Building Community Foundations in Kenya
The Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) believes that lasting change starts with communities themselves. A community foundation is central to this idea. It doesn’t run projects directly. Instead, it raises and pools resources, then passes them on as grants to grassroots groups who lead the work on the ground. It also builds long-term savings, such as endowment funds, so communities can keep funding their own priorities for years to come.
Our mission is to help these locally rooted institutions grow and do well across Kenya.
What We Focus On
With support from the Mott Foundation, our programme on Strengthening the Community Organisation Movement helps promising community organisations grow into full community foundations. Our approach includes:
- Stronger leadership: governance training, coaching and mentorship for boards and staff
- Better systems: policies, digital financial tools and organisational support
- Shared learning: exchange visits and peer learning meetings
- Local fundraising: help planning fundraising events and strategies
- Grant-making skills: practical training so partners can award small grants to local groups
So far, seven partners have started managing small grants, so money now reaches grassroots groups directly.
Our Partners
We are walking this journey with 12 community organisations:
- Kitui Development Centre (KDC): Built a partnerships plan, secured legal registration and property valuation, and developed a fundraising strategy.
- Kilimani Project Foundation (KPF): A neighbourhood-based partner growing its role in local giving.
- Nkoilale Community Development Foundation (NCDF): Raised its public profile with a refreshed website and ran local fundraising.
- Nguzo Africa Development Foundation: Introduced digital financial systems, built new partnerships, upgraded its website and raised funds locally.
- South Imenti Sustainable Development and Education Fund (SISDEF): Strengthened its board, secured legal registration and improved how it runs day to day.
- Ndithini Community Development Association (NCDA): Modernised its financial management, built partnerships and expanded local fundraising.
- Genesis Community Development Assistance: Strengthened governance, put new policies in place and mobilised local resources.
- Community Socio-Environment Organisation (COSEO): Improved its operations, led fundraising and hosted a partner exchange visit in Narok County in July 2025.
- Action for Child Development Trust (ACDT): Grew in every area, including governance, policies, legal standing, partnerships and fundraising.
- Nyalenda Young Turks (NYT): Strengthened board oversight, adopted new policies and grew local fundraising.
- Dhamira Moja Group: Upgraded its finance systems, policies, website and governance, and mobilised funds locally.
- Kileleshwa Ward Neighbourhood Association (KIWANA): Developed operating policies, a partnership plan and more efficient operations.
See the Impact
Behind every partner are real people and communities driving their own development. Read their stories and see how local giving is changing lives across Kenya.
Videos stories: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_CwoSHrWMRwdmoymCmW4O-PevUxHg45L&si=_geAGoTyu3WJHJAB
Read stories of change on Community Foundations from some of our partners below:
How KCDF and the Mott Foundation have helped Genesis Community Development Assistance to revive its operations
In Nguutani, Masinga sub-County, Machakos, a community-owned juice processing plant is sourcing mangoes from local farmers, boosting incomes, and creating employment. Since 1998, hundreds of children
How Mango Farmers in Yatta Landed a Juicy Opportunity
This drive saw the coming together of over 800 farmers from Yatta and Masinga sub-counties to form the Yatta Multipurpose Farmers’ Cooperative Society (YMFCS). YMFCS membership is drawn from 11 clusters organised under the Genesis Community Development Assistance (GCDA), a non-profit
How OloKuseroi Primary School is Reforesting Narok
George Ngadi, the head teacher, has been at the forefront of environmental conservation at the school. “This is my third year planting trees at the school compound. Cumulatively, we have planted over 1,000 trees,” he shares. The most recent planting took place in December
How KIWANA has set Kileleshwa on a Sustainability Pedestal
Daniel Muriuki, the outgoing chairman of the Kileleshwa Ward and Neighbourhood Association (KIWANA), says the desire to transform and make Kileleshwa more sustainable started in 2018. A group of about 40 people came together after recognising
Nyalenda Young Turks: Our journey towards becoming a Community Foundation
Inside the sprawling Nyalenda Slums in Kisumu city, narrow, winding paths weave through makeshift houses of iron sheets and mud walls to the Nyalenda Young Turks Community-based Organisation (NYT) offices. The community-based organisation...
