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The programme has proven to be a most intense, insightful and exciting programme, well put-together and covering the most pertinent issues in philanthropy. It has far surpassed my expectations and I am honored to be among the inaugural students laying a solid academic path and foundation for those who will follow.

The programme comes at a time when the contribution of philanthropy in social development is in the spotlight. Amid a health crisis, which has political, economic and human rights implications, the role of philanthropy as an agent for change cannot be overemphasized. The context we find ourselves in, could very well herald a new era for the way we practice philanthropy in Africa in particular. The course is well-positioned to lay a strong, theoretical foundation that draws on real contexts on the ground.

To the brains that conceptualized the programme and the lecturers that delivered the modules and articulated complex, and sometimes controversial topics with expertise and passion, thank you for growing our understanding of the field of philanthropy. To my fellow students, your enquiring minds and robustness make it a pleasure to learn and share with you.

Ruth Rakosa is a student on the Postgraduate Diploma in Management in the field of Philanthropy and Resource Mobilization.

It was an honour to have been included in the first cohort of instructors in CAPSI’s Postgraduate programme. With global attention shifting towards ensuring environmental, social and governance impact in a time unprecedented, being able to teach a course which provided students foundational concepts around performance measurement, monitoring and evaluation was ground-breaking. It is my hope that students will use the knowledge across sectors as they apply their learnings.

One of my most valuable experiences on this course was having the privilege of engaging with individuals across varying contexts and sectors, which provided me with new ways of looking at the subject of M&E, particularly from the angle of African philanthropy.

With global attention across sectors shifting towards ensuring environmental, social and governance impact in a time of unprecedented, intersecting crises affecting people and the planet, I encourage anyone looking to develop in the field of philanthropy to consider this course which has put CAPSI at the forefront of remaining responsive to the demands that are emerging in theory and praxis.

It was a pleasure being part of the CAPSI team who always displays exceptional professionalism and commitment to excellence. These are some of the key ingredients that make the teaching and learning experience an absolute pleasure.

Candice Morkel is the executive director of CLEAR and a Lecturer for the Post Graduate Diploma in the field of Philanthropy and Resource Mobilisation.

This postgraduate programme is both timely and relevant, enabling growth to the required capacity and creating further awareness on philanthropy and its development on the African continent. The modules are pertinent, focusing on critical areas in advancement practices and contributing immensely to knowledge on practical approaches to resource mobilisation. It is inspiring, it promotes analytical and critical thinking and the practical approach in the teaching methodology ensures that one remains engaged and continuously interrogates issues related to the subject matter.

In my role as Deputy Director for Resource Mobilisation at the University of Limpopo, the impact of the course on my day-to-day operations is clearly visible, and has made a significant impact on refining strategy and alignment of thinking, to ensure that we increase and sustain our third stream sources. This course can add significant value to the skills and competencies of any advancement professional, and I can highly recommend the course to any prospective students that want to enhance their skills and knowledge base in the sector.  

David Marupen is a student on the Postgraduate Diploma in Management in African Philanthropy and Resource Mobilisation.

Teaching African philanthropy formally for the first time on our continent in 2021 felt so right, timely and relevant for me. The content we have developed is fresh and anchored on a pan-African outlook, offering students an opportunity to not only learn about theories and practices of philanthropy, but how philanthropy manifests itself in an African context by Africans.

The first cohort of students in both the Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Executive Education (short courses) were all enthusiastic and performed well to establish a strong foundation for this new field of study. The classes were lively and it has been an honour to watch students grow and start contributing to debates and research in the field.

I very much look forward to welcoming more students into our academic offerings. In my class, students can look forward to perpetual and interactive learning filled with fun, self-reflection and inspiration.

Keratiloe Mogotsi is a recently promoted lecturer who teaches Philanthropy.

The work of CAPSI is enabled through the funding from donors who have aligned themselves with our vision through their financial support. One of our long-standing donors is the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY). Their relationship with us began when the Centre was founded in 2018 through a grant that enabled us to accommodate and support emerging researchers and academics in African Philanthropy, at both Masters and Doctoral levels. We spoke with Andrea Johnson, Programme Officer for the Higher Education and Research in Africa (HERA) program, and Alloya Elwadie, Programme Analyst for HERA. They shared how the work of CAPSI has been supported by CCNY, while unpacking the role of donor funding in the modern context.

One of CAPSI’s notable achievements that Andrea highlighted was our focus on ‘Africanising’ the Centre. This plays an important role in shifting the narrative around the history of philanthropy and the position of Africa in this history. Our efforts through the building of the skills capability and knowledge exposure of African researchers on philanthropy, thanks in great part to the funding from CCNY, has seen a growing number of postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows enter our doors.

“By funding CAPSI, we are funding work in line with our current priorities, which include African higher education,” remarked Andrea, to which Alloya expanded by sharing that “one of CCNY’s objectives is to offer support to programmes and initiatives which will develop and retain the next generation of African academics.” When reflecting on the outcomes that CAPSI has achieved since its launch, Andrea and Alloya remarked that they were greatly impressed with the rapid pace and attention to quality that CAPSI has presented.

CAPSI has shown progressive initiative by using parts of the funding given by CCNY to respond to the needs of research students through tactical offerings such as academic writing retreats and virtual publishing workshops. These were well received by what will soon be the next generation of academics, who will go on to produce a rich body of knowledge that will be contextual which we aim to make available in other languages for Africans across many corners of the continent.

One of the standout practices which we have displayed as part of our way of working is responsiveness to opportunities such as fellowships and speaking engagement, that may arise, as well as the ability to connect students and staff to these opportunities. While perceived as a soft skill, responsiveness to opportunities is a critical skill in the modern world of work, and is evidence that we have set ourselves up to remain engaged with donors and all other stakeholders. Andrea remarked that this has shown that CAPSI is fully engaged with the opportunities that CCNY as a donor has offered, in addition to the existing funding.

Both Andrea and Alloya noted that CAPSI’s position as a Centre, located within Wits University, is a powerful measure of confidence in the sustainability of the institution. To strengthen this, Andrea recommended that CAPSI continue to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, thereby ensuring the true fulfillment of the vision the Centre has set. Andrea remarked, “Academic careers continue for many years; therefore it is important that the work which CAPSI has begun can continue in order to provide an independent think tank or platform where the next generation of African researchers can set the agenda and form part of the global conversation around philanthropy and social investment.”

Looking ahead, the partnership between CCNY and CAPSI will no doubt see more researchers emerging from within the continent. What is most encouraging for CCNY, a major lesson for any donor-funded institution, is that CAPSI has invested significant effort in ensuring that the day-to-day operations are sustainable and enable the growth of the institution, even through what is truly an unprecedented time for all, socially and economically.