Introduction
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) recently announced its withdrawal as a development donor to South Africa. Other bilateral donors are also decreasing their funding, with the US planning to decrease its South Africa aid by 18% in 2014. The reduction in bilateral aid will create funding challenges for South African NGOs. To meet this challenge, NGOs need to broaden their funding sources, finding alternative donors at home and abroad. One tried and tested alternative are private foundations and trusts, as these provide billions of dollars to NGOs worldwide – including South Africa.
In this short guide, we provide guidance to South African NGOs in finding alternative sources of funding, including a detailed list of some of the top US and UK foundation donors to South Africa.
US Foundation Funding to South Africa
According to statistics from the Foundation Center, between 2009 and 2012, US Foundations gave over $300 million in grants to over 400 organizations in South Africa. These 1000 grants ranged from $1000 to nearly $22 million. Below is a list of the top US foundations that provided grants to South African organizations between 2009 and 2012, followed by short profiles of a select number:
Top US Foundations Donors to South Africa 2009 – 2012 by No. of Grants
- Ford Foundation
- Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
- Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Carnegie Corporation of New York
- Kresge Foundation
- Rockefeller Foundation
- Howard G. Buffett Foundation
- Koch Foundation
- Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
- State Street Foundation
- Bristol-Meyers Squibb Foundation Inc.
- Rockefeller Brothers Fund
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- Wallace Global Fund II
- Arcus Foundation
- WEM Foundation
- B.F. Heron Foundation
- UPS Foundation
- 20. John Templeton Foundation
Source: Foundation Center
Ford Foundation
In 2012, the Ford Foundation gave nearly $12.5 million to South African organizations in 52 grants. In the past 5 years, Ford has issued over 40 grants of $100,000 or smaller. The grants support programs in a diverse range of topics, including HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, women’s rights, agro-forestry, democracy and good governance, film and media, and education.
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation:
The Charles Steward Mott Foundation provided 27 grants totaling $3.5 million in 2012. Averaging around $250,000 per award, these grants supported projects in rural development women, community development, and civil rights.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:
As the largest US Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided South African NGOs with over $52 million in 2011 for work in education, HIV/AIDS, health care and children. These grants ranged from about $900,000 to nearly $22 million.
Kresge Foundation:
In 2012, the Kresge Foundation awarded grants averaging around $700,000 each (and totaling $5 million) to South African programs in education.
A wonderful resource for NGOs is the Foundation Centers Map of Funding to international NGOs, which includes a detailed overview for South Africa as well. The map can be found here. Additionally, the Africa Grantmakers Affinity Group maintains a member database of US foundations that support NGOs working in Afica.
To learn more about how to find funding opportunities from US foundations visit the fundsforngos.org guide on fundraising from US foundations here, or the “Fundraising from US Foundations” Training Webinar.
UK Foundation Funding to South Africa
Although it is difficult to determine the exact amount of funding that UK Foundations provide to NGOs in South Africa, we know of several large foundations that have a specific interest in the country. A search on the UK Charity Commission website shows that more than 250 foundations provide funding to South African NGOs. A list of some of the top UK foundations to South Africa is listed below:
Atlantic Philanthropies:
Focusing on healthcare, human rights and education for marginalized and rural peoples in South Africa, this global foundation has awarded over 356 grants to South African NGOs since 2001. These grants range in sizes from $11,000 to $15 million per award. The foundation has stated that it will close its active grant-making in 2016.
Elton John AIDS Foundation:
The Elton John AIDS Foundation has contributed over £6 million in over 1,300 grants towards AIDS programs worldwide, focusing primarily on work that address AIDS discrimination, AIDS treatment and AIDS prevention for at-risk populations. Additionally, the foundation has previously funded several programs in South Africa on HIV/AIDS.
The Childwick Trust:
The Jim Joel Fund, a funding scheme under the Childwick Trust, provides grants to South African NGOs supporting education and early childhood development. One example is a South African training and development NGO that they have supported since 1997 with awards of ranging from $65,000 to $100,000.
The Charity Commission website is a great place to start when researching UK funding to for South Africa as well. It can be found here.
Any Other Funders?
There are also numerous foundations in other countries that support NGOs in South Africa, including foundations in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. For example, the Swiss foundation Aids und Kind, provides grants to community-based NGOs in South Africa to address AIDS infections in children and youth. The Dutch foundation Hivos has provided dozens of grants to grassroots NGOs in South Africa for gender and HIV/AIDS. Additionally, the German foundation Heinrich Böll Stiftung (associated with the German Green party) has an office in South Africa.
Some foundations have offices in South Africa and provide NGOs with an opportunity to meet face to face. These foundations include: the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, ELMA Philanthropies, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. NGOs in South Africa can also reach out to foundations with a presence in the region like Trust Africa.
