Introducing MISA philanthropy

What we believe

MISA Philanthropy is shaped by a handful of convictions.

We value boldness. As an independent funder, we have the freedom to support ideas, leaders and approaches that others may overlook, and to take the long view when pursuing meaningful change.

We believe in collaboration. Lasting progress rarely comes from one organisation acting alone. It comes from strong relationships, shared learning and collective effort.

We value transparency. We will be open about how we work, what we are learning and, importantly, where we get things wrong.

And above all, we believe in local leadership. Resources matter, but they do not confer wisdom. The deepest knowledge sits with the people closest to the challenge, and our role is to back their leadership, not replace it.

How we give

The way funding is provided matters as much as the funding itself.

We prioritise long-term, flexible support that allows organisations to direct resources where they are needed most. We back leaders and organisations early, often before they are considered “investment ready” by larger funders. We support experimentation, convening and advocacy — the work that can unlock wider change but is often hardest to fund.

We also recognise that strong organisations need strong foundations. Leadership, systems, learning and operations may not be glamorous, but they are essential to lasting impact.

Where it shows up

These beliefs come to life through two foundations.

Through the mc2h foundation, we support community-based organisations across West Africa working to improve children’s education. Since 2016, mc2h has backed fifteen organisations across three countries, reaching close to one million children. The work is grounded in a simple idea: lasting educational progress happens when communities shape their own future and have the resources to do so.

Through Awe for Nature Foundation, the same principles are applied to conservation. Awe is helping to demonstrate that nature can increasingly fund its own protection, creating sustainable models for conservation that are rooted in local stewardship and long-term economic value. Its work is centred in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley and delivered in partnership with the communities who have lived alongside these landscapes for generations.

A child learning to read, and a wilderness held in trust for the next generation. Two very different kinds of work, united by the same conviction: that lasting change comes from backing people closest to the challenge, investing for the long term, and having the courage to support ideas that others may overlook.

Why this is not a side-project

Philanthropy is often treated as something separate from a company’s real work. For us, it is part of who we are. It reflects the values we want to live by, both as a family and as a business.

Our North Star is simple to say and hard to live: a world where local leadership, resources and agency grow, and reliance on external aid falls away. A world that needs us less over time.

We are still at the beginning of this, and still learning. We get things wrong, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise. But this is the work — giving built on trust instead of control, and meant as something more than a transaction. There is no work I would rather be doing.