Understanding the practices and ecosystems of African philanthropy and social investment is essential for creating sustainable development pathways. African philanthropy is rooted in diverse practices, including local and external giving, that form a rich ecosystem. This theme examines the ecosystem’s diverse models, networks, and actors, including traditional giving practices and social investment. It explores the best practices, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of philanthropic and social investment ecosystems. This provides a holistic view of how philanthropy and social investment operate across rural and urban divides and informs strategies to strengthen local systems. Some of the specific issues under this theme include:

• Religious/faith-based giving
• Indigenous philanthropy/giving practices
• Corporate philanthropy
• Barriers to African civil society
• Community philanthropy 
• High-net-worth philanthropy 
• Corporate social responsibility 
• Corporate philanthropy and corporate social investment 
• Global or border-giving 
• Philanthropic foundations
• Venture philanthropy
• Impact investing 
• Social entrepreneurship 
• Governance and regulation of African philanthropy and social investment

Philanthropy and social investment are becoming transforming forces in Africa’s economic development by addressing the critical financial gap created by traditional public and private sector funding techniques. As Africa is confronted with several socioeconomic issues, including healthcare, education, infrastructure development, poverty, unemployment and entrepreneurship, that cannot be addressed by governments alone, philanthropy and social investment are stepping in to unlock the much-needed resources for economic development. Some of the issues under this theme includes:

• Role of non-profit organizations to African economies
• Role of philanthropy and social investment in addressing inequality and poverty
• Role of philanthropy and social investment in improving education and health outcomes 
• Impact investing and its contribution to employment
• Philanthropy’s contribution to sustainable resourcing of African development
• Philanthropy and sustainable development
• Philanthropy and environment, social and governance practices
• Philanthropy and small and medium scale enterprise

Gender dynamics have a significant impact on philanthropy and social investment in Africa, although these viewpoints are still not well understood. Women play important roles as leaders, givers, and beneficiaries. They frequently work to promote change by overcoming patriarchal systems. This theme aligns with the CAPSI Adoye programme to examines how gender affects giving patterns, decision-making, access to resources, barriers women face in acquiring and allocating resources, and the potential for philanthropy to advance gender equality. Thus, this theme shed light on how to empower women and marginalized groups, eliminate structural disparities, and advance gender-inclusive approaches in African philanthropy and social investment.  Some specific issues under this theme include the following:

• Evolution and historical contributions of African women in philanthropy
• Institutionalizing African women’s participation in philanthropy
• High-net-worth philanthropic giving by African women and its societal impact
• Research on informal networks of African women’s philanthropy
• Feminist perspectives, ethics, and power dynamics in African women’s philanthropy
• The role of African women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution through philanthropy
• Gender-sensitive approaches to volunteerism
• Sustainable resourcing and funding models for women-led initiatives
• Contextualising impact measurement tools for African women’s philanthropy
• Distinctive characteristics of African women’s philanthropy compared to international models
• Philanthropic practices of African women in rural and urban settings
• Corporate social investment in promoting gender equality (including BBBEE compliance)

Technology and innovation are transforming the landscape of African philanthropy and social investment. This theme addresses how digital tools enhance donor participation, transparency, collaboration, financial inclusion, and resource distribution while addressing ethical concerns, including data privacy and digital exclusion. In order to suggest innovations that increase effect and reach underserved populations, studies examine the scalability of tech-driven models. This theme explores African philanthropy and social investment in relation to the following specific issues:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Crowdfunding
• Mobile Money
• Blockchain
• Digitalization

As Africa faces increasing humanitarian crises and climate challenges, including droughts and flooding. This poses significant challenges to sustainable development, necessitating a robust humanitarian response. Given this, this theme considers how philanthropy may help with climate adaptation, community resilience building, and humanitarian situations. The theme shed light on the ways in which philanthropic actors might work with communities, NPOs, and governments to mitigate climate-related risks and advance environmental sustainability. Specifically, issues including the following are explored:

Climate-induced disasters

Community resilience

Community adaptation

Just transition

Humanitarian responses

Green financing

Diaspora giving and post-disaster recovery efforts

Philanthropy and emergent issues like COVID-19, EBOLA, arrmed conflicts, among others

The interplay between policy and practice is critical to the growth of African philanthropy and social investment, where regulatory frameworks often lag innovative giving practices. This theme  examines how policy frameworks, regulatory environments, and institutional governance impact philanthropic practices and social investment. The research will provide evidence-based insights to inform policy advocacy, enhance the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks, and promote the integration of philanthropy into national and regional development strategies. Some of the issues under this theme include:

• Public policy and its intersection with philanthropy and social investment
• Role of non-profit organisations in public policymaking
• Institutional environment and policy frameworks of philanthropy and social investment
• Ethics and accountability in philanthropy and social investment
• Social justice and equity in philanthropy