Building Impact Through Strategic Collaboration

Across 25 countries and seven sectors, we work alongside governments, multilateral agencies, foundations, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and private sector partners. Every partnership is built on trust, full transparency, shared goals, and a genuine commitment to putting communities first — always.

Introduction

Partnership Philosophy

What We Mean by Partnership

Partnership, to One Africa Foundation, is not transactional. It is not about logos on a website or names in a donor report. It is about shared mission, genuine mutual respect, complementary strengths, and a collective commitment to creating impact that neither organisation could achieve alone.

What Partnerships Enable Us to Do

Reach significantly more communities than we could ever reach independently
Access specialised expertise and resources that strengthen program quality and design
Build sustainable local capacity through joint training and institutional strengthening
Generate stronger, more credible evidence through collaborative research and joint evaluation
Scale successful program models to new countries and new community contexts
Influence policy more effectively through collective advocacy and shared evidence
Leverage funding more efficiently through co-financing, cost-sharing, and complementary resources

Introduction

Partnership Philosophy

Governments & Public Institutions

We work with national governments, line ministries, and local authorities to align our programs with national development plans, strengthen public service delivery systems, and support evidence-based policy implementation. Government partnerships give our programs legitimacy, access to communities, and long-term institutional sustainability.

Development Agencies & International Organisations

We partner with bilateral donors, multilateral agencies, and international NGOs to co-design and co-implement large-scale development programs. These partnerships combine our field presence, community networks, and local knowledge with the substantial funding, technical expertise, and institutional reach that international agencies bring to any collaboration.

Foundations & Philanthropic Organisations

We work with foundations that are genuinely committed to long-term, systemic change in Africa — not just short-term, high-visibility interventions. Foundation partnerships often provide the flexible, multi-year funding that enables the deep, community-centred, relationship-based work that 12-month project grants simply cannot support.

Academic & Research Institutions

Rigorous knowledge exchange between practitioners and academics makes both better at what they do. We partner with universities, research institutes, and independent think tanks to conduct primary studies, evaluate our programs objectively, build local research capacity in-country, and generate findings that inform development policy and practice across the continent.

Areas of collaboration: Primary research studies | Independent program evaluations | Research capacity building | Policy dialogue & evidence-sharing | Student placements & applied research projects

Civil Society & Community Organisations

Our most important partnerships are often with organisations closest to the communities we serve. Local NGOs, community-based organisations, and grassroots groups bring irreplaceable local knowledge, deeply rooted community trust, and implementation capacity that no outside organisation can replicate. These are the partnerships that make our programs genuinely work.

Areas of collaboration: Program co-implementation | Community mobilisation & engagement | Safeguarding oversight | Local advocacy | Beneficiary outreach & follow-up

Private Sector Partners

The private sector has resources, innovation capacity, and market access that the development sector cannot match. We work with companies that are genuinely committed to meaningful social impact — through CSR programs, workforce development partnerships, entrepreneurship support, market access initiatives, and direct philanthropic investment in communities.

Partner with Us

What We Bring to Every Partnership

Continental Reach	Active programs and established networks across 25 African countries spanning all four sub-regions of the continent
Multi-Sector Expertise	Deep, accumulated experience across education, health, livelihoods, climate, governance, gender equality, and research
Community Trust	Years of consistent relationship-building with communities, local leaders, and government officials at every level
Evidence-Based Practice	Rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and research capacity through our ImpactED Knowledge affiliate
Strong Local Networks	Established, tested networks of local NGOs, CBOs, and government partners in every operational country
Accountability & Transparency	Clear financial management, annual independent audits, and regular comprehensive reporting to all stakeholders
Flexibility	Genuine ability to design, adapt, and tailor programs to fit partner priorities, specific funding requirements, and local contexts
Specialised Affiliate Network	Access to all four specialised affiliates — Mama Africa Cares, ThinkBig, ImpactED Knowledge, and Brighter Minds — as part of any partnership engagement

Partnership Opportunities

How You Can Partner With Us

Program Co-Design & Implementation — joint development and field delivery of new or existing programs
Research & Evaluation — co-sponsoring or commissioning research, baseline studies, or impact evaluations
Capacity Building — joint training, technical assistance, and institutional strengthening initiatives
Funding & Grant-Making — direct grant support or joint applications to bilateral and multilateral funders
Knowledge Sharing — joint conferences, publications, webinars, and cross-organisation learning events
Community Investment — corporate or philanthropic investment in specific communities, programs, or sectors
Policy Advocacy — joint evidence-based advocacy on development policy priorities at national or continental level
Technical Assistance & Secondments — deploying technical specialists to Foundation programs or country offices

Contact Us

Be Part of the Change

Whether you are a donor, a development organisation, a government partner, a corporation, or an individual who believes in Africa’s future, there is a place for you in this mission.