Nduna Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Nduna Foundation is a small funder that supports children, particularly in conflict and post-conflict African countries. It invests in global development projects related to education, food security, human rights and health

IP TAKE: Nduna has no website and information is comparatively difficult to come by, making it tough for newcomers to figure out how to get on this international grantmaker’s radar.  

PROFILE: Nduna founder Amy Robbins turned to philanthropy full time in 2004 after leaving Glenview Capital Management, a $7 billion hedge fund she co-founded with her former husband, Larry Robbins. In 2007, she established the Nduna Foundation. 

Grants for Global Development

Amy Robbins has received UNICEF’s Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for her work in places such as Niger, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Darfur, and Somalia. The foundation supports humanitarian work to maintain human rights in conflict and post-conflict regions, primarily in Africa. Of her work in high-risk countries, Robbins says:

I’m never going to be the biggest player in the market, but if I can go to the riskiest places, which often go overlooked by larger organizations, we can add the most value. I wanted to be a role model for my children, to teach them you can live on Park Avenue and serve the world’s poorest, that everyone has the chance to matter. Children in Africa and around the world don’t deserve any different life than my kids have here in New York.

Beyond the scope of its international grantmaking related to preserving human rights in war-torn regions in Africa, Nduna prioritizes nutrition, food security, pediatric HIV&AIDS and education in developing countries. Nduna funds large U.S.-based NGOs and awards its largest grants to organizations with which Robbins is affiliated. She sits on the boards of the CDC Foundation and Human Rights Watch, for example, both of which have received Nduna support. However, the foundation also funds small and mid-sized organizations.

Most grants typically range from $100,000 and $600,000. Nduna does not accept unsolicited grant applications.

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CONTACT:
One Dag Hammarskjold Plz., 42 Fl.
New York, NY United States 10017-2201