Our Approach

We trust leaders to know what their communities need.

Our grants are time-bound and paired with storytelling support so organizations grow stronger through the partnership. We also fund ecosystem builders who make it easier for local leaders to thrive, and we invest in ventures that create decent jobs and open new opportunities. Grounded in Micah 6:8—justice, mercy, and humility—we walk alongside leaders and share their stories so others are inspired to join in.

Our Application Process

Our values call us to honor every story, yet with limited capacity we focus our energy on walking closely with our current portfolio. We seek out intentional partnerships with leaders in the region whose vision and values align with ours, often through trusted networks and recommendations from past grantees and ecosystem builders. While we are not able to accept unsolicited proposals, we remain committed to listening, learning, and connecting in ways that help us find and nurture the right relationships.

Selection Criteria:

Basic Eligibility

The Micah 6:8 Foundation partners with organizations that demonstrate integrity, accountability, and a deep commitment to justice, mercy, and community transformation.

To be considered for funding, applicants must:

Have Current Legal Status: Be a registered nonprofit, community-based organization, or social enterprise, legally recognized in its country of operation.
Leadership: Be African-founded and African-led, with leadership that reflects and is accountable to the communities served.
Proven Impact: Have a demonstrated track record of delivering measurable results and positive change within their communities.
Strategic Focus Areas: Serve African communities through Leadership Development, Youth Empowerment, Access to Justice, and Economic Opportunity.
Financial Stewardship: Demonstrate sound financial management, transparent governance structures, and accountability to stakeholders.

Geographic Alignment

We fund partner organizations operating primarily in East Africa, with priority given to organizations deeply rooted in local contexts. Our focus countries are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Grantmaking Lens Alignment

The Micah 6:8 Foundation’s funding decisions are guided by values that shape how we engage with partners and communities. We seek to support organizations who reflect one or more of our grantmaking lens.

Organizational Alignment

We seek to partner with organizations that embody the spirit of Micah 6:8 “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.” Successful applicants will:

Uphold ethical leadership and servant-hearted governance.
Demonstrate alignment with faith-informed values, even while serving communities inclusively and without discrimination.
Show commitment to collaboration and learning, recognizing that systemic change requires partnerships.
Reflect transparency and humility in their approach to both beneficiaries and funders.

Grantmaking Lens

Disability

We have learned from our friends at organizations like Ubuntu Life, Kuhenza, and Uwezo Youth Empowerment that true community thriving requires full inclusion of people with disabilities. Their work has shaped our lens, reminding us that justice and opportunity must reach everyone, and guiding us to back efforts where disability inclusion is central.

Gender

We know that women and girls often carry the weight of community resilience while facing the steepest barriers. Our lens on gender pushes us to support leaders and organizations that elevate women’s leadership, expand opportunity, and challenge inequities so that communities can flourish more fully.

Conviction

Many of the leaders we support are motivated by faith and a deep sense of calling to serve their communities. While we do not fund exclusively faith-based organizations, we look for shared values—especially the recognition of each person’s dignity. This lens helps us honor the convictions that shape leaders’ visions while holding fast to our own grounding in Micah 6:8—walking with justice, mercy, and humility. It reminds us that lasting change grows from convictions that inspire both courage and compassion.

Partnership Ecosystem

We work within a diverse ecosystem of networks, funders, and creative partners who share our commitment to backing African-led solutions. Together, these collaborations amplify the reach of our grants and investments, strengthen local storytelling, and expand opportunities for the leaders we serve.