A new white paper from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy explores higher education fundraising and philanthropy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Philanthropy in Africa has a long, rich and diverse tradition. In the face of financial challenges, more African higher education institutions have been seeking resources from private philanthropy and engaging African donors in advancing higher education. However, relatively little is known about the strategies and practices of fund development within higher education in Africa. The white paper, Engagement of African Donors in Advancing Higher Education in sub-Saharan Africa, shares knowledge from existing literature and the school’s exploratory analysis that sheds light on key aspects of advancement and the philanthropic landscape in higher education in the region.

The school further organized a series of convenings to promote informed dialogue on philanthropy for higher education in sub-Saharan Africa among thought leaders. Key findings and takeaways from all three components of the project are shared in the white paper. The project was made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Exploring Higher Education Philanthropy in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy previously had conducted a series of interviews with advancement leaders of African higher education institutions (HEIs) in 2019 and 2020 to understand how these institutions engage with the African diaspora living in the United States to enhance opportunities for students and strengthen institutional capacity. These conversations offer valuable insights into their engagement strategies and the challenges they faced at the university and macro-levels.

To further understand African donors’ engagement in higher education in Africa, as part of the new white paper the school conducted a review of publicly available information on development and fundraising among African HEIs. This exploratory analysis focused on 57 top- ranking HEIs in sub-Saharan Africa and sheds light on the fundraising practices and structures African HEIs, African donor types and causes supported by African donors. The analysis further offers examples of some large cash and in-kind donations from African donors in advancing higher education across the continent with the hope of inspiring more major and everyday donors to join forces in driving transformative changes in higher education for Africa.

Read the full article about higher education philanthropy in Sub-Saharan Africa at Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.