vision but definitely the ways of working,” Murangwa advised.
He commended the conference organizers for selecting such a pertinent theme, calling it “a very opportune time for this 9th conference with the very theme that you selected”.
Mobilizing Diverse Resources
The Minister called for collective introspection on resource mobilization. “We will need to reflect together on how to mobilize more from various sources, using all tools available, including technology and data?” he posed.
He further outlined a comprehensive approach to “crowd-in” resources beyond just financial contributions.
This includes leveraging leadership, talents, and labor from communities, and attracting investments and innovation from the private sector to support various causes. Additionally, he stressed the need to mobilize the necessary policy environment from public sector actors.
Transforming Philanthropic Networks for Impact
Minister Murangwa urged a transformation of philanthropic networks. He advocated for them to evolve “beyond solely a platform for exchanging information and knowledge, into mechanisms that facilitate pooling resources together, for impact at scale”.
In this era of heightened expectations and limited resources, he emphasized the critical need for “maximum impact and value for resources”.
Embracing Transparency and Engagement
Transparency and engagement were also key points in his address. “Maybe my last point, on this list of reflections, is the need for improved communication and engagement with all players (communities, private, public),” he shared. He encouraged philanthropies to “embrace increased transparency and scrutiny” and to consider replicability and scalability in their documentation and communication.
Commendation for Proactive Philanthropy
The Minister expressed profound admiration for the conference participants.
“I am personally impressed by the very fact that you are here today, that you come together, with the objective of looking at situation as it is, recognizing and assessing it, to finally devise a way forward,” he stated.
He praised their proactive approach, noting that “very few, in today’s world, are able to do so, and often, die, having lost relevance because of the inability to embrace and respond to the shocks of changing times”. He concluded by commending all attendees and the networks responsible for organizing the conference.
About the East Africa Philanthropy Conference The East Africa Philanthropy Conference, hosted annually by the East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN), is a landmark gathering for leaders and visionaries in social impact across the region.
It convenes over 500 distinguished participants, including foundation and trust executives, government representatives, community philanthropy organizations, academia, impact investors, and philanthropy support networks from both East Africa and beyond.
Described as “more than just a conference,” the event serves as a dynamic platform for thought leadership, strategic dialogue, and revolutionary action.
It provides a crucial space for industry stakeholders to critically examine emerging trends, evolving challenges, and disruptive innovations shaping the philanthropic ecosystem. Through engaging discussions and knowledge-sharing, participants gain actionable insights to drive sustainable impact.
The conference also fosters meaningful connections and cross-sector partnerships, aiming to ensure philanthropy remains agile, adaptive, and catalytic in addressing the region’s most pressing social and economic priorities.
