Gatsby Africa

Gatsby Africa is a UK-registered charitable company (charity number 1168223) dedicated to fostering inclusive and resilient economic growth in East Africa. Established as part of the Gatsby Charitable Foundation's efforts, the organisation focuses on implementing programmes that aim to create jobs, increase incomes, and reduce poverty within key sectors in the region.

History and Background

Gatsby Africa was formed to carry forward the philanthropic initiatives of the Gatsby Charitable Foundation in Africa. The foundation itself was established in 1967 by David Sainsbury (now Lord Sainsbury of Turville), who endowed it with over £1 billion to support a range of causes including neuroscience, plant science, and public policy. Since 1985, Gatsby has been funding and running development programmes across Africa, with Gatsby Africa serving as the operational arm dedicated to these continent-focused efforts. The organisation maintains registered branch offices in Kenya and Tanzania[1].

Mission and Activities

The core mission of Gatsby Africa is to drive sector transformation that leads to sustainable economic development, particularly in East Africa. The organisation achieves this by funding and implementing programmes that catalyse large-scale and lasting changes in priority sectors, such as the cotton industry in Tanzania. It also focuses on building and supporting local institutions committed to transforming their respective sectors and shares lessons learned to amplify impact across the region[1][5].

Financial Overview

For the financial year ending April 2024, Gatsby Africa reported a total income of approximately £20.7 million, primarily from donations and legacies totaling £20.25 million, alongside a government grant of £574,000. Charitable activities expenditure amounted to about £16.3 million, with no funds allocated to raising funds or other trading activities during the period[5].

Organisational Structure

Gatsby Africa employs around 124 staff members and is governed by a board of four trustees. The organisation offers competitive remuneration, with several employees earning between £60,000 and £250,000 annually, reflecting its scale and the expertise required to manage its broad scope of programmes[5].

Summary

Gatsby Africa stands as a key player in supporting economic development in East Africa through targeted programmes that foster sectoral growth and inclusivity. Its work underpins efforts to alleviate poverty by promoting job creation and income growth in priority industries, leveraging both local partnerships and international philanthropic funding to maximize impact.

This article synthesises information from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and UK Charity Commission records.

[1] http://www.gatsby.org.uk/sminstfunc [2] https://www.gatsbyafrica.org.uk [3] https://www.gatsbyafrica.org.uk/about-us/ [4] https://www.gatsbyafrica.org.uk/about-us/our-offices-2/ [5] https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/sector-data/top-10-charities/-/charity-details/5080190