ACT Foundation

What ACT Foundation does

ACT Foundation (legally Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation) is a Lagos-based, Access Bank-backed grant-making nonprofit established in 2016 that funds and builds the capacity of local, national, and regional nonprofit organizations across Africa. Operating across four focus areas — Health, Entrepreneurship, Environment, and Leadership (HEEL) — the foundation runs annual competitive grant cycles (typically receiving 300+ applications, reviewed by a 12-person committee) and has disbursed funding to 107 nonprofits reaching 4,000,000+ direct beneficiaries across 12 African countries and 1,200+ communities. Its grantee portfolio spans cancer screening (Sebeccly, Project PINK BLUE, Cancer Aware), malaria control, maternal and child health, WASH, GBV prevention (WARIF, STER), youth entrepreneurship (YEDI, Clintonel, Nuru Nigeria, WAAW), and disability inclusion.

The foundation supplements cash grants with a structured capacity-building stack: the Professional Volunteers Program (deploying skilled volunteers to grantees), the ACT Knowledge Series (free YouTube training), ACTHub (online research repository), ACT Books (a four-part Amazon-published nonprofit guidebook series), the ACTPod podcast (35+ episodes since April 2022), and the Impact Readiness Validation workshop. Signature convenings include the bi-annual Breakfast Dialogue (now in its 8th edition as of October 2024), Leadership Unwrapped, and the Deal Room funder-nonprofit matchmaking event.

ACT Foundation's business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: capital inflows come from corporate philanthropy and institutional grants — primarily Access Bank (its 'powering entity'), with episodic support from Novartis (COVID-19 response, 2020), the Central Bank of Nigeria (Shared Facility, 2020), Ford Foundation (field operators training), and King Baudouin Foundation United States — which it then redistributes as grants. It has no pricing model, no paying customers, and no disclosed revenue. The operating team is small (CEO Osayi Alile, Head of Programs Ndifreke Okwuegbunam, Chairman Tunde Folawiyo) and operates from Victoria Island, Lagos.

Name

ACT Foundation

Legal name

Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation

Website

https://actrustfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ACT Foundation is a Lagos-based nonprofit that funds and builds the capacity of 107 local nonprofits across 12 African countries in health, entrepreneurship, environment, and leadership, backed primarily by Access Bank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy and Grant-making Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Grant-making foundation
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Corporate philanthropy
• Social development programs
• African development funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Philanthropy & Foundation Grants: ACT Foundation funds its operations and grant-making activities through corporate and institutional partnerships. Support is received from organizations such as Access Bank (parent company), Novartis (COVID-19 response), Central Bank of Nigeria, and other private foundations. The foundation then redistributes these funds as grants to qualifying nonprofits across Africa.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

ACT Foundation is a grant-making nonprofit organization that provides competitive grant funding, capacity-strengthening programs, and strategic project delivery support to local, national, and regional nonprofits and social enterprises across Africa. It operates across four focus areas (Health, Entrepreneurship, Environment, and Leadership), supplemented by knowledge products such as the ACTPod podcast, ACTHub knowledge repository, ACT Books guidebook series, ACT Knowledge Series training, the annual Breakfast Dialogue convening, the Changemakers Innovation Challenge, the Professional Volunteer Program, and the Impact Readiness Program.

Product overview

ACT Foundation operates as a grant-making nonprofit organization established in 2016, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives across four focus areas: Health, Entrepreneurship, Environment, and Leadership (HEEL). The organization provides capacity-strengthening products including ACTPod (podcast), ACTHub (knowledge repository), ACT Books (nonprofit guidebook series), and ACT Knowledge Series (training platform). Signature programs include the Breakfast Dialogue (annual conference), Changemakers Innovation Challenge (grant program), Professional Volunteer Program, and Impact Readiness Program. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive ecosystem supporting African nonprofits through funding, knowledge resources, training, and strategic partnerships to drive sustainable community development across the continent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Changemakers Innovation Challenge A grant program designed to identify and fund breakthrough solutions from African nonprofits and social enterprises addressing social challenges across the continent.
• Annual Grant Cycle A competitive annual grant cycle that awards funding to African nonprofit organizations across the Health, Entrepreneurship, Environment, and Leadership (HEEL) focus areas. Over 300 organizations apply per cycle; a 12-person selection committee and due diligence process select qualifying grantees.
• Professional Volunteer Program (PVP) A program that deploys skilled professional volunteers to provide technical support and capacity building to ACT Foundation's grantees in areas aligned with their organizational needs.
• Impact Readiness Program A rigorous organizational assessment and validation program that helps nonprofit grantees build strong internal structures, establish documented systems and SOPs, and develop roadmaps for sustainability.
• Breakfast Dialogue Annual Conference ACT Foundation's signature annual conference that brings together public, private, and social sector leaders to discuss Africa's development challenges, co-create solutions, and accelerate cross-sector partnerships and deal flow.
• ACT Knowledge Series A free capacity-strengthening training platform providing sessions for African nonprofits and social enterprises on fundraising, branding, storytelling, impact measurement, grant proposal development, and financial management, distributed via YouTube.
• ACTPod Podcast A podcast series featuring thought-provoking discussions with changemakers and experts exploring solutions to Africa's pressing challenges, aimed at shifting perspectives about Africa through storytelling. Distributed on YouTube and Spotify.
• ACTHub An online repository containing the latest research and key learnings from ACT Foundation across sectors including philanthropy, nonprofit management, health, entrepreneurship, leadership, and environment.
• ACT Books Non-profit Guidebook Series A four-part commercially published book series (Starting, Operating, Sustaining, Measuring) available on Amazon that provides practical guidance for nonprofit operations, drawing from 5+ years of ACT Foundation's field experience with 75+ organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000,000+ direct beneficiaries reached across all programs
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers27 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Girlslaide InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ACT Foundation partnered with Girlslaide Initiative as the local nonprofit to facilitate distribution of PPE to frontline healthcare workers in Lagos, Kano, and Edo states under the Novartis-supported COVID-19 response initiative.
• Bayero University KanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner institution for Clintonel Innovation Centre's Engineering for Industry (E4I) program. University students at BUK access practical, job-focused training, makerspace facilities, and business incubation support through ACT Foundation funding.
• CACOVID (Coalition Against COVID-19)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ACT Foundation supported CACOVID, a Private Sector task force partnered with the Federal Government, NCDC, and WHO to combat COVID-19 in Nigeria. CEO Osayi Alile served on the Operational Committee. ACT Foundation provided advisory, communications, and operational support.
• Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ACT Foundation supported CACOVID in partnership with NCDC for COVID-19 response, including creation of testing, isolation, and treatment centers across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.
• Dr. Herbert WigweminorOthers · 1 January 2019Group Managing Director, Access Bank. Served as keynote speaker at the 3rd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2019; called for strategic partnerships across sectors for sustainable development.
• King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2018ACT Foundation collaborated with KBFUS and grantee Africa Philanthropy Forum to deliver the Global Opportunities for Funding session, attracting high-level professionals to explore international donor funding channels.
• Live Your Dreams Africa (LYDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2018ACT Foundation partnered with Live Your Dreams Africa for the 'Awakening' conference and launched the Dream Development Centre (DDC) to empower aspiring youth entrepreneurs with skills, mentorship, and business development support.
• Aigboje Aig-ImoukhuedeminorOthers · 1 January 2018President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and Co-Founder/Chairman of Coronation Capital Mauritius Ltd. Served as keynote speaker at the inaugural ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue in July 2017.
• Yaw NsarkohminorOthers · 1 January 2018Executive Vice President, Unilever Ghana and Nigeria. Served as keynote speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue in 2018, speaking on 'Fostering Ownership: Driving Sustainable Impact across Communities in Africa'.
• Juliet Ehimuan-ChiazorminorOthers · 1 January 2018Country Manager, Google Nigeria. Confirmed speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2018.
• Zouera YoussoufouminorOthers · 1 January 2018Managing Director/CEO, Aliko Dangote Foundation. Confirmed speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2018.
• Innocent ChukwumaminorOthers · 1 January 2018Regional Director, West Africa, Ford Foundation. Confirmed speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2018.
• Serah Makka-UgbabeminorOthers · 1 January 2018Country Director, ONE Campaign. Confirmed speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2018.
• Eme EssienminorOthers · 1 January 2018Country Director, International Finance Corporation Nigeria. Confirmed speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2018.
• Olumide MakanjuolaminorOthers · 1 January 2018Executive Director, The Initiative for Equal Rights. Confirmed speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2018.
• Ini AbimbolaminorOthers · 1 January 2018CEO, ThistlePraxis Consulting. Confirmed speaker at the 2nd ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue 2018.
• Junior Achievement NigeriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018ACT Foundation partnered with Junior Achievement Nigeria to boost leadership through social entrepreneurship, promoting nation-building by social problem-solving among secondary school students via the Regional Company of the Year competition.
• Enactus NigeriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018ACT Foundation funds Enactus Nigeria's Leadership Challenge, a competition among tertiary institutions to address retrogressive cultural beliefs through social innovation projects led by university students.
• Cancer AwarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2017ACT Foundation partnered with Cancer Aware (2017 grantee) to sensitize and screen over 300 women in Mushin LGA, Lagos for breast cancer. The partnership brought cancer education and screening services to underserved communities.
• Efferent Cares InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2017ACT Foundation partnered with Efferent Cares to bring cervical cancer awareness and screening to Ikeja, Lagos. The screening utilized the Enhanced Visual Assessment (EVA) System, which was then housed at St. Leo's Catholic Hospital for ongoing use.
• Sebeccly Cancer CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2017ACT Foundation's 2017 grantee; focused on reducing cervical cancer inequality in Lagos. The organization implements the TimeToScreen program which has screened over 30,000 women for breast and cervical cancer.
• Dr. Jumoke OduwoleminorOthers · 1 January 2017Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment. Confirmed speaker at the inaugural ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue July 2017.
• Tunde FolawiyominorOthers · 1 January 2017Chairman, Board of Directors, ACT Foundation. Led discussions on collaboration and ownership in the social sector at ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogues.
• Ford FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFord Foundation collaborated with ACT Foundation to deliver field operators training for ACT's implementing grantee partners, enhancing capacity and operational effectiveness across the foundation's program areas.
• Africa Philanthropy Forum (APF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Foundation partnered with APF (as a grantee) to deliver the Global Opportunities for Funding session, helping nonprofits access funding from international donors.
• Hacey Health InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Foundation partnered with Hacey Health Initiative to provide sustainable clean water projects in over 30 African communities, including capacity building on water and sanitation management.
• Generation EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Foundation partnered with Generation Enterprise (2017 grantee) to operate the Zest Academy, providing vocational and employability skills training to youths in Yaba, Lagos, covering financial literacy, emotional intelligence, and customer service.
• Project PINK BLUEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Foundation supported Project PINK BLUE's #MenOnBlue prostate cancer awareness and screening campaign, reaching over 15 million Nigerians and directly screening 3,000+ men across Enugu, Abuja, and Lagos.
• Afterschool Graduate Development Centre (AGDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Foundation partnered with AGDC (2017 grantee) to train over 200 rural graduates from Edo State in solar panel installation, cosmetology, and photography through the Edojobs scheme.
• WAAW FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Foundation partnered with WAAW Foundation to accelerate social entrepreneurship through the She Hacks Africa initiative, designed to build and equip aspiring social entrepreneurs across Africa.
• VisionSpringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ACT Foundation and Eleta Eye Institute to provide free eye screening and eye care services to professionals through the Access Women Network.
• Eleta Eye InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ACT Foundation and VisionSpring to provide free eye screening and eye care services through the Access Women Network.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Major global foundation with deep Africa regional presence and field operator training. Comparable as a capacity-building funder of African civil society, but operates globally with a much larger endowment.
• MacArthur Foundation: Global foundation with significant Africa grantmaking in areas including climate, gender, and youth. Comparable in supporting African civil society capacity and systems change, though with a much larger asset base and global footprint.
• Open Society Foundations: Global grantmaker with strong African portfolio in civil society, governance, and health. Comparable as a systems-change grantmaker serving African nonprofits, though far larger in scale and global in scope.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The world's largest private foundation with major Africa health and development programs. Comparable in funding African health and entrepreneurship interventions, but operates at a vastly different scale and global mandate.
• Mastercard Foundation: One of the largest global foundations with major Africa-focused programs (e.g., Young Africa Works). Comparable as an institutional funder of African nonprofits and social enterprises, but vastly larger in scale and broader in geographic mandate.

Direct peers

• Aliko Dangote Foundation: One of Africa's largest private foundations, headquartered in Nigeria, funding health, education, and economic empowerment. Highly comparable as a Nigerian corporate-backed foundation with overlapping focus areas (health, entrepreneurship) and pan-African ambitions.
• Africa Philanthropy Forum: A grantmaking-adjacent platform convening African funders and philanthropists. Directly comparable as ACT's partner and peer organization in building the African philanthropic ecosystem, with overlapping convening and capacity-building mandates.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Africa-focused philanthropy providing entrepreneurship funding and capacity building across the continent. Most directly comparable as an African private-sector foundation backing entrepreneur and nonprofit capacity, though its program is concentrated on entrepreneurship rather than HEEL.

Emerging players

• Stanbic IBTC Foundation: Nigerian corporate foundation affiliated with a major bank, funding health, education, and economic empowerment. Comparable as a Nigerian bank-affiliated foundation with similar CSR-driven grantmaking structure, though smaller and more Nigeria-focused than ACT.

Regional players

• Mo Ibrahim Foundation: Africa-focused foundation promoting governance and leadership. Comparable in its African leadership-development mission overlapping with ACT's Leadership focus area, though primarily focused on governance rather than direct nonprofit funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@actfoundation_/podcasts
• Xx.com/ACTFoundation_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about ACT Foundation