Kwanda
Kwanda logo mark

Why Kwanda exists

Top-down models of aid do not work. They dismiss the dignity and lived experience of the communities they propose to serve - with blind spots that have devastating long-term effects.

Local entrepreneurs are responding thoughtfully to the daily friction in their lives. So, why aren't we supporting these local entrepreneurs?

Unfortunately, the answer is that traditional funders and philanthropists do not trust locals. They don't trust them to build and scale solutions to their problems.

We created Kwanda to fight this. We do it by investing in local entrepreneurs and telling the story of their impact.

Raising capital

Traditional funders were entrenched. So, we had to get creative about fundraising. We adapted the age-old practice of Osusu - a traditional saving and credit system from West Africa.

We plan to build a community of micro philanthropists and tap into the enormous power of the collective.

Solving giving

As we proposed the idea of Kwanda to potential members, we learned that years of malpractice, lack of transparency, and frivolous spending in the non-profit sector had dampened people's spirit for giving.

We reflected on this and realized we had to solve the problem of giving first.

This was to be our first act.

Act l

Reviving the spirit of giving

Kwanda relies on people understanding this: They have the power to cause huge change. But first, we must rebuild trust, and then people might remember what is possible.

People want assurance that the money they give is having its intended impact. They want to see the impact their contributions are having.

We respond to this by investing in the giving experience, operating transparently and co-building Kwanda with its members.

Our approach to funding at this stage is hands-off. We follow the lead of those closest to issues. We find innovators hidden on the margins. We give them the capital they need to make their ideas scale and get out of their way.

… Then, we share the stories of their impact on their local communities.

Act ll

Growing the village

Once we've met modern givers' expectations, we'll push to grow our membership and reach our goal of $1,000,000 in annual contributions. A number that will put us firmly on the playing field.

We can achieve this by signing up 20,000 micro philanthropists who would each give $5 a month. Or, 100 seasoned philanthropists who would each give $1,000 a month. We’ll likely have a mix of the two.

Our approach to funding remains hands-off. But we will start to deploy more capital and support more local innovators.

Act lll

Scaling impact

We will have the support of a large network of donors and a healthy source of capital. With this, we can work with inventors to scale their innovations into widely used solutions. These solutions can then grow beyond their immediate environment.

Here we’ll take pages from the startup acceleration playbook popularized in Silicon Valley. We will connect local innovators with Kwanda’s vast capital and human resources.

The current day

Where we are today

Total philanthropists
1387 active
Monthly income
$15,096 / mo
Capital deployed
$156,565

Stepping Forward

Act l Roadmap

🚀

Relaunch Kwanda

Complete

🥳

First 100 villagers

Complete

💸

$6,000 / mo income

Complete

🌎

Open Carribean funding

Complete

🫰🏿

$12,000 / mo income

$15,096 / $12,000

Get involved

What we need

🌱
New Philanthropists
Ready to join us in funding local led solutions, for as little as $5 a month.
Join the village
🎗️
Seasoned Philanthropists
Willing to contribute a larger monthly contribution and/or single gift.
🌍
Spread the word
If you're not in a position to join us, someone in your network might be. Spreading the word is just as impactful.

Learn more

Frequently asked questions