The WINGS working group; /PHOTO: Erick Forester/WINGS
The WINGS Africa Working Group officially launched and held its first in-person convening in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 5–7, 2025.
The event marked the group’s transition from a “Regional Space for Africa” to a formal working group aimed at strengthening collaboration, learning, and collective action among philanthropic organizations across the continent.
The East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN) joined the convening alongside leaders from 29 organizations across eight African countries.
“Our team: Evans Okinyi, Daisy Vuyanzi, MPhil, Cantab, Dawit Taddele Dessie, and Nicholas Mwakuwona, joined philanthropy leaders to establish the WINGS Africa Working Group,” EAPN stated in a post on LinkedIn.
The agenda included mapping shared priorities, structuring governance frameworks, and designing platforms for cross-border collaboration and policy dialogue.
Why this matters for African giving
Philanthropy in Africa has historically been undertheorised, even though giving goes back millennia in local traditions of solidarity.
According to the global network WINGS, there are more than 200 philanthropic associations, support organisations, academic institutions, and funders in over 55 countries working through new forms of giving.
The creation of a regional working group for Africa taps into this shift where local, regional, and cross-border philanthropy can contribute to sustainable development, beyond traditional aid models.
Anchoring regional coordination
For EAPN, the working group connects directly to its regional coordination work and adds another layer of infrastructure.
By bringing together leading practitioners such as Catherine Mwendwa (GivingTuesday Africa Hub), Ibrahim‑Tanko Amidu (STAR-Ghana Foundation), and Louise Driver (Independent Philanthropy Association South Africa) as co-chairs for the next 24 months, the group seeks to toughen governance and leadership across the network.
The appointments signal a commitment to African-led philanthropy and regional ownership, with the intention of shaping how giving can be more effective, inclusive, and locally rooted.
Priorities and objectives for the working group
At its core, the working group will design and coordinate three main streams of work, including mapping shared priorities, designing governance structures, and enabling cross-border platforms for collaboration and policy dialogue.
In practical terms, this might include shared data systems, peer learning, joint advocacy, and building common funding mechanisms.
“This layer of infrastructure positions African philanthropy within continental development systems, helping philanthropy not just respond but contribute strategically to the major development challenges facing the continent,” EAPN explained.
Early signals of change
The fact that this working group is being established now is evidence of a shift in philanthropic thinking from isolated local projects towards system-building and inter-regional coordination.
WINGS describes how it has moved from a service-based infrastructure concept into a collaborative ecosystem vision, particularly in Africa, where philanthropy continues to grow.
The approach is consistent with emerging trends of community philanthropy, venture philanthropy, and social investment in Africa.
The launch offered a clear solution-oriented turn rather than focusing solely on the problems of philanthropic fragmentation or dependency on international funding, on how African philanthropy is organising itself into a stronger ecosystem.
About WINGS Africa Working Group
The WINGS Africa Working Group is part of the global WINGS network, a worldwide association of over 200 philanthropy support organisations.
Its mission is to strengthen the infrastructure for giving by fostering collaboration, sharing data, and influencing policies that enable philanthropy to thrive.
In Africa, the group aims to align regional networks, support evidence-based decision-making, and create a unified voice to advocate for enabling environments for giving.
According to WINGS, this approach reflects its shift from a service-based model to a collaborative ecosystem vision that values diversity, inclusion, and locally-driven solutions.
About EAPN
The East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN) is a regional platform that connects and supports philanthropy practitioners, organizations, and networks across East Africa.
EAPN promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building to strengthen the impact, effectiveness, and sustainability of local and regional giving.
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