Cultures of giving in Africa
Institutions and people that have been successful at advancement in Africa have a deep understanding of cultures of giving within the communities they serve. Whilst giving to religious causes and to those you know are common, convincing people that Higher Education is a cause worth giving to is often a challenge for advancement professionals. Whilst it may be tempting to view existing cultures of philanthropy as your competition, your focus should be on building relationships and taking the time to understand your potential donors.
Donors often have to choose between donating to causes that require immediate attention and Higher Education which is sometimes deemed to have less of an immediate impact on society. Institutions and people that have been successful at advancement in Africa have found alignment between specific causes their communities are willing to support and the issues that their institutions can address. This requires a firm understanding of the societies in which your institutions operate, as well as the motivation and interests of your alumni with whom you will build some of your strongest relationships.
The podcast featured Amil Mohanan (Loughborough University, UK), Debo Adeosun (Director of Advancement at University of Ibadan, Nigeria), Henry Onukwuba (Senior Fellow, Lagos Business School, Nigeria), Eric Saulo (Director of Advancement and External Relations, Strathmore University, Kenya), Ronica Ramsout (Head of Research and Information Systems, University of Cape Town, ZA).