Catalytic capital for African-led organizations moving beyond donor dependency.

Philanthropy ends. Impact shouldn’t.
Across the continent, African-led organizations are ready to lead beyond grants—but few are given the capital, time, or trust to do so.

TELEP Capital exists to change that.

We offer catalytic funding and flexible investment tools that accompany organizations through the final stage of their philanthropic journey, and into sustainable autonomy. Our approach centers dignity, equity, and systems transformation.

Why TELEP Catalytic Fund?

Our work through the TELEP Network revealed a critical gap:

African organizations are celebrated for their resilience, yet abandoned at the edge of sustainability.

When traditional donors exit, few leave behind what’s truly needed: time, flexible capital, and space to build revenue, restructure, or transform.

Impact investors wait for “investment readiness.”
Grants end on a timeline, not a reality check.
TELEP Capital bridges the gap—funding the transition itself.

We provide community-aligned, power-shifting capital that respects the pace of social change and prepares organizations to thrive post-grant.

What We Fund.

We support organizations and enterprises that are:

  • African-led and community-anchored

  • Preparing for or actively navigating donor exits

  • Building alternative revenue streams or shifting into blended models

  • Investing in cultural, feminist, healing, or climate infrastructure

  • Led by women, youth, LGBTQ+ and historically excluded communities

We fund not just projects, but capacity, continuity, and ownership—developed with, not for, communities and partners.

Our Instruments.

  • Recoverable Grants

    Non-dilutive funding repaid when revenue emerges. Ideal for bridge phases.

  • Revenue-based Financing

    Repayment flexes with income—no pressure, no equity loss.

  • Flexible Debts

    Patient loans with grace periods, tailored to local cash flow patterns.

  • Equity

    Strategic participation in mission-locked, African-owned ventures.

  • Bridge Capital

    Short-term funding to stabilize transitions or unlock follow-on funding.

Where We Work.

Initial focus countries:
Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Senegal
(with others Francophone Africa under exploration for 2026)

Our partners operate in contexts where philanthropy ends too early, and capital rarely reflects community priorities. TELEP Catalytic Fund steps in with:

  • Inclusive governance models

  • Local advisory voices in selection and design

  • Mission alignment across language, region, and pace

How It Works.

  • We prioritize organizations already engaged in the TELEP Network. Others may apply through aligned partners.

  • We co-create a capital plan that fits your actual context: amount, type, timing, and purpose — with learning loops and accountability by design.

  • Alongside funding, we offer strategic accompaniment, storytelling support, and optional business model adaptation coaching.

  • We plan for exit from the start — with community accountability, scenario forecasting, and pathways to other investors or revenue models.

All throughout, we embed monitoring as learning, co-reporting tools, and mutual reflection, not extractive metrics.

Why It’s Different.

Traditional capital asks: “How will you scale?”
We ask: “What does your community need to thrive, on your terms?”

TELEP Capital is different because we:

  • Accept 3–6 year time horizons based on local realities

  • Fund nonlinear paths—including healing, rest, and cultural power

  • Prioritize community-defined outcomes over investor-defined KPIs

  • Invest in relational continuity beyond the funding cycle

  • Center African authorship, not performance for external metrics

  • Expect shared transparency and mutual accountability, not one-way oversight

Join Us.

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Join Us. *

We are inviting:

  • Anchor donors and catalytic investors to co-design the pilot

  • African-led organizations ready to explore sustainable transitions

  • Family offices, foundations, and DFIs interested in gender-lens and proximity-based investing

  • Legal, strategic, and financial allies committed to equity in African capital systems

Because the end of a grant should not be the end of the story.
TELEP Catalytic Fund is how we fund that next chapter—with courage, clarity, and African leadership at the center.