As international aid falls, a question returns in every discussion on funding African civil society: can Africa’s own wealth fill part of the gap? RFLD’s 2026 data report, Funding Feminist Movements in Francophone West Africa, looks at the numbers. They show real potential, and limits that are especially sharp for francophone West Africa.
Wealth on the continent
Africa counts more than 177,000 high-net-worth individuals, holding about US$1.7 trillion (Oak Foundation, 2024). This is a significant pool of private wealth. Even a small share directed to civil society would represent more than the gender-related aid that currently reaches women’s organisations on the continent.
The distribution of this wealth matters, however. Africa’s five wealthiest countries, South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco, hold 56% of its high-net-worth individuals and more than 90% of its billionaires. None of them is a francophone West African country. Domestic philanthropy in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal or Togo starts from a much smaller base.
Cross-border giving
Cross-border philanthropy worldwide reached US$82 billion in 2023. Africa and the Middle East were among the most widely supported regions, yet no specific amount for Africa was published (Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2026). The lack of data makes it hard for African organisations to argue their case.
The share of philanthropic funding for Africa that reaches African organisations has improved. From 2010 to 2019, it ranged from 6% to 14%. It rose to 57% in 2022 and 56% in 2023, mainly because of a few large foundations. More than 58% of funds intended for Africa still pass through Western intermediaries (Oak Foundation, 2024).
What African philanthropy funds today
No published data show how much African philanthropy reaches women’s rights organisations. Women’s funds created on the continent, such as the African Women’s Development Fund in Accra, have shown that African institutions can raise and grant significant sums: AWDF has granted US$80.2 million since 2001 to 1,614 organisations in 52 countries.
Pooled funds as a model
New pooled funds show what collaborative philanthropy can do in the region. In October 2024, four foundations launched the West Africa Democracy Fund with US$20 million over three years to support democratic transitions (Ford Foundation, 2024). It focuses on democracy, and it shows that funders can commit to West Africa together.
RFLD’s report proposes a similar pooled fund for feminist movements in francophone West Africa, managed by regional intermediaries. Such a fund could combine resources from African philanthropists and international donors. It would respond directly to the gap documented in the report, and it would give African donors a trusted channel to support women’s rights in the region.
Building a culture of giving for women’s rights
Philanthropy for women’s rights needs advocates within African business and diaspora communities. Women leaders who have succeeded in business or public service are natural champions. Diaspora communities could also support organisations in their regions of origin if channels were clear and trusted.
RFLD works to make giving easier and more transparent. It holds an NGOsource 501(c)(3) equivalency determination, which allows US foundations to fund it more easily, and the Candid Seal of Transparency 2025. Donors in the United States can also give through a donor-advised fund, as explained on the giving through your DAF page.
Limits to keep in mind
African philanthropy will not replace official aid in the short term. The concentration of wealth outside francophone West Africa limits what can be expected by 2027, and organised giving for women’s rights is still at an early stage. The report therefore treats African philanthropy as a complement to multi-year, flexible funding from donors and foundations, which remain essential.
The opportunity is real. If even part of the wealth held on the continent were directed to women’s organisations through regional funds, it would strengthen movements and reduce their dependence on decisions taken in foreign capitals.
Giving that reaches the ground
For African donors who want to support women’s rights, the practical question is how to reach small organisations safely. Few of these organisations have the systems to receive and account for large gifts. Regional intermediaries solve part of this problem. They carry out due diligence and follow up on results, so that a donor in Lagos or Abidjan can support a women’s group in a rural district of Togo or Senegal with confidence.
RFLD publishes its grants register so that donors can see where money goes, and commits to publishing it every quarter. Transparency of this kind builds the trust that domestic philanthropy needs in order to grow.
Key figures
- 177,000: high-net-worth individuals in Africa, holding about US$1.7 trillion.
- 56%: the share of these individuals living in five countries, none francophone West African.
- 58%: the share of funds for Africa that still passes through Western intermediaries.
- US$20 million: the West Africa Democracy Fund, launched by four foundations in October 2024.
To discuss a partnership or a contribution to the West African Feminist Fund, write to gbenagnon.john@rflgd.org or visit ways to give.
About the report
This article draws on RFLD’s data report Funding Feminist Movements in Francophone West Africa: 2026 Data (RFLD/DR/2026/03), published on 4 October 2026. Read the summary, download the English edition or the French edition. Sources cited in this article are listed in full in the data report.
