Mishael was in Class 3, about 8 years old, when Develop Africa first stepped in.

He grew up in Sierra Leone, where more than 1 in 3 children between 12 and 14 are out of school entirely. The odds were stacked against him before he was old enough to understand what odds were.

Today, Mishael is in his 3rd year of college.

That leap from a third-grade classroom with uncertain footing to a college student with a future taking shape didn't happen by accident. It happened because someone decided their money should do more than sit.

You Already Did the Hard Part

You set up a DAF, you funded it, and you took the tax deduction.

But here's something most DAF holders don't think about: the money in your fund is already designated for charity. It's not yours to spend on anything else. Every day it sits there; it's a gift waiting to happen.

The question isn't whether to give, as you have already answered that. The question is "Who gets it?" and "When?"

Develop Africa is asking you to choose a child in Sierra Leone. Today.

What Your DAF Grant Actually Does

This isn't a vague promise of impact. Here's what moves:

• $50 puts a child in school for a month — tuition, supplies, the works
• $500 covers a full academic year for one student
• $2,500 funds a scholarship through secondary school — the years most kids in Sierra Leone never reach
• $5,000 changes the trajectory of an entire family across a generation

In 2024 alone, Develop Africa served 101,308 beneficiaries, children, youth, and adults across 10 countries and distributed 252 boxes of school supplies valued at nearly $101,000. Over $403,000 in donations (cash and in-  kind) moved through our programs that year.

Since 2006, we've reached over 25,000 people with scholarships, computer training, vocational skills, school supplies, and disaster relief.

Your DAF grant doesn't disappear into overhead. It goes to a kid who, like Mishael, just needs someone to decide they're worth betting on.

How to Send a Grant in Under 5 Minutes 

Log into your DAF account — Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, or wherever your fund is held — and submit a grant recommendation using:

Legal Name: Develop Africa, Inc. 

EIN: 20-3836551 

Address: 1906 Knob Creek Road, Suite 3, Johnson City, TN 37604

That's it. No check to write or form to mail. One recommendation, and your fund does the rest.

One More Thing Worth Knowing

DAF grants don't expire. Your fund can hold those dollars indefinitely, and many donors wait, not sure where to send them.

We'd gently suggest, don't wait on Mishael's behalf.

The children in our programs are in school now. Their tuition deadlines, exam fees, and supply needs don't pause. A grant today means a seat in a classroom next semester, not a maybe.

Already a Develop Africa Donor?

If you've given to us before, even a small gift, you're exactly the person we're talking to.

Donors who switch their existing giving to a DAF give, on average, twice to ten times more after making that switch, as documented across 50,000 donors in the Chariot & K2D Strategies DAF Fundraising Report. Not because they intended to give more, but because DAFs make generosity easier, and easier giving becomes more giving.

If you have a DAF and have given to us before, you don't need to find new generosity. You just need to redirect what's already there.

Questions Before You Give?

We'd love to talk with you, not to ask for more, but to make sure your gift lands exactly where you want it.

Reach out to Sylvester Renner, President & Founder, at 📧: info@developafrica.org  📞: (423)-282-0006

Or visit developafrica.org to learn more about our programs and the students your gift supports.

Franklyn, a long-term beneficiary of Develop Africa, on his graduation day.

Develop Africa, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 20-3836551), officially recognized since January 30, 2006. We hold a five-star rating on GlobalGiving and Platinum Transparency status on Candid.

Sources & References

1. Chariot & K2D Strategies DAF Fundraising Report 2026 — 50,000 donors tracked (2021–2025); average giving increase of 10x after switching to DAF giving. https://www.givechariot.com/resources/toolkits/daf-fundraising-report
2. Chariot & K2D Strategies DAF Fundraising Report 2024 (inaugural report) — 78 million transactions across 20 nonprofits (2019–2023); donors who switched to DAF giving increased annual giving by 96% (roughly 2x). https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240725859309/en/Donor-Advised-Funds-Increase-Annual-Giving-by-96-Reveals-New-ChariotK2D-Strategies-Five-Year-Study-With-20-Leading-Nonprofits
3. National Philanthropic Trust 2025 DAF Report — Annual aggregate data on DAF landscape; $326 billion held in DAFs at 2024 year-end; $65 billion in grants distributed in 2024. https://www.nptrust.org/what-is-a-donor-advised-fund/
4. Fidelity Charitable 2026 Giving Report — DAF distributions grew 25% to $14.9 billion in 2024. https://www.funraise.org/blog/donor-advised-funds-dafs-guide