World Giving Report 2025 – Giving in Kenya
July 24, 2025
Empowering Nkoilale: The Role of KCDF and the Mott Foundation in Advancing a Community Vision
July 30, 2025On 22nd and 23rd July 2025, KCDF hosted its Annual Fundbuilders’ Retreat in Nairobi, bringing together over 26 partner organisations nationwide. These partners are investors in KCDF’s endowment fund, a long-term financial mechanism to ensure sustainability and continuous impact in community development. This year, a total of Ksh. 4,257,571 was paid to different investors towards supporting education scholarships for needy and deserving students.
Amount | Fund Builder |
1,156,030.00 | Starehe Girls Centre |
150,595.00 | Lake Region Community Development Programme |
2,300,000.00 | South Imenti Sustainable Education Fund |
146,000.00 | Kirima Sub-Location Education Support |
200,000.00 | Support Activities in Poverty Eradication and health (SAIPEH) |
304,946.50 | Genesis Community Development Assistance |
An endowment is a sum of money invested in the longer term. The money is invested, and interest is earned each year. A percentage of the interest earned is used for community activities.
The retreat served as a space for dialogue, reflection, and strategy-sharing. It provided partners with the opportunity to understand how their funds are being managed, interact directly with fund managers, and learn about the market’s performance over the 2024 financial year. The focus was clear: How can we grow our endowment funds and build resilient, self-sustaining organisations?
A Call for Visionary Investment
In her opening remarks, Grace Maingi, Executive Director of KCDF, emphasised the importance of long-term thinking and financial sustainability through endowment investment. She reflected on the changing donor landscape, particularly the recent withdrawal of USAID support, which affected many organisations globally, including KCDF.
“Being in the endowment fund is a great investment for your organisation’s future. It’s a steady, assured investment that guarantees a perpetual source of income to support your cause,” Grace noted.
“Even after donor support ends, your mission must continue. That is the kind of resilience we envision. Be patient with the endowment yield because it will sustain your work tomorrow.”
She encouraged organisations to move beyond dependency on external funding and take ownership of their financial futures by consistently growing their endowment savings.
During the workshop sessions, Caesar Ngule, KCDF’s Programmes Director, provided valuable guidance on resource mobilisation and long-term investment strategies. He shared practical tools and community-based approaches to fundraising, including leveraging alumni networks, membership contributions, social enterprises, and unrestricted funding.
Caesar also emphasised the importance of documentation, ensuring that lessons learned, impact stories, and fundraising strategies are preserved and used to guide future leadership and generations.
Also present was Engineer Isaac Wanjohi, Chairman of the KCDF Trust, who offered feedback and encouragement to the partners. He reaffirmed KCDF’s commitment to transparency and careful management of the endowment fund:
“At KCDF, your funds are in trusted hands. The returns are managed per our agreement, and all proceeds go back to support your community development initiatives. We are your partner in long-term impact.”
In a special moment of recognition, six partner organisations were awarded for reaching the stage where they could withdraw returns from their endowment deposits, a testament to years of committed saving and consistent engagement with the fund.
Their journeys motivated others in the room, showing that patience and consistency yield real, tangible benefits.
One of the retreat’s most insightful sessions featured a panel discussion and group reflections led by representatives from South Imenti Sustainable Education Fund (SISEF), Edumed Trust and Malindi Education and Development Foundation. These partners shared their journeys in building their endowment funds, from humble beginnings to establishing consistent fundraising strategies. Their methods included local fundraising events, engaging political leaders, mobilising alumni, and tapping into cultural or religious events like fundraisers during the Islamic holy month.
Each story highlighted the power of community ownership, clear communication, and leadership with vision.
Key Learning Points from the Retreat
Several important lessons emerged from the retreat’s sessions and discussions:
- Start with Seed Money: Even small initial deposits can grow significantly if invested wisely.
- Money Grows When Spent and Invested Strategically: Strategic spending on high-impact initiatives leads to financial and social returns.
- Emotions and Finances Are Linked: Our personal beliefs and emotions influence how we perceive money, spend, and save.
- Asset Recognition and Multiplication: Communities must identify, value, and grow their assets—financial and non-financial.
- Track Expenses and Understand Financial Flow: Knowing where money goes helps with better planning and saving.
- Show Your Value to the Community: Demonstrate impact so people are inspired to contribute and take ownership.
- Document Stories for Continuity: Organisational memory ensures that missions continue beyond current leadership.
- Strengthen Structures and Governance: Sustainable organisations are built on strong internal systems.
- Teach Future Generations About Sustainability: Involving youth in endowment thinking ensures legacy.
- Endowment Funds Solve Community Problems Best: They allow for long-term planning and consistent delivery of services.
- Balance Admin Costs and Community Impact: Managing operational costs while remaining impact-focused is key to long-term sustainability.
The 2025 Fundbuilders’ Retreat was a timely reminder that sustainability is not just a financial concept; it’s a mindset. Through open sharing, critical reflection, and a commitment to growth, the partners walked away with renewed energy and practical tools.
As more partners embrace the endowment model, KCDF remains ready to walk with them, offering trusted fund management, strategic advice, and a community of like-minded changemakers.
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