Grants Directory
Discover grants, fellowships, awards, and funding opportunities for African philanthropy organizations.
23 grants found
by Commonwealth Foundation
Commonwealth Foundation Grants
The Commonwealth Foundation provides grants up to £60,000 (£15,000–£30,000/year for up to two years) for registered civil society organisations (CSOs) in eligible Commonwealth countries. Grants support projects advocating for public policy changes and constructive engagement with decision-makers. Priority Themes: Health Justice, Freedom of Expression, and Climate Justice. Key Requirements: CSOs with 3+ years of advocacy experience and annual income under £2.5M. Must integrate gender considerations. Requested amount cannot exceed 70% of average annual income. Applications reopen in September 2026. Check eligibility on the Commonwealth Foundation Grants Page.
by The Rhodes Trust
The Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship is a life-changing postgraduate opportunity to join outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Applications for the Rhodes Scholarship 2027 are now open! Applications made this year are for entry to the University of Oxford in October 2027.
by Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
Digital Innovation Fund for Energy and Climate (DIFEC)
The Digital Innovation Fund for Energy and Climate (DIFEC) is a regional three-year programme designed to unlock the potential of digital technologies to accelerate clean energy access and strengthen climate resilience across Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative addresses critical barriers faced by early- and growth-stage enterprises developing digital solutions for distributed renewable energy (DRE), clean cooking, productive use of energy, e-mobility, digital agriculture, and circular economy systems.
by Amplify Kenya
Amplify Kenya
Amplify Kenya is an innovation and capacity building program for independent media in Kenya. The program assists Kenya-based independent media through capacity building, leadership-focused development and network building within the broader East Africa media landscape.
by Rufford Small Grants Programme
Rufford Small Grants Programme
The Rufford Foundation funds nature conservation projects in emerging or developing economy countries.
by Alfred Friendly Press Partners
Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship
Alfred Friendly has trained 352 journalists from 90 countries since 1984. The majority of these reporters, editors, and broadcasters continue to shape the global narrative, providing vital coverage of critical regions and fostering informed communities worldwide.
by Africa No Filter
Africa No Filter Grants
The fund pays micro-grants to emerging storytellers who are already creating and publishing unique and compelling content that offers fresh and alternative perspectives of Africa, to show a continent that’s innovative, evolving, and creative.
by UN Women – Women’s Peace & Humanitarian
UN Women – Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (RRW)
The Fund provides flexible funding and support for strategic, short-term, and urgent initiatives led by women peacebuilders and local women’s rights organizations to increase women’s meaningful influence on national, regional and international peace processes at a range of different stages.
by African Women for Change Network (AFNet)
African Women for Change Network (AFNet) – Flexible Grants
The AfNet Flexible Grant is a funding opportunity designed to support initiatives led by women leaders and organizations dedicated to creating positive change in their communities. The grant provides up to $5,000 to empower women-led organizations.
by PeaceNexus Foundation
PeaceNexus Foundation – Environment & Peace
by Nkulo Community Partnership Trust
Nkulo Community Partnership Trust Grants
by Journalism Science Alliance
Journalism Science Alliance Grants
by William T. Grant Foundation
William T. Grant Foundation
by ERA Fellowship
Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellowship
by African Union
African Union Youth Volunteer Corps (AU-YVC)
The AU-YVC deploys young African professionals to work with governments and institutions across Africa to support development initiatives and regional integration efforts.
by Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO
African Youth Negotiators Fellowship
The African Youth Negotiators Fellowship (AYNF) is a transformative, pan-African capacity-building initiative designed to equip young climate leaders from across the continent with the technical knowledge, negotiation skills, and strategic confidence necessary to engage meaningfully in global climate governance processes, particularly within the UNFCCC system. Now in its 5th cohort, AYNF has evolved into a continental leadership program dedicated to building a strong, inclusive pipeline of African Youth Negotiators who shape climate policy at national, regional, and international levels.
by Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
AVMI Industrial Fellowship Programme in Vaccine Manufacturing
The Industrial Fellowship Programme is a fully funded training initiative designed to build Africa’s vaccine manufacturing workforce. The programme provides hands-on industrial experience in vaccine production and research for recent African graduates. Participants will train in active vaccine manufacturing facilities and gain competencies aligned with Africa CDC’s Vaccine R&D and Manufacturing Competency Frameworks, particularly in current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). Only 14 fellows will be selected for the cohort. The fellowship addresses the shortage of skilled professionals in Africa’s vaccine manufacturing sector, where the workforce currently numbers around 2,000–3,000 professionals but is expected to grow to about 12,500 by 2040.
by CIVICUS (Global Alliance for Citizen Participation)
CIVICUS Digital Action Lab – Cohort 3 (2026)
The CIVICUS Digital Action Lab is a global programme designed to support civil society organisations in the Global South to develop and scale digital solutions that strengthen civic space, democratic participation, and citizen engagement. The initiative combines funding, mentorship, and technical training to help organisations integrate digital tools into advocacy and social impact projects. Participants work with experts and peer organisations to design and implement digital projects addressing issues such as civic participation, rights protection, and public accountability. The programme encourages organisations to build on existing initiatives and test innovative approaches that can improve democratic engagement both online and offline.
by ReliefWeb
Transformative Partnerships & Philanthropy Internship
Reporting to the Director, Transformative Partnerships and Philanthropy, the Transformative Partnerships & Development Intern will support the team across administration, documentation, research, and analysis. The role focuses on contributing to proposal development, partnership engagement, and the preparation of key materials, while strengthening internal knowledge and coordination. The Intern will also proactively track and synthesise emerging trends across Africa and globally to inform UAF-Africa’s philanthropic advocacy, strategic positioning, and communications. This role offers an opportunity to gain exposure to pan-African philanthropy and partnership-building while advancing equitable, movement-centred resourcing approaches. The position will be based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
by African Union Commission (Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation)
Innovating Education in Africa (IEA) Call for Submissions 2026
The Innovating Education in Africa (IEA) Call for Submissions 2026 is a continental initiative launched by the African Union Commission to identify and support innovative solutions addressing key challenges in education and skills development across Africa. The program recognizes individuals and organizations developing practical, scalable, and impactful innovations that can strengthen education systems across the continent. Selected innovators gain recognition, financial support, and opportunities to engage with policymakers and partners working to improve education outcomes in Africa. Through this initiative, the African Union seeks to promote solutions that can be integrated into national education systems and scaled to benefit learners across multiple African countries. Since its launch, the program has highlighted innovative education models and fostered collaboration among innovators, governments, and development partners.
by CODESRIA
Codesria-ZASB Summer School in African Studies
The primary aim of the Summer School is to foster and strengthen interdisciplinary approaches to research concerning Africa and other global regions from an African perspective. It emphasises African Studies as a facet of Area Studies and endeavours to identify themes that are theoretically, conceptually, and methodologically pertinent to the intellectual examination of Africa as a subject of knowledge. Furthermore, it seeks to assess Africa’s contribution to general scholarship while exploring the applicability of these findings to African perspectives on other regions.
by Fondation L'Oréal in partnership with UNESCO
L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Programme 2026
The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Programme is a prestigious initiative supporting outstanding women researchers across the region. The programme aims to promote gender equality in science by providing funding, training, and international visibility for African women scientists working in key scientific disciplines. For the 2026 edition, the South African National Programme and the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Programme have been merged into a single Pan-African platform, enabling researchers from all 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to compete within a unified programme. Selected fellows join a global network of women scientists contributing to scientific advancement and development across the continent.
by European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC)
European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC)
Spaces of Culture 2026 is a funding opportunity supporting innovative cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative is part of the Africa–Europe Partnerships for Culture programme funded by the European Union and implemented by the European Union National Institutes for Culture. The call supports collaborative projects that promote dialogue, co-creation, and mutual learning between African and European cultural actors. Projects should strengthen long-term cultural partnerships and contribute to social impact through arts, cultural exchange, and creative collaboration. Eligible projects may focus on areas such as arts, creative industries, digitalisation, education, gender equality, heritage, human rights, social inclusion, sports, sustainability, tourism, youth engagement, and related fields. All proposals must be jointly developed and implemented through partnerships involving cultural organisations and civil society actors from Africa and Europe.