The Proximate Fund

The Proximate Fund is redefining how development resources flow across Africa by creating pathways for directly funding local leaders to deliver community-defined solutions while simultaneously building national and regional philanthropic infrastructure. 

Created by Adeso (African Development Solutions) in collaboration with the African Philanthropic Foundation and NEAR, and hosted by Myriad USA, a registered U.S. 501(c)(3), the Fund supports National Country Funds led and governed by civil society actors closest to the challenges they aim to address. These Funds mobilize local, diaspora, and global contributions to amplify the impact of innovations already at work in African communities. 

Why Give to the Proximate Fund? 

Only a fraction of global philanthropic funds reach locally-led organizations in Africa directly. Far too often, the costs of transferring funds, conducting due diligence, and managing grants are captured by large international organizations and financial institutions. The Proximate Fund offers an alternative, capturing value and maximizing impact by more efficiently moving funds and managing their distribution at the local level. 

Your donation helps the Proximate Fund: 

• Launch individual country funds in places like Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, and Benin, countries that are overlooked or severely under-resourced, each governed by national governance boards with leaders grounded in national and local contexts. 
• Support grassroots efforts led by local communities, often women- and youth-led initiatives derived from the real problems and opportunities facing communities and rooted in sustainable futures 
• Build a Pan-African network of community foundations and Grantmakers mobilizing local and international support for the future 
• Leverage gifts by circulating capital through grants, interest-free loans, and social finance 

This is not charity. It is philanthropic investment in ecosystem building for a sustainable future. 

Where Your Gift Goes 

We commit to financial transparency and community-led accountability. Your gift is dedicated to the direct support of development and growth. 

Each Fund is guided by a local advisory council, and we conduct participatory audits and publish annual impact reports to ensure integrity and community ownership. 

Join Us: Ways to Give 

You can make a one-time gift, become a monthly supporter, or join our Strategic Giving Circle for contributions above $10,000. Strategic Giving Circle members receive: 

• Private impact briefings 
• Invitations to donor learning journeys 
• Direct engagement with proximate leaders and country teams 

Every gift, no matter the size, moves us closer to a future beyond aid—a future where Africa drives its own development. 

See Your Impact in Action 

• In Sudan, your donation helps fund Nafir, a rapid-response fund resourcing frontline local responders with dignity and speed 
• Across countries, your support backs grassroots leaders reimagining climate resilience through indigenous knowledge and ecosystem care 

The Time Is Now 

Africa is home to the world's youngest and most visionary generation. It also faces one of the greatest financing gaps. Philanthropy can be a lever for transformation or a mirror of past inequities. Your contribution can make a difference. 

Give today to co-create a new architecture of care, capital, and possibility.