By East Africa Philanthropy Network
Introduction
Despite the challenging year experienced in the region due to the ongoing pandemic which continues to instill uncertainty of the future, an unpredictable political climate as Uganda adjusts after a hectic general election and Kenya prepares for its upcoming election in less than 7 months, economic and social challenges impacting families and local communities spurning from loss in various forms to battles of mental health by individuals cutting across social and economic classes the spirit of giving and Ubuntu continues to impact lives and bring hope despite the difficulty. The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu said that it is the little bits of good which when put together overwhelm the whole world and this cements the mission and mandate of the GivingTuesday movement as a whole.
What started of a simple idea to radicalize generosity in 2012 has grown to be a great catalyst for change in over 80 countries as of 2021. Over the past nine years, it has grown into a global movement that has inspired hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity year-round. The movement has been brought to life through hundreds of local community and individual campaigns across the East Africa region. With support from local at the grassroots level, people and organizations participate in GivingTuesday in every single country in the world.
A celebration of all forms of giving, GivingTuesday continues to inspire more generosity and unleash the potential that local led giving has in supporting national development in East Africa. The movement has inspired people to give gifts of time, skills, goods, advocacy, and more highlighting the fact that everyone has something to give back and every act of generosity is recognized. Despite the difficult 2 years experienced globally with devastating ripple effects to developing and third world countries, hundreds of acts of generosity and stories of giving lit up the region during GivingTuesday.
Impact
- 5M dollars raised locally in cash and in-kind
- 250 partnering organizations
- Over 1,000 individuals participating
- The most funded causes included Quality Education Provision, Zero Hunger, Community Sustainability, Animal Conservation, Climate Action, and Youth Empowerment
Emerging Giving Trends in East Africa
As an important movement focused on promoting the diversity of giving and generosity across the world, #GivingTuesday continues to showcase various trends and practices that have been adopted locally and across the globe leading to more vibrant philanthropy thus promoting national development. In East Africa, the conducted campaigns showed tremendous amounts of creativity, kindness and generosity that need to be adopted in the coming year.
Use of Technology for Generosity
With the internet penetration in the East Africa region coming at an average of 54% with the lowest country access at 37%. The adoption of technology as a key agent for giving has been greatly witnessed in the region. Being a social media centered movement, #GivingTuesday has impacted how organizations and individual view and use technology in their awareness and fundraising campaigns. The 2021 campaigns showcased how well organizations tapped into the power of technology for their advancement.
From developing and revamping of websites to be more user friendly to creation of online fundraising campaigns on local and international platforms such as M-changa and GlobalGiving respectively, use of “donate button” on social media platforms and money transfer platforms such as M-pesa, Airtel money, tigo money, Vodacom highlights the priceless value organizations accord to technology. 80% of the campaigns showcased this year created opportunities for people to give back online due to the pandemic which restricted physical interactions ordinarily used to raise funds such as dinner galas, golf tournaments, marathons and more. A good example would be The Good Kenyan Foundation who tapped into the power of social media by creating a 24 hour Instagram live bringing together local celebrities and influencers to share their stories of giving while encouraging their diverse audiences to donate to support the mentorship program offered by the foundation.
Trust Based Giving
The art of giving is not a new phenomenon to Africans and the #GivingTuesday movement has supported in bringing this to light. A new wave of trust based giving swept the region with thousands of people giving back to causes by organizations and individuals who they did not have any prior interactions with but chose to give as a crisis response based on the tangents of transparency, humility, accountability and spirit of collaboration. Most of these donations came as a result of stories shared on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube with a specific call to action that yielded massive results.
Community Centered Campaigns
As witnessed in the previous year, community centered campaigns took the lead as the most successful campaigns in the region with majority of donations. Campaigns focused on improving lives of the community led by the community members themselves increased in 2021. As conversations on sustainability continue to take the fore front, local organizations are working more directly and deliberately with members of the community to improve their status of living.
From campaigns focused on improving overall access to education encompassing areas such as children’s diet, access to dignity kits for girls and boys, to environmental conservation efforts and empowerment of vulnerable members of the community such as the women and youths. In the true GivingTuesday spirit communities came together to show support in numerous ways such donating both in monetary forms and in kind donations.
Movement Building
The GivingTuesday movement has grown over time in the East Africa region. With co-ordination from the East Africa Philanthropy Network, GivingTuesday has risen to be one of the most esteemed days in the calendar of local organizations. New and dynamic partners have joined the movement trans-versing the region. With over 200 multi-sectoral partners working in various parts of the region, the mission of the movement is growing and more people are joining the giving wave. The movement has led to an increase in organized and structured giving in various forms leading to vibrant philanthropy in the region. This has also led to the building of a community of practice where local organizations and individuals can learn, share and collaborate on how to grow and build their campaigns.
Find a selection of campaigns, photos, and more in GivingTuesday East Africa’s full impact report.
Recommendations
The 2022 GivingTuesday is set to be on the 29th of November. As the local coordinators of the movement, East Africa Philanthropy Network, we encourage our local partners to invest in early preparations for their campaigns. Conduct deliberations with their stakeholders both locally and abroad to strategically plan in order to effectively execute successful campaigns. For more success, partners are encouraged to embed the GivingTuesday movement into their own personal initiatives as a fundraising initiative all through the year and not just on the day itself.
