Kenya under philanthropy test as it joins Giving Tuesday movement

Kenya has today joined the Global GivingTuesday Movement to harness the power of philanthropy, a still underdeveloped practice in the continent.

Labelled #GivingTuesday is a first of its kind effort that seeks to unshackle the collective power of charities, families, businesses and individuals in helping improve livelihoods of the less fortunate individuals in the society.

East Africa Association of Grant makers(EAAG) that is nursing the young baby has a bold vision of transforming how people think about, talk about and participate in the season of giving, in the run up to December festivities.

Africa at TechSoup Global Vice-President, David Barnard notes Africa is changing for the better — socially, politically, and economically.

With a population of more than one billion people, and a fast-growing middle class, he argues Africa is set for an explosion in new philanthropy practices.

“There is now recognition of the immense financial and intellectual capital that exists in Africa, and the ability of Africans to find African solutions for African problems. Africans are generous by nature,” said Barnard.

Already, Family bank Foundation and Kengen Foundation have joined the movement and EAAG has hinted of a major plan to rope in more payers from the private sector.

Corporates have long been associated with giving back to society, with a key mandate to meeting the immediate as well future needs of the communities in which they operate.

“They also look to foster good relations with them and build great responsible brands in the process. Corporates form a dependable source of revenue as they are operating as a going concern,” said a local Corporate social responsibility consultant, Rosemary Wahome.

Wahome is the founder of Beyond Profit Limited.

The worldwide movement harnesses the power of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities and celebrates the power of giving in all its forms.

Launched by New York’s 92nd Street Y, in partnership with the UN Foundation in 2012, #GivingTuesday first brought together 2,500+ organizations from all 50 U.S. states in its first year, when it was covered by major media and local outlets throughout the U.S.

In 2013 #GivingTuesday continued to gain momentum, with 10,000 partners in the US and 46 countries around the world.

“When we launched #GivingTuesday in 2012, we had a big ambition. We wanted to create, in the words of one of our early advisers and supporters, ‘an opening day for the giving season,'” says Henry Timms, executive director of 92nd Street Y.

Giving Tuesday has since its launch in the US in 2012 moved to 11 other countries in 2015 through partnerships with different organizations worldwide.