Women in Philanthropy South Africa

What Women in Philanthropy South Africa does

Women in Philanthropy South Africa (WiPSA) is a non-profit networking organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. The organization operates a community-led model that brings together professionals from the philanthropy, non-profit, and impact investment sectors to connect, learn, collaborate, and increase sector impact. Although women-led, the network is open to all genders; membership is free and is granted automatically to anyone attending their first event, with attendees added to a Mailchimp-managed member database for ongoing event communications. As of April 2020, WiPSA had grown from 10 founding members to nearly 800 members and typically drew between 45 and 70 attendees at each event.

WiPSA's core offering is its event program, which features expert panellists and speakers and is organized around topics nominated by members and pressing sector issues. The organization's underlying technology stack is deliberately lightweight: a WordPress-hosted website, Mailchimp for newsletter and member communications, and Quicket as the event ticketing platform. There is no proprietary software product, no AI or data products, and no mobile application; the website and events are the only delivery surface.

The business model is a non-profit, freemium structure. There is no membership fee; members pay only when they choose to attend a paid event. Any nominal profits from events are reinvested to cover operational costs or to provide sponsored tickets to individuals or organizations that cannot afford attendance. The organization is governed by a volunteer Steering Committee drawn from senior practitioners at institutions including Nedbank Private Wealth, Old Mutual Insure, BackaBuddy, Columba Leadership, and Relativ Impact, and it reports no institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no parent entity.

Name

Women in Philanthropy South Africa

Legal name

Women in Philanthropy (South Africa)

Website

https://wipsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women in Philanthropy South Africa (WiPSA) is a Cape Town–based non-profit networking organization that runs free-membership events connecting professionals across the South African philanthropy, non-profit, and impact investment sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Attendance Fees: WiPSA operates on a non-profit basis. Any nominal profits made from events are used to cover operational costs or provide sponsored tickets for organizations or individuals that cannot afford to attend. There is no membership fee; members only pay for event tickets they wish to attend.
2. Database Inclusion: Members can opt to be included on the WiPSA database to receive information about upcoming events. This is provided as a free service with membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WiPSA is a non-profit professional network that, through the regular organising and hosting of paid events, brings together people working across the philanthropy, non-profit and impact investment sectors in South Africa to connect, learn, collaborate and inspire. Membership into the network is free and is granted automatically upon attending a first event; attendees subsequently pay per-event ticket fees through the Quicket ticketing platform, and any surplus is reinvested into operational costs or sponsored tickets for those unable to pay.

Product overview

WiPSA is a women-led networking organization operating in South Africa's philanthropy and social impact sector. The organization offers three interconnected offerings: (1) WiPSA Events — regular gatherings featuring expert panellists and speakers on pressing sector topics; (2) WiPSA Membership Network — a free membership system providing access to events, a member database, and sector communications; and (3) Knowledge Sharing Platform — peer learning and collaboration opportunities facilitated through the network. The organization is not a software product company; rather, it delivers community-building and professional development services through its WordPress-based web platform, with event ticketing via Quicket and communications via Mailchimp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WiPSA Events Regular networking events that bring together people from across the philanthropy, non-profit and impact-investment sectors in South Africa to connect, learn, collaborate and inspire, with expert panellists and speakers addressing member-suggested and pressing sector topics. Typically attracts 45-70 attendees per event; ticketed via Quicket.
• WiPSA Membership Network A free-membership network for professionals in the philanthropy, non-profit and impact-investment sectors, providing access to events, a member database, and ongoing communications about upcoming events and sector opportunities. Membership is automatic upon attending a first event.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 800 members as of April 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO): Peer-learning network for foundations and grantmakers focused on philanthropic effectiveness. Comparable to WiPSA in its network-based, learning-driven approach to strengthening the philanthropic sector.
• Women's Philanthropy Institute: Research and education initiative at Indiana University focused on women in philanthropy. Comparable to WiPSA in centering women's philanthropic participation and knowledge generation.
• African Women's Development Fund: Pan-African women's fund that mobilizes resources to advance women's rights and gender equality. Directly comparable to WiPSA in centering women in African philanthropy and social-sector capacity-building.
• Inyathelo (South African Institute for Advancement): Cape Town-based non-profit focused on strengthening South African civil society through fundraising and philanthropy support. Directly comparable to WiPSA in geography, audience, and sector focus.
• African Philanthropy Forum: Pan-African platform that convenes philanthropists, social investors, and development actors. Comparable to WiPSA in convening function, sector focus, and African philanthropic community.
• Women's Funding Network: Global network of women's foundations and funds that supports women's philanthropy infrastructure. Closely comparable to WiPSA in its mission to convene and strengthen women's philanthropic communities.
• The Resource Alliance: Cape Town-based capacity-building organization for fundraisers and resource mobilisers. Comparable to WiPSA in its Southern-Africa, social-sector focus and emphasis on professional networking.

Regional players

• BackaBuddy: South African online crowdfunding platform for NPOs, represented on WiPSA's steering committee. Comparable as a Cape Town-based social-sector player with overlapping ecosystem participants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wipsouthafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-philanthropy-south-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women in Philanthropy South Africa