Quick African Development Foundation Facts

What is the African Development Foundation?

The African Development Foundation is an independent agency of the United States Government which formally provides grants, of up to $250,000, to various community groups and small enterprises that benefit under marginalized and impoverished communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The African Development Foundation calculates grant success based on the number of jobs created and subsequently sustained, increased incomes and improved social conditions, as a result of the money given.

In 2010, the African Development Foundation budgeted over $20 million for project grants in 20 countries; an additionally $5 million is budgeted for the sustained creation of various African directed partner organizations that aim to provide technical design and implementation support for African Development Foundation grantees.

The African Development Foundation was created by an Act of Congress in 1980—the organization began operations in 1984. Since this time, the African Development Foundation has provided financing to more than 1,500 small community-based organization and small enterprises throughout Africa.

The mission of the African Development Foundation is to support under served, marginalized communities in Africa through the delivery of resources that help create better economic opportunities and an improved quality of life; in total, the African Development Foundation awards roughly $17 million to 200 projects in 20 African countries and a total of $4.8 million to Capacity Building Organizations in the continent.

African Development Foundation Quick Facts

The following details outline the administration of the African Development Foundation:

The African Development Foundation was founded in 1980 through the passing of the African Development Foundation Act of 1980

The headquarters of the African Development Foundation are located in 21 countries in Africa; the African Development Foundation serves the following areas: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda.

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