PRESS RELEASE: IN 2024, KENYANS WERE MORE GENEROUS, SURPASSING AFRICAN AND GLOBAL AVERAGES
July 23, 2025World Giving Report 2025 – Giving in Kenya
July 24, 2025
Learning by seeing is a powerful method that promotes deeper understanding, inspires innovation, and encourages meaningful change through real-life experiences and peer engagement. In this spirit, from July 15th to 17th, 2025, KCDF hosted an exchange visit for the community organisations supported by the Mott Foundation, as part of the broader project,“Strengthening the Community Foundation Movement as a Basis for Sustainable Development in Kenya.”
The peer exchange visits were designed to achieve the following key objectives:
- Expand the ecosystem of Community Philanthropy Support organisations in Kenya, by strengthening the capacity and infrastructure of community Foundations.
- Promote peer learning and collaboration among partners already demonstrating and practising the core tenets of community philanthropy.
- Reinforce the Community Foundation Movement as a foundational approach to advancing sustainable development in Kenya.
Through this exchange, the aim was for partners to gain valuable insights, share experiences, and explore practical strategies in areas such as resource mobilisation, building unrestricted funds for sustainability, entrepreneurship, Grant making and management and asset development—all critical for strengthening the community foundation model.
The exchange visits, implemented in partnership with KCDF, brought together 12 community-based organisations across Kenya: KIWANA from Nairobi County, COSEO from Baringo County, Dhamira Moja CBO from Busia County, Nyalenda Young Turks CBO from Kisumu County, Kitui Development Centre from Kitui County, Kilimani Foundation from Nairobi County, Action for Child Development Trust, Genesis Community Development Assistance from Kitui County, Nkoilale Community Development Foundation and Nguzo Africa from Narok County, South Imenti Sustainable Development and Education Fund from Meru County, and Ndithini Community Development Association from Makueni County.
The visit aimed to offer participating organisations an eye-opening experience by exposing them to practical examples of successful community-led development strategies. Nine of the partner organisations took part in field visits to three host organisations: COSEO in Baringo County, Nkoilale Community Development Foundation, and Nguzo Africa in Narok County.
These visits were designed to challenge the visiting groups to identify new areas of potential growth, adopt innovative practices, and rethink their community engagement and organisational development approaches.
One of the exchange’s core objectives was to highlight the importance of community foundations’ asset ownership. By witnessing firsthand how host organisations have invested in and managed assets such as buildings, land, or income-generating projects, participants saw how asset ownership can significantly enhance financial sustainability and institutional resilience. This emphasis on building long-term capacity highlighted the need for organisations to think beyond donor funding and cultivate locally owned resources to support their missions.
In addition, the exchange visit was structured around reinforcing the nine tenets of community foundations, which are the guiding principles that shape the work and impact of community foundations worldwide. These tenets include: local leadership and decision-making; asset development and building local philanthropy; grantmaking and social investment; institutional sustainability; community convening and partnership building; community engagement and participation; transparency and accountability; long-term community commitment; and promoting equity and inclusion.
By engaging with peers actively practising these principles, the visiting organisations were encouraged to reflect on their journeys, identify gaps, and explore strategies for growth and transformation.
Key Learning Points from the Exchange Visit:
- Invest in storytelling and visibility – Actively share the foundation’s work and impact on social media to increase visibility and build community trust.
- Asset ownership matters – Prioritise acquiring organisational assets such as land and office space to strengthen institutional sustainability.
- Community-centred development – Always prioritise the needs of the communities served and involve them meaningfully in decision-making processes.
- Innovative, long-term projects – Develop projects that are innovative and also designed for long-term sustainability.
- Engage government and duty bearers – Involve government stakeholders in project planning and implementation to enhance ownership and accountability.
- Ensure community benefit in government-handover projects – Create mechanisms to ensure communities continue to benefit from projects even after they are handed over to the government.
- Join and participate in communities of practice – Be an active member of sector-wide learning platforms to gain insights and share experiences.
- Amplify community voices – Ensure community members have platforms to express their needs, opinions, and feedback.
- Promote collaboration among partners – Work closely with other organisations to share knowledge, resources, and strengthen collective impact.
The exchange provided a platform for learning, networking, and a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration, equipping partners with the insights needed to strengthen their roles as catalysts for sustainable community development in Kenya.
#MottFoundation #ExchangeVisit #Communityfoundations #CommunityDevelopment #Institutionaleffectiveness
