East Africa philanthropy statistics show a sector with both large international flows and a broad base of smaller institutional givers. The OECD recorded USD 6.3 billion in cross-border philanthropic disbursements to Eastern Africa during 2020–2023, measured in 2023 constant dollars. A separate 2021 survey of 106 institutional givers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda shows how organizations were structured, funded, and connected with communities.
Contents
- Regional scale of philanthropic funding
- Foundation disbursements in Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda
- Foundation disbursements in Tanzania and Uganda
- Who gives and how organizations operate
- Annual giving and resource mobilization
- Causes, reported impact and accountability
- Digital giving and participation
Regional scale of philanthropic funding
The OECD’s Private Philanthropy for Development (Third Edition) reports USD 6.3 billion in cross-border philanthropic disbursements received by Eastern Africa during 2020–2023. These are 2023 constant-dollar figures, so the measurement is designed for comparison across the period rather than a single nominal-year cash total. The OECD regional classification is its own statistical definition of Eastern Africa.
For context, the same OECD comparison records USD 72 billion in official development assistance to Eastern Africa during 2020–2023, alongside the USD 6.3 billion in cross-border philanthropy. The two figures describe different financing streams, so the comparison indicates relative scale rather than a combined development-finance total. OECD, Private Philanthropy for Development (Third Edition)
Across Africa, the OECD dataset records USD 17.6 billion in cross-border philanthropic funding during 2020–2023. That amount represented 33% of the global cross-border total in the OECD dataset. The Africa-wide figure should not be treated as a sum of the country series below: the OECD notes that regional-scope allocations and country-specific allocations are different measures.
The largest foundation contributions in the OECD comparison came from two institutions. The Gates Foundation provided USD 6.4 billion to Africa, while the Mastercard Foundation provided USD 4.6 billion. Together, the two foundations provided USD 11.0 billion, representing 63% of international philanthropic funding to Africa in that comparison. These figures describe the OECD comparison for 2020–2023, not all giving by every foundation operating in the region.
Foundation disbursements in Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda
The OECD’s Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows to Developing Countries 2024 reports total net disbursements by philanthropic foundations in USD millions. In Ethiopia, the reported series rose from USD 105.3 million in 2016 to USD 143.6 million in 2017, USD 164.2 million in 2018, and USD 210.8 million in 2019. The reported amount was USD 232.7 million in 2020, USD 309.6 million in 2021, and USD 355.9 million in 2022.
Kenya’s reported foundation disbursements were USD 54.6 million in 2016, USD 113.4 million in 2017, and USD 154.5 million in 2018. The series then recorded USD 195.3 million in 2019, USD 315.6 million in 2020, USD 250.3 million in 2021, and USD 317.3 million in 2022.
Rwanda’s country series was USD 11.7 million in 2016 and USD 94.0 million in 2017. It reached USD 127.3 million in 2018, followed by USD 69.9 million in 2019, USD 309.6 million in 2020, USD 158.3 million in 2021, and USD 129.1 million in 2022.
| Country | 2016 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia | USD 105.3m | USD 210.8m | USD 232.7m | USD 309.6m | USD 355.9m |
| Kenya | USD 54.6m | USD 195.3m | USD 315.6m | USD 250.3m | USD 317.3m |
| Rwanda | USD 11.7m | USD 69.9m | USD 309.6m | USD 158.3m | USD 129.1m |
The table highlights why each country’s year-by-year path matters. Ethiopia’s reported amount increased through every year shown from 2016 to 2022. Kenya’s figure was lower in 2021 than in 2020 before rising again in 2022. Rwanda’s reported peak in this series was USD 309.6 million in 2020, followed by lower reported amounts in 2021 and 2022. OECD, Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows to Developing Countries 2024
Foundation disbursements in Tanzania and Uganda
Tanzania received reported foundation disbursements of USD 83.8 million in 2016, USD 97.0 million in 2017, and USD 139.5 million in 2018. The country series then recorded USD 108.5 million in 2019, USD 98.6 million in 2020, USD 78.4 million in 2021, and USD 118.3 million in 2022.
Uganda’s reported amounts were USD 50.1 million in 2016, USD 94.7 million in 2017, and USD 109.3 million in 2018. The series continued at USD 111.9 million in 2019, USD 119.1 million in 2020, USD 123.3 million in 2021, and USD 192.0 million in 2022.
| Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | USD 83.8m | USD 97.0m | USD 139.5m | USD 108.5m | USD 98.6m | USD 78.4m | USD 118.3m |
| Uganda | USD 50.1m | USD 94.7m | USD 109.3m | USD 111.9m | USD 119.1m | USD 123.3m | USD 192.0m |
The Tanzania series fluctuated across the seven reported years, with its highest figure at USD 139.5 million in 2018. Uganda’s reported amount increased from USD 50.1 million in 2016 to USD 192.0 million in 2022, with a reported increase in every year from 2016 through 2021 and a larger rise in 2022. These country figures are OECD foundation-disbursement totals and are not the same measure as the OECD’s cross-border philanthropic disbursements. OECD, Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows to Developing Countries 2024
Who gives and how organizations operate
The East Africa Philanthropy Network’s The State of Institutional Philanthropy in East Africa - 2021 surveyed 106 institutional givers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. It found that 8% of surveyed institutional givers operated in more than one East African country in addition to their country of origin. That result describes the survey respondents and should not be read as a population estimate for every organization in the region.
Registration structures varied. NGO registration was used by 64.2% of surveyed institutional givers. Companies limited by guarantee accounted for 18.9%, while community-based organizations accounted for 8.5%. The categories describe the organizational forms reported in the 2021 survey; they do not establish the legal structure of all East African philanthropic organizations.
This operating picture combines locally focused entities with a smaller cross-border group. The 8% cross-border figure provides a direct measure of reported regional reach, while the registration figures show that NGO status was the most common structure among respondents. East Africa Philanthropy Network, The State of Institutional Philanthropy in East Africa - 2021
Annual giving and resource mobilization
The 2021 EAPN survey found that 48% of surveyed institutional givers estimated annual giving below USD 50,000. This is an estimate reported by respondents, and the report includes institutional, in-kind and local forms of philanthropy. It is therefore not an administrative total for all giving in East Africa.
Among societies surveyed, about 43% reported giving up to USD 250,000 annually, while about 29% reported giving more than USD 1 million annually. These categories show a wide reported range of annual giving. They should not be added together or interpreted as mutually exclusive totals without the survey’s full category definitions.
Community-based organizations reported a mixed resource base. Individual donations supplied 40% of their giving resources, while company proceeds supplied 33%. The figures identify the two reported sources and their shares among community-based organizations in the survey; they do not describe the financing mix of every nonprofit or foundation in the region.
Together, the responses point to a sector in which small annual-giving organizations coexist with societies reporting more than USD 1 million annually. The survey also places individual and company resources at the center of community-based-organization giving, making resource mobilization relevant to community and human-rights work as well as to large institutional grants. East Africa Philanthropy Network, The State of Institutional Philanthropy in East Africa - 2021
Causes, reported impact and accountability
Among surveyed institutional givers, SDG 8, decent work and economic growth, attracted 24.83%. SDG 5, gender equality, attracted 24.16%. SDG 13, climate action, attracted 8.05%. These percentages describe the causes or Sustainable Development Goals selected by respondents in the 2021 survey, rather than the share of total philanthropic money assigned to each goal.
The survey also recorded reported benefits of giving. Increased scope of social impact was cited by 40% of surveyed institutional givers. Improved accountability to target constituents was reported by 27%. These are respondent-reported outcomes, not independently verified impact evaluations or a measurement of the number of people reached.
The cause data places decent work and economic growth and gender equality close together in reported respondent attention, with climate action at a lower reported percentage. The impact responses add an institutional perspective: four in ten respondents cited increased scope of social impact, while just over one quarter reported improved accountability to target constituents. The figures can help describe priorities and perceptions, but they do not prove that one cause or benefit produced better results than another.
Digital giving and participation
Mobile giving was the preferred financial platform for 40.5% of surveyed institutional givers in the 2021 EAPN survey. Bank transfers were preferred by 30.1%, and online giving by 16.2%. These figures describe preferred platforms among respondents, not the value of transactions processed through each channel.
Social media was used by 31% of surveyed institutional givers to share impact stories. Community giving was a preferred giving channel for 23%. The distinction matters: a platform preference concerns how an organization handles or receives financial giving, while social media use concerns impact communication and community giving concerns a giving channel.
The reported platform pattern places mobile giving ahead of bank transfers and online giving among respondents. It also shows that participation and accountability extend beyond payment mechanics: nearly one third reported using social media for impact stories, and 23% identified community giving as a preferred channel. As with the other EAPN findings, these percentages describe 2021 survey respondents in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, not all institutions or donors in East Africa. East Africa Philanthropy Network, The State of Institutional Philanthropy in East Africa - 2021