Yukabeth Kidenda, chief executive of Teach for Kenya, a non-profit group that trains bright young graduates to teach in low-income schools, has seen her fair share of controlling philanthropists. One donor asked for a hard copy of the name, identity document and signature of each of the 750 teachers trained that year. To Ms Kidenda it is a reflection of a general suspicion among donors, who worry their funds will be misspent or stolen.
Recently, Ms Kidenda has seen a few philanthropists experimenting with the very different no-strings approach. The Segal Family Foundation (sff), a big American donor focused on east Africa, has contributed unrestricted funds to Teach for Kenya and attempted to reduce the administrative burden on the charity. It asks Ms Kidenda to fill out a short form online every year with straightforward data, like the number of teachers trained. That, she believes, is a much better way to do philanthropy. “If you want to give, give,” she says. “Don’t give and then act like you feel bad about it or mistrust.”
