Introduction: African philanthropic responses in times of crisis

Abstract

This chapter paints a broad canvass of trends in philanthropy in crisis and non-crisis periods. It looks at how the pandemic expanded our perspectives on how philanthropy can be an instrument to create shared value by helping to mobilise multiple purposes towards tackling a common challenge. As this chapter points out, there is a dearth of literature on philanthropy in times of crisis. Historically, there has also been a chasm between philanthropists, governments, and multilateral institutions in the African continent. We show how the manuscript addresses these gaps. We particularly highlight the role of collaboration between High-Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs), civil society organisations, foundations, corporates, intergovernmental and multilateral institutions as a response to the continent’s developmental challenges during crisis and non-crisis periods.