Bloomberg Helps Launch Website to Improve Coordination in Africa

A new website developed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the King Baudouin Foundation, and the Foundation Center allows nonprofits and donors to track philanthropy’s impact in Central Africa.

The site, called Equal Footing, uses maps that show where grants to support women, their families, and their local communities have been made in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. It includes profiles of more than 1,000 foundations and nonprofits active in the area and includes reports on how various economic-development projects have fared.

The site allows users to look for grants made in a number of areas, including entrepreneurship, land and property rights, and vocational training.

According to the site, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been the largest donor in the area since 2006. Gates has made 37 grants totaling $496 million during that time period. After the Coca-Cola Foundation ($36 million), Bloomberg is third on the list, with $29 million in grants.

Said Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, in a statement: “This new database will make sure help goes where it is needed most — and it will point the way to new opportunities for collaboration.”