Why Kwanda exists
Top-down models of aid do not work. They dismiss the dignity and lived experience of the communities they propose to serve – with blind spots that have devastating long-term effects.
Local entrepreneurs are responding thoughtfully to the daily friction in their lives. So, why aren’t we supporting these local entrepreneurs?
Unfortunately, the answer is that traditional funders and philanthropists do not trust locals. They don’t trust them to build and scale solutions to their problems.
We created Kwanda to fight this. We do it by investing in local entrepreneurs and telling the story of their impact.
Raising capital
Traditional funders were entrenched. So, we had to get creative about fundraising. We adapted the age-old practice of Osusu – a traditional saving and credit system from West Africa.
We plan to build a community of micro philanthropists and tap into the enormous power of the collective.
Solving giving
As we proposed the idea of Kwanda to potential members, we learned that years of malpractice, lack of transparency, and frivolous spending in the non-profit sector had dampened people’s spirit for giving.
We reflected on this and realized we had to solve the problem of giving first.
This was to be our first act.
Reviving the spirit of giving
Kwanda relies on people understanding this: They have the power to cause huge change. But first, we must rebuild trust, and then people might remember what is possible.
People want assurance that the money they give is having its intended impact. They want to see the impact their contributions are having.
We respond to this by investing in the giving experience, operating transparently and co-building Kwanda with its members.
Our approach to funding at this stage is hands-off. We follow the lead of those closest to issues. We find innovators hidden on the margins. We give them the capital they need to make their ideas scale and get out of their way.
… Then, we share the stories of their impact on their local communities.
Growing the village
Once we’ve met modern givers’ expectations, we’ll push to grow our membership and reach our goal of $1,000,000 in annual contributions. A number that will put us firmly on the playing field.
We can achieve this by signing up 20,000 micro philanthropists who would each give $5 a month. Or, 100 seasoned philanthropists who would each give $1,000 a month. We’ll likely have a mix of the two.
Our approach to funding remains hands-off. But we will start to deploy more capital and support more local innovators.
Scaling impact
We will have the support of a large network of donors and a healthy source of capital. With this, we can work with inventors to scale their innovations into widely used solutions. These solutions can then grow beyond their immediate environment.
Here we’ll take pages from the startup acceleration playbook popularized in Silicon Valley. We will connect local innovators with Kwanda’s vast capital and human resources.
Where we are today
Act l Roadmap
Complete
$28,169 / $12,000
What we need
New Philanthropists
Ready to join us in funding local led solutions, for as little as $5 a month.
Seasoned Philanthropists
Spread the word
Frequently asked questions
Who's behind Kwanda?
Jermaine Craig founded Kwanda and currently leads the company.
How can I learn more about your governance and legal structure?
You can find information on our directorship and financials on companies house
You can also read our constitution. It explains our governance and laws.
Is Kwanda a registered charity?
Nope! Kwanda is not registered as a charity. We decided to be a non-profit only, as charity status limits the scope of work we can do as a development fund.
As a non-profit, we maintain flexibility while following the same financial rules as charities. No individuals can profit from Kwanda, and revenues can only be reinvested.
We’ll keep revisiting this decision. We want to ensure we’re in the best position as a development fund.
How does Kwanda select and vet project partners?
We have a set of criteria against which we judge solutions we might invest in and the partners who will implement those solutions.
These criteria ensure that projects align with our mission and values and have the potential for sustainable development.
Regarding vetting, we practice trust-based philanthropy, which means we place a high level of trust in the local entrepreneurs and initiatives we support. Still, we use local networks and qualifying criteria to conduct due diligence before finalising partnerships.
When needed, we take advantage of Global Giving’s robust due diligence offerings and combine them with our own due diligence processes.
Global Giving is known for its thorough vetting of nonprofit organizations and projects. This partnership allows us to leverage an established system for verifying project legitimacy and potential impact, especially when additional scrutiny is required.
How does Kwanda ensure transparent fund and project management?
We only work with partners who have evidenced an ability to provide complete transparency on their use of funds and project implementation. This ability is a core part of our funding criteria and is assessed as a part of our due diligence process.
… and, of course, we hold ourselves to the same standard.
We provide regular financial updates and display all our financial transactions on our open ledger. We also outline and update our budget every month and list our fixed costs publicly.
We provide regular project updates and the occasional detailed report, allowing villagers to track the progress and impact of each project.
How does Kwanda ensure solutions are community-driven and not externally imposed?
We focus on supporting solutions that already have wide community backing.
Rather than proposing solutions ourselves, We act as a partner to scale solutions pre-established by local entrepreneurs. This approach respects local expertise and ensures solutions are driven by community members who understand the context best.
While we may suggest ways to evolve existing solutions based on knowledge gained from other projects, partner communities are not obligated to implement these suggestions. This approach allows for knowledge sharing while still respecting local autonomy.
Can members contribute skills or expertise beyond financial contributions?
Soon!
We’re still developing a framework for effectively engaging our members’ skills and expertise beyond financial contributions.
Internally, we prioritise having permanent staff cover all core functions needed for Kwanda’s operations. This approach helps us reduce risk and ensure consistency in our operations. While we appreciate the potential for volunteer contributions, we believe having a stable, dedicated team managing essential aspects of our platform is crucial.
Similarly, we ensure projects on the ground are not dependent on volunteers. We work with communities and project leaders to establish sustainable structures that don’t rely on volunteer support, which helps maintain project continuity and effectiveness.
While we’re not currently set up to fully utilise member skills beyond financial contributions, we’re exploring ways to incorporate member expertise in the future, potentially through advisory roles or knowledge-sharing initiatives. We’ll keep members updated as we develop more opportunities for engagement.
Is there a minimum commitment period for membership?
There’s no minimum commitment period. Members can adjust or cancel their contributions at any time.
How does Kwanda evaluate project impact over time?
We take a comprehensive approach to measuring the long-term impact of funded projects:
We establish key performance metrics that are unique to each project. These metrics are tailored to capture the specific outcomes and impacts relevant to the project’s goals and the community it serves.
We conduct regular follow-ups with partner communities and project leaders, tracking these key performance indicators over time. This allows us to monitor progress and assess each initiative’s sustained impact.
We combine these individual project metrics in more extensive reports to provide higher-level impact reports. These comprehensive reports offer insights across various sectors (education, health, agriculture) and regions.
This aggregated data allows us to analyse broader trends and the overall impact of our investments.
We also use this data to inform our future funding decisions, ensuring we continually improve our impact.
By using this multi-layered approach – from project-specific metrics to broader impact analysis – we can provide our members with a clear and detailed understanding of how their contributions are making a sustained impact.
How much of my contribution goes to projects vs. operations?
The percentage of your monthly contribution that goes directly to funding projects versus operational costs is not fixed and will fluctuate.
However, we strive for transparency in how we allocate funds:
Approximately 50% of contributions go directly to funding sustainable development, ensuring that a significant portion of your contribution has a direct impact.
Around 5% covers our fixed operational costs. This includes essential expenses like platform maintenance, financial audits, and core staff salaries.
Approximately 45% is allocated to marketing efforts. This significant investment in outreach is crucial for growing our community of contributors, allowing us to fund more projects and increase our overall impact.
It’s important to note that our marketing spend directly contributes to expanding our reach and ability to fund more projects over time. As we grow and achieve economies of scale, we aim to gradually increase the percentage that goes directly to projects.
We regularly review and optimise this allocation to ensure we maximise every contribution’s impact while sustainably growing our platform.
Can I choose to support specific types of projects or geographic areas?
Our platform currently doesn’t offer the ability to support only selective project types or geographic areas.
We try our best to present a diverse range of projects across different sectors and regions for consideration.
How does Kwanda ensure project diversity across different African countries?
We actively seek projects from various regions and sectors to ensure diversity in our project portfolio.
We’re also continuously seeking out and forming strategic partnerships that substantially increase our coverage of the continent and beyond.
How does Kwanda handle project failures?
We work closely with project leaders to address challenges as they arise. If a project consistently underperforms or fails, we may reallocate the remaining funds to other initiatives.
Any challenges, malpractice or failures will be communicated to members as soon as they arise.
Can members propose projects for consideration?
Yes, members are welcome to suggest projects for consideration.
However, it’s important to note that while we value these suggestions, we’ve found that our most aligned and impactful projects typically come through our established local networks. These networks allow us to identify initiatives that are deeply rooted in community needs and have strong local support.
If you are considering suggesting a project, we encourage you to review our posts detailing our approach to project selection. This will provide you with insights into our criteria and the types of projects that resonate most with our mission.
Can I increase or decrease my monthly contribution amount?
Yes, members can adjust their contribution amount at any time through their account dashboard.