PHOTO; Africa Youth PhilanthropyNetwork
Across Africa, young people are increasingly taking on roles as contributors, conveners, and organisers in philanthropic and social investment spaces.
Yet much of this activity has historically been fragmented, spread across countries, sectors, and informal networks with limited platforms to connect and coordinate youth-led initiatives.
The African Youth Philanthropy Network (AYPN) was formed to address this gap.
It serves as a continental platform for young philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, and impact investors, providing spaces for connection, learning, and collaboration.
Rather than functioning as a traditional funder, AYPN focuses on networking, knowledge exchange, and visibility, enabling youth-led philanthropic activity to gain coordination and reach.
Origins: The First African Youth in Philanthropy Conference
AYPN traces its roots to the first African Youth in Philanthropy (AYP) Conference, held on June 29, 2015, in Arusha, Tanzania.
Organised by GADEF-International and NEXUS Africa, the conference brought together 35 delegates from eight African countries and the Diaspora.
The convening aimed to address the lack of support for youth-led philanthropy, under the theme “African Youth in Philanthropy: Participation, Policies and Practices.”
It was held before the African Grantmakers Network (AGN) Assembly to incorporate youth perspectives into broader development agendas.
The conference emphasised local, cultural, and community-based giving, challenging the dominance of formal philanthropic models, and ultimately led to the creation of the African Youth in Philanthropy Network (AYPN).
The inaugural event laid the foundation for recognising youth-led organisations as critical actors in Africa’s development and social change, focusing on strengthening their voice in policy and practice.
A Platform for Connection and Coordination
Since 2015, AYPN has grown into a network connecting members across more than 19 African countries.
Headquartered in Accra, Ghana, the network operates through a small secretariat supported by regional coordinators in East, West, and Southern Africa.
Its organisational structure includes leadership, programme coordination, communications, and partnerships, enabling both continental oversight and local engagement.
At its core, AYPN functions as a platform for networking, learning, and collaboration.
Its convenings and forums connect youth-led initiatives, foster peer-to-peer exchange, and provide opportunities for joint action.
By fostering these connections, the network enables young actors to identify synergies, share knowledge, and engage meaningfully across borders and sectors.
Programmes and Focus Areas
AYPN works with its members and partners at regional and sub-regional levels to advance youth-led philanthropy across Africa. Its activities span six interconnected focus areas:
Grantmaking: Facilitating opportunities for young actors to engage with philanthropic funding without acting as a traditional funder.
Networking and youth convenings: Organising forums, workshops, and gatherings that connect youth-led initiatives and social investors across the continent.
Research and knowledge building: Supporting initiatives that document trends, challenges, and innovations in youth philanthropy, providing insights to inform practice.
Capacity building: Offering mentorship, guidance, and skill development to equip members to navigate social investment and philanthropic spaces.
Policy advocacy: Engaging with regional and national institutions to amplify youth perspectives in policy and philanthropy-related discussions.
Technology and innovation: Promoting digital solutions and innovative approaches to strengthen coordination, collaboration, and learning within the youth philanthropy ecosystem.
These areas operate together to reinforce AYPN’s role as a platform rather than a grantmaking body.
Convenings feed knowledge-sharing, research informs advocacy, and capacity-building strengthens the ability of young actors to participate effectively in philanthropic spaces.
Collaboration and Partnerships
AYPN participates in partnerships and collaborative initiatives that extend its reach and strengthen cross-sector engagement.
One example is its work with the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), which provides youth internships and skill-building opportunities linked to economic governance and policy engagement.
Beyond formal collaborations, AYPN engages in planning sessions, learning forums, and networks that link youth-led initiatives, philanthropic actors, and institutional partners.
These engagements highlight its connector role, bridging actors across countries, sectors, and levels of influence.
Position in Africa’s Philanthropy Landscape
Within the continent’s philanthropic ecosystem, AYPN holds a specific role as a network for youth actors, providing coordination, visibility, and cross-border engagement.
Its influence is relational: it shapes connections, supports peer learning, and amplifies youth voices in social investment spaces.
By focusing on networking, learning, and capacity-building rather than fund disbursement, AYPN complements foundations, youth initiatives, and social investment platforms while addressing the gap in coordination and visibility for young philanthropists.
Its work contributes to broader conversations around youth participation, social investment, and leadership development, ensuring young Africans are seen and connected within philanthropic systems.
Why AYPN Matters
In a continent where youth engagement in philanthropy is growing but often fragmented, AYPN represents a coordinating and connecting force.
Its relevance lies not in the scale of funds it controls but in the networks it builds, the knowledge it disseminates, and the opportunities it creates for collaboration and influence.
By operating as a network rather than a conventional grantmaker, AYPN demonstrates the potential for platforms that fill systemic gaps connecting, equipping, and amplifying young actors across Africa.
Its work highlights a category of organisations shaping the future of youth-led philanthropy from within the ecosystem itself, enabling young Africans to navigate, engage with, and influence philanthropic and social investment spaces across the continent.
