Empowers Africa Inc
Empowering People, Protecting Wildlife & Conserving Land
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Africa is one of the only regions in the world in which the youth population is increasing. This growth presents tremendous opportunities. Key to those opportunities is grassroots economic empowerment, arming the continent’s youth with entrepreneurial tools and removing the obstacles to progress. We are committed to supporting local projects that are doing that, not by parachuting in with boilerplate solutions, but by being part of the communities they serve and by empowering youth with skills and education. At the same time as Africa is experiencing a rapid growth of its youth population, its wild areas are under threat from poaching, destructive land management practices and global warming. At current poaching rates, some of Africa’s most iconic residents, such as, the elephant and the rhino, could be extinct in our lifetime. We believe that conservation and the protection of Africa's natural assets can be a key contributor to empowerment and prosperity.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Human Empowerment
Empowers Africa provides funding for a variety of human empowerment programs in the following areas: Education; Healthcare; Small Business Development.
Education:
We provide funding for educational scholarships; school infrastructure improvements; feeding programs at schools; and teachers' salaries.
Healthcare:
We provide funding for clean water support; COVID-19 support; and funding for healthcare infrastructure.
Small Business Development:
We provide funding for small business development, including women's cooperative gardens and larger scale community farming projects.
Fiscal Sponsorship Program:
Empower Africa serves as a fiscal sponsor to over thirty organizations working on the ground in Africa. Through our 501(c)(3) status, we are able to efficiently collect and process donations for some of the most effective changemakers on the continent.
Short Doc Films:
Empowers Africa funds and produces educational documentaries about conservation and human empowerment issues.
Wildlife Protection & Land Conservation
Empowers Africa supports a variety of wildlife protection and land conservation programs in sub-Saharan Africa. Africa's wild areas are under threat from poaching, destructive land management and global warming. Some of Africa’s most iconic species could be extinct in our lifetime. As such, we have made wildlife protection and land conservation a core focus of our work.
We provide funding for the following wildlife protection activites: wildlife translocations; de-horning of rhinos for protection from poachers; collaring of species for tracking purposes; anti-poaching rangers salaries; infra-red cameras for tracking species; two-way radios for anti-poaching rangers, and more.
Films & Film Festivals
Empowers Africa produces educational documentaries. To date, we have produced 8 short film documentaries regarding matters related to rhino anti-poaching efforts, lion and elephant collaring, education, small business development and female empowerment. Many have gone on to participate in local and international film festivals and won awards, including the London Independent Film Awards, NorCal Film Fest, the Independent Short Film Awards, the Crown Wood International Film Festival, and the Accolade Global Film Competition. We have also been involved in 2 full length documentaries, Edge of Existence and The Last Horns of Africa. Finally, we host educational film festivals addressing both wildlife and human empowerment issues in Africa.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
2023 Thomas Edison Film Festival Winner Director’s Choice Award 2023
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total dollars received in contributions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In '22, we had a decrease in contributions that was due to some large grants completing in '21, however, the volume of donors was steady. In '23 we more than doubled our contributions from 2022.
Number of donations made by board members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of fiscal sponsor applicants sponsored
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We continue to provide a valuable service to over 34 NGOs as of 2023. Our program mainly grows from word of mouth which is a testament to the quality of our service.
Number of fiscal sponsorship dollars distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Fiscal sponsorship dollars distributed decreased from '21 to '22 due to large grants completing in 2021. However, our '23 numbers are more than double '22 as the program continues to attract NGOs.
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Grants awarded was down slightly in '22 due to large grants completing in '21. However, we more than doubled grants made in '23 from '22. We also brought on new fiscal sponsor partners.
Number of reintroduced populations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Wildlife Protection & Land Conservation
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We work with local partners to reintroduce cheetah, lions and rhinos to areas where they may have been locally extinct, low in population or are in need of genetic diversity.
Number of animal clinics/shelters improved as a direct result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Wildlife Protection & Land Conservation
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We support elephant, rhino and pangolin rescue and rehabilitation sanctuaries. These sanctuaries work to reintroduce these orphans into a wild or semi-wild environment.
Total number of screenings held
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Films & Film Festivals
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We host educational film festivals featuring films about pressing human empowerment and wildlife and conservation issues facing the continent.
Number of accolades/recognition received from third-party organizations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Films & Film Festivals
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Emergence received 2 winner awards and 7 official selection awards in the film festival circuit. Winner Outstanding Excellence, Nature without Borders + Director's Choice, Thomas Edison
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
At Empowers Africa, our main goal is to support leading organizations throughout Africa that are change-makers in wildlife protection, land conservation, and human empowerment. We provide funding for programs in the following areas:
• Education
• Healthcare
• Small business development
• Wildlife protection
• Land conservation
• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Short film documentaries
Empowers Africa supports community-led, measurable, and sustainable programs that bolster communities by improving access to education, healthcare, and business opportunities. We believe safeguarding Africa’s natural wealth is critical to the empowerment of the surrounding communities. Also, Empowers Africa provides a cost-effective fund-raising solution to 34 fiscal sponsor partners in Africa. Through our fiscal sponsorship program, we make it easier and more affordable for some of the most effective organizations on the ground to process donations from U.S. donors. By collecting funds on behalf of these NGOs, we free them up to focus on their important work on the ground.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Africa is one of the only regions in the world in which the youth population is increasing. This growth presents tremendous opportunities. Key to those opportunities is grassroots economic empowerment, arming the continent’s youth with entrepreneurial tools and removing the obstacles to progress. We are committed to supporting local projects that are doing that, not by parachuting in with boilerplate solutions, but by being part of the communities they serve and by empowering youth with skills and education.
At the same time as Africa is experiencing a rapid growth of its youth population, its wild areas are under threat from poaching, destructive land management practices and global warming. At current poaching rates, some of Africa’s most iconic residents, such as, the elephant and the rhino, could be extinct in our lifetime. Extinctions of species would be a tragedy for biodiversity. We believe that conservation can be a key contributor to empowerment and prosperity. Reducing human wildlife conflict and redefining interactions at the places where communities come into contact with Africa’s wildlife is paramount to progress for both local communities and the animals that live along side of them.
The organizations and projects that Empowers Africa supports through annual grants and our Fiscal Sponsor Program strategically tackle issues of education, health, economic empowerment, wildlife protection and land conservation with the understanding that they are all inextricably linked to one another.
In addition, our fiscal sponsorship provides 44 African NGOs a cost-effective solution to fundraising in the United States by acting as their fiscal sponsor. As an established 501(c)(3), we accept donations from U.S. donors and grant funds directly to our partners’ projects. In turn, allowing us to significantly help some of the most effective changemakers on the continent, enabling them to focus on what’s most important—the work happening on the ground.
In addition to being a fiscal sponsor to over 34 organizations and making grants to over 70 organizations, we create educational films and host a series of educational film festivals and cultural events throughout the calendar year to raise funds and awareness for critical issues facing the continent.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Conservation and wildlife protection in Africa are ever changing environments. To be an effective leader in this space, it is vital to stay current and establish relationships with other leaders in the field as collaboration remains a key strategy for success. To this point, Empowers Africa attends three leading wildlife, conservation, and tourism conferences annually and maintains frequent communication with the leaders on the ground. Empowers Africa is grateful to have such a strong network of members, supporters, and donors, and we are proud to be personally connected to the programs we fund. We make multiple trips per annum to visit the programs we support and maintain frequent communication with the leaders on the ground. We come to the table with a leadership team with vast experience in community development, wildlife protection and land conservation.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Empowers Africa has granted over 60 organizations in 15 countries throughout Africa since its inception in 2013. The nonprofit also acts as a fiscal sponsor for over 24 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa. Through our 501(c)3 status, we efficiently collect and grant donations to some of the most effective changemakers on the continent, allowing them to focus on what’s most important—the work done on the ground. Through donations and fundraising, we have been able to raise over $16mm since inception.
In efforts to provide the public with important insight into issues affecting the African continent, such as human-wildlife conflict or species protection, we have created and hosted educational films and film festivals. To date, we have produced seven short film documentaries regarding matters related to rhino anti-poaching efforts, lion and elephant collaring, education, small business development, and female empowerment. We were also involved with the production of 2 full-length documentaries, Edge of Existence and The Last Horns of Africa. Many of these films participated in local and international film festivals and went on to win awards such as the London Independent Film Awards, NorCal Film Fest, the Independent Short Film Awards, the Crown Wood International Film Festival, and the Accolade Global Film Competition.
Additional points of progress:
• Our annual CharityBuzz safari auction raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for African charities.
• Women in conservation. As an organization entirely run by women, Empowers Africa is excited to see the increasing role women are playing in conservation from safari guides to the frontlines of anti-poaching. Our fiscal sponsors include Asilia Africa, who run the continent’s first all-women safari camp, Dunia Camp, in Tanzania’s Serengeti, and the Black Mambas, a majority women anti-poaching team in South Africa’s Balule Nature Reserve. We are extremely proud to have supported these incredible female initiatives.
• Key changemakers that we are associated with through our fiscal sponsorship program, including Fred Swaniker, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, and Founder of the African Leadership Academy and African Leadership University.
• We were involved in the reintroduction of lions in Akagera National Park, Rwanda, where lions had been extinct for over 100 years:
• (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/28/rwanda-lions-reintroduced-south-africa-akagera-national-park +
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/150810-lions-return-rwanda-genocide-aftermath)
• We were involved in the reintroduction of lions at Somkhanda Game Reserve, South Africa, a reserve owned by local community members:
• (https://africageographic.com/stories/lion-relocation-success-somkhanda-lions-reveal-cubs/
• https://www.news24.com/news24/travel/pics-phinda-lions-released-in-somkhanda-game-reserve-massive-boost-for-lion-conservation-20170509)
• We were involved in a cheetah translocation in 2021 from
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Empowers Africa Inc
Board of directorsas of 11/28/2023
Krista Krieger
Kim Charlton
Empowers Africa, Inc.
Term: 2013 - 2023
Krista Krieger
Empowers Africa
Kim Charlton
Empowers Africa
Donna Corbat
Empowers Africa
Beth Rudin DeWoody
Empowers Africa
Krysten Ericson
Empowers Africa
Allison Freeland
Empowers Africa
Lisa Christiansen Gentil
Empowers Africa
Patricia Glass
Empowers Africa
Aisha Haque
Empowers Africa
Jenny Kennedy
Empowers Africa
Suzanne Leydecker
Empowers Africa
Mary MacElree
Empowers Africa
Laura Nicklas
Empowers Africa
Zita de Zagon
Empowers Africa
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/26/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.