SIVIO Institute was established in January 2018 to contribute towards nurturing processes that lead to a more inclusive society. We have an African footprint. We contribute towards (i) a new type of citizen-based politics, (ii) revamping the economy for shared growth, and (iii) building a people-to-people philanthropy. We do this not just by looking at ‘what is’, but we actively work with start-up founders, community foundations, civil society leaders and activists to frame ‘what should be’ narratives.

We seek to address the following problems:

1. Inadequate performance of existing political systems in Africa,
2. Inadequate models of development, and
3. Limited local participation in national and continental processes of African citizens.

Our approach is aimed at increasing participation in policy processes, redefining philanthropy and creating new forms of giving that are responsive to citizens’ needs.

SIVIO Institute integrates the centres of work with various tools. Our tools of intervention  include knowledge production, training, dialogues/convenings, and leveraging of technology. Most of our work uses technology as the key to our country-wide and continental reach. We have close to 17 technology platforms that include trackers (African Citizens Watch), indices (African Citizenship Index, Philanthropy Index, Financial Inclusion Index), information hubs (Philanthropy Lab), an online training platform (SIVIO Institute Online School) as well as a giving platform for individuals to support African NGOs (Africa Giving). We also have several websites to keep our followers engaged in our work: The SIVIO Institute Website, SIVIOKonect and the African Journal of Inclusive Societies.

We have organized our work into three centres of work:

1. Philanthropy and Communities

The centre is focused on nurturing and growing a philanthropy that draws upon existing local assets. The centre also seeks to further improve the work of citizens in various forms of associational life

2. Civic Engagement

The centre is focused on sharpening citizens engagement in public processes and increasing participation in the demand and implementation of inclusive policies.

3. Economic Development and Livelihoods

The centre is focused on supporting social enterprises as a sustainable model for local development. It also seeks to study and understand the key drivers of economic growth namely agriculture, mining and land use.