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Source: Blossom Academy
Dear Friends of the Fund,
As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with pride and gratitude for the incredible milestones we have achieved together. 2023 has been marked by significant growth, impactful collaborations, and exciting new beginnings.
One of our most notable accomplishments was securing our 501(c)(3) designation. This pivotal achievement has strengthened our capacity to further our mission and chart a course for sustainable growth.
We were honored to complete our fourth grant cycle and welcome 12 new partners into our portfolio. This cycle was momentous for the Fund, as we included current partners on our grantmaking committee for the first time. Their expertise has enriched our decision-making process and we are excited to continue fostering a more participatory grantmaking approach.
We continued to support our partners by connecting them to opportunities that amplify their impact and to potential supporters and collaborators. We increased our engagement with collaborative funds and networks, which has enriched our approach and presented opportunities for us to contribute to efforts for collective impact.
On the financial front, we successfully closed our first fund, raising $10.9 million and surpassing our $10 million goal. We also raised the first million towards our new fund strategy. We are grateful for our donors’ continued support and belief in our mission, which enables us to support innovative organizations and advocate for change within the sector.
As we look ahead, we are filled with optimism and excitement for what the future holds for the Fund and the sector as a whole. We are committed to building on this year's successes, deepening our support of our partners, driving more conversations about how we can better support locally-led organizations, and inspiring action.
With Gratitude,
Atti Worku Katie Bunten-Wamaru
Source: Bless a Child Foundation
AVFund
By the Numbers
Partners by sector
Our Partners
01.Burundi
• Foi En Action/Faith in Action
• SaCoDé
02.Democratic Republic of Congo
• COBURWAS International Youth Organisation to Transform Africa (CIYOTA)
03.Ethiopia
• Drop of Water
• Kidame Mart
04.Ghana
• Blossom Academy
• Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems (RAINS)
05.Kenya
&
of
• AkiraChix
• Clean Start Solutions
• Dandelion Africa
• This Ability
06.Liberia
• Kids Educational Engagement Project (KEEP)
07.Malawi
• ACADES
• Chipembere Community Development Organization (CCDO)
• Foundation for Community and Capacity Development (FOCCAD)
• Rays of Hope
• Wandikweza
08.Nigeria
• Blossom Academy
• Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust
• WAVE
• Women’s Health and Equal Rights Initiative (WHER)
• Gender Mobile Initiative
• HelpMum
09.Rwanda
• Uwezo Youth Empowerment
10.Tanzania
• Msichana Initiative
• Shule Direct
• The Community Forest Conservation Network of Tanzania (MJUMITA)
• WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization
11.Uganda
• BarefootLaw
• Bless a Child Foundation
• COBURWAS International Youth Organisation to Transform Africa (CIYOTA)
• Fundi Bots
• Wezesha Impact
• Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS)
12.Zambia
• Primrose Community Health Organization (PRICHO)
13.Zimbabwe
• Friendship Bench
Partner Impact Stories
Meet Two Visionary Leaders from Cohort 3
Niniola Williams is the Managing Director of Dr.AmeyoStellaAdadevoh(DRASA) Health Trust, a public health organization that works with government, local and international partners, communities, and health workers to strengthen Nigeria'shealthcaresystem and ensure that it is prepared to prevent, detect, and contain infectious disease outbreaks and health threats through training, policy development, and advocacy.
Rahima Njaidi is the Executive Director of The Community Forest Conservation Network ofTanzania (MJUMITA), a network of community groups dedicated to participatory forest management inTanzania. The network provides capacity building, advocacy, and organizing support to enable communities to sustainably manage and utilize over1.8 million hectares of forest, thereby enhancing their livelihoods. Operatingacross13regions and spanning more than 457villagesinTanzania, MJUMITA boasts a membership of over15,000 individuals.
WhyWe DoThis
Written by Sibabalwe Mona
All of the African Visionary Fund's team members agree that the best part of our work is talking to our partners. Getting updates on the incredible impact of their innovative development models, learning about the current trends in the field, and hearing about the challenges of being African founders and leaders. Those conversations, both energizing and disheartening, are the driving force behind our advocacy work.
Beyond driving unrestricted resources to proximate African-led organizations, our secondary mission is to catalyze systemic change in the global development and philanthropy field. We are committed to advocating for resourcing locally-rooted organizations in a way that centers their mission and vision over funders' sectoral agendas, projects, and burdensome bureaucratic practices. In 2023, we made strides that we hope will serve as catalytic moments within and beyond our networks.
Sharing New Ideas with IDIA
When we were invited by the International Development Innovation Alliance to serve as the Lead Learning Partner for their Equity and Innovation initiative, we leapt at the opportunity to share equitable approaches to funding on a platform of14 of the world's largest development innovation funders. In a sector that has historically been slow to change, our goal was to advocate for a transition to fair funding mechanisms that hold donors accountable to both commitment and action.
Learn moreabout DRASA's 2023 impact ➔
Learn moreabout MJUMITA's2023 impact ➔
We spent the bulk of 2023 engaged in closed sessions, feedback workshops and panel events at the invitation of IDIA, which all culminated in co-developing the EquityPrinciples and Metrics Framework for Meaningful Localization. Tested with nearly 200 country-based innovators and changemakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the framework is designed to challenge all funders to refinetheirinternal processes based on new ideas about equity, power shifting, and localization.
Source: Msichana Initiative
Niniola Williams
Rahima Njaidi
