Professor Bhekinkosi Moyo | Director of The Centre On African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the Wits Business School

Having served in various nonprofits across the continent, including in regions where it is hard to run an institution due to a lack of resources, a discussion of voice and visibility among African nonprofits should include issues of structure, systems, policies and positioning.

Structure

Institutions need to consider how they are structured. Are they in a vehicle that is fit for purpose? In most cases, we find that the work we’re set up to do is, at times, not aligned with the type and nature of the vehicle that we build. You cannot be visible and have a voice in the long term, if you are not resilient. Thus it’s important to consider issues of structure and to have systems in place. It is also vital to consider content and substance. What is it that you are voicing? I find it useful to examine an organisation holistically and not focus on just one or two elements.

Agility

In the case of nonprofits, the ability to remain agile, to move across different contexts, across different situations, but still remain visible without colliding with others who might be competing with you, is an important attribute. I like to quote Dr Tade Aina, chief impact and research officer at the Mastercard Foundation. He says that the sky is big enough for all birds to fly in it, to move across continents, but remain visible and rarely collide.

Amplify voices

It’s important to examine how we amplify voices of our target communities. CAPSI, based at Wits University, was largely created to bridge the gap between practice and theory. Our targeted communities include not only academics, researchers and students, but also broader civil society comprising foundations, young people, faith-based communities, and social movements. When we seek to amplify our work, we must consider these targeted communities.

Communications

We use several tools. The first is a newsletter to communicate our work, and to follow up on impact
or output, especially among Masters, PhD, and short course students. We check what they are doing and what has happened since they participated in modules, and then profile them. We also introduce our lecturers and staff, to showcase the impact of our work. This is doubly effective as we both examine our work, and reveal how it interfaces with our targeted communities.

Digital platforms and social media

Our communications team is active daily, ensuring we are visible on several platforms. I have realised it is important to break down technical knowledge into simple, accessible information. That’s how the podcast Conversations on African Philanthropy was born. The concept is to reflect people working in the field, hearing directly from them. We have produced some 65 editions of Conversations and have reported on young people, donors, grassroots organisations, academics, and policymakers. The concept is to show that philanthropy is an interdisciplinary subject that affects everyone.

Representation

Beyond social media, newsletters, and traditional communication, I believe in representation. While CAPSI works globally, we know that not all are fortunate enough, or have the resources, to participate on international platforms where many decisions are made regarding the fate of the African continent. Accordingly, a few of us have decided that, whenever we can, to take part in international platforms such as Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support. When we attend, we try as much as possible to consult our targeted communities so that we represent their voices on those platforms too. We also collaborate with partners at our annual African Philanthropy Conference, which attracts academics, researchers and practitioners worldwide. There is a huge focus on showcasing the work of African institutions and organisations, through exhibitions, panels and session presentations. For us, that’s one way to bring people to people. There’s no better way to make someone visible, than by connecting them.

Attracting media attention

Ten to 15 years ago, we all depended on traditional media, but that is no longer the case. Today we can create our own media platforms, and have traditional media people follow us to obtain content. First and foremost, before you attempt to get media attention, there must be substance to what your organisation does. Ensure that your organisation is fit for purpose, with products or services to showcase. It’s one thing to want media attention, it’s another to have media attention when your house is not in order.

Secondly, let organisations themselves become the stories. Then it’s easy for those who want to write stories, or share them, to come to you.

Thirdly, in the current digital age, we must create our own channels that allow us to communicate our work. Channels such as newsletters bring that attention to ourselves, but, most importantly, position ourselves. If you start establishing yourself today as an organisation, position yourself so that in a number of years you will have become what you wish to communicate. So in terms of attracting media and visibility, it’s important to establish where you want to be at a particular time, and to map out how to attain this.

Measuring success

Regarding impact, CAPSI is barely six years old. While I discuss successes and impact, we are sufficiently sensitive and humble to know that we are still young. We have planted some seeds and are seeing some successes. Having said that, measuring impact is complex. Organisations should not fall into the trap of doing what others do, without understanding their context, constituencies, and their work. In our case, it’s easier to follow up on students and check what they are doing, and we can undertake impact assessments and follow-up studies.

Wits has a faculty centre, CLEAR-AA, responsible for results learning, monitoring and evaluation. They have also designed a theory of change for us. However, we do not wish to lock ourselves into a single format, as that is not how African society is contextualised. Instead, we’ve allowed ourselves the freedom to also explore other ways of measuring behavioural change, and storytelling is one.

We realise that we don’t have the capacity to ask each and every person about our work. And so we flip the script and ask them to tell us stories of the work that they themselves do in the fields of philanthropy. Our website hosts many stories from various countries, showcasing work at community level. That is more impactful than us doing an assessment study on the impact of giving. Storytelling has value in measuring behavioural change.

Finally, we have to tie all those factors together, so that we have a full, holistic story of what is emerging – from impact assessments and indicator measurements, to storytelling and conversations. Amplifying voice and visibility among African nonprofits is a multifaceted endeavour requiring robust structures, substantive content, and strategic communication. As CAPSI evolves, we are committed to ensuring that diverse voices within African philanthropy are heard, in their own words, and seen on the global stage.

This article was first published in the 2024 Inyathelo Annual Report.