Why Egmont?
Why
Africa?
Africa – east and southern Africa especially – is where the need is greatest. It remains the epicenter of the HIV epidemic and the only world region where the number of people living in poverty is growing.
Egmont’s story began at the start of Africa’s HIV & AIDS epidemic. In the late 1980s, our co-founder Colin Williams was working in Uganda, watching colleagues, friends and neighbors succumb to a new, poorly understood disease. With no treatment and little international response, families were torn apart – widows left without income, children without parents. Yet inside those same communities, people knew what to do: care for the sick, protect the bereaved, keep children fed and in school. Colin backed those local leaders with funds, guidance and connections so they could do more, faster. That is Egmont’s DNA: we let local people lead – because they know how to change lives.
Today, that imperative is as urgent as ever. Across the region, 25 million - that is one in ten - are living with HIV infection, straining local health resources and dependent on foreign aid in most cases. Adolescent girls and young women are at triple the risk of their male peers and account for over a quarter of new infections. Children still lag in access to treatment. The epidemic’s social cost endures. An estimated 10.2 million children in sub-Saharan Africa worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS-related causes.
Poverty and exclusion compound risk. About 464 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live in extreme poverty today. School exclusion remains highest globally in the region, with roughly 98 million children out of school, and pregnancy pushes many girls out of education: more than six million pregnant and parenting girls (10–19) are currently out of school in sub-Saharan Africa. Maternal mortality is still unconscionably high, with the region accounting for ~70% of global maternal deaths.
Why
local?
Egmont's history and model are based on providing local people with the resources to effect change. But this approach isn't rooted in ideology, it is borne out in evidence.
Local organizations deliver assistance more cost-efficiently and more effectively than large international actors. They know the language, culture and systems; they are trusted by communities and able to respond with agility. Egmont’s own analysis demonstrates that our Egmont Partners reach children and women at a fraction of the cost per beneficiary compared to international NGOs. This is not about cutting corners; it is about cutting overheads. Every pound or dollar stretches further, achieving deeper impact where it matters most.
External evidence backs this up. Studies have highlighted the financial case for localizing aid: community-based actors are able to deliver results up to 32% more cost-efficiently. Yet the global system continues to fall short. Each year, only a small fraction of international humanitarian assistance is delivered to local and national actors directly. The majority flows through international intermediaries, despite countless reports showing the efficiency and effectiveness of local delivery. Imagine what could be accomplished if just a fraction more was directed towards local people.
We believe local leadership is not just good development practice, it is essential for long-term change. Egmont Partners are preventing HIV transmission, building resilient livelihoods, keeping and helping young people in school, fostering safer communities for girls and young women and working towards a better future for their communities. They are doing so with fewer resources but greater ingenuity.
Why
Egmont?
The Egmont US Foundation provides donors based in the United States with a smart, scalable way to invest in high-impact grassroots solutions and deliver life-changing results for those most vulnerable.
Egmont was founded as a collaboration between successful financial services entrepreneurs and seasoned African development professionals. Together with the determination and skill of local leaders, we have applied from the start a business-like approach to deliver measurable, lasting change for women, children and families across sub-Saharan Africa.
Our model is different. Thanks to the support of a group of committed and generous private backers, 100% of every donation goes directly to the grassroots projects themselves. This zero-cost investment model ensures your funds generate the highest possible impact, while Egmont’s professional systems and rigorous oversight guarantee accountability and results.
We fill a critical funding gap. Local organizations – led by inspirational social entrepreneurs – are proven to be more cost effective and sustainable than international actors, yet remain chronically underfunded. Egmont identifies these leaders, backs them with flexible, timely grants and helps them scale. In practice, this means infants surviving early childhood, girls staying in school, families earning reliable incomes, and communities equipped to respond to HIV, poverty, and the climate shocks they face.
The Egmont Portfolio spreads risk and shares best practice. Each Egmont Partner is supported individually but benefits from peer learning, knowledge exchange and opportunities to grow. We act as a bridge: connecting donors to unique, under-the-radar local initiatives, while giving local leaders the resources and guidance to deliver systemic change.
Over the last twenty years The Egmont US Foundation and The Egmont Trust in the UK have supported over 130 grassroots organizations, delivered more than 465 projects and helped Egmont Partners to reach more than one million people. With Egmont, your investment is not just charity; it is catalytic capital for sustainable, community-led transformation.
The Egmont US Foundation a US non-profit organization, tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code and is governed by an independent board of directors. We work closely with The Egmont Trust in the UK, which has a similar mission to achieve life-changing impact in Africa. The Egmont US Foundation maintains independence in its governance and decision-making.