International giving · Africa
Which US foundations give to Rwanda?
US foundations sent $472M to organizations in Rwanda across 575 grants, from 101 different funders. Read from IRS 990 filings.
The short version
- 101 US foundations have made grants to Rwanda, totaling $472M across 575 grants on record.
- THE SUSAN THOMPSON BUFFETT FOUNDATION (NE) is the largest US funder of Rwanda organizations, with $369M.
- That is about $33.09 per resident across all years on file, for a country the World Bank classes as low income.
- AFRICAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE is the most Rwanda-focused funder, directing 100% of its overseas giving here.
- US giving to Rwanda has fallen over the filing years on record.
The biggest funders, year by year
Each top funder of Rwanda with its total, and how that giving falls across the filing years — darker means more.
| '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE SUSAN THOMPSON BUFFETT FOUNDATION$369M | |||||||||
| GATES FOUNDATION$34M | |||||||||
| THE NATURE CONSERVATION TRUST$27M | |||||||||
| The David and Lucile Packard Foundation$5M | |||||||||
| SEGAL FAMILY FOUNDATION INC$4M | |||||||||
| SUSTAINABLE GROWERS$3M | |||||||||
| AFRICAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE$3M | |||||||||
| RIPPLEWORKS INC$3M | |||||||||
| THE BLOOMBERG FAMILY FOUNDATION INC$3M | |||||||||
| MULAGO FOUNDATION$2M | |||||||||
| CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK$2M | |||||||||
| Conflict and Development Research Fund$1M |
* 2025 onward is still arriving — 990s lag 12–24 months, so the most recent years under-report.
Top US funders of Rwanda
Rwanda's dedicated funders
Foundations that send most of their overseas money to Rwanda — the specialists, not just the biggest checks.
What the money funds
By the kind of organization receiving the money — universities, hospitals, research institutes, and so on.
30 recipients
7 recipients
2 recipients
8 recipients
7 recipients
7 recipients
16 recipients
12 recipients
Largest recipients in Rwanda
Spelling, accent, abbreviation, and language variants of the same organization are merged into one recipient. Organizations abroad have no US EIN, so this resolution is best-effort.
6 US funders · 22 grants
2 US funders · 16 grants
1 US funder · 2 grants
2 US funders · 3 grants
1 US funder · 1 grant
1 US funder · 3 grants
A further $1M across 4 grants went to recipients the filings name only in the aggregate (“various”, “multiple organizations”, and the like), so they can’t be attributed to a single organization.
Who funds whom
The largest funder-to-recipient ties — which US foundation backs which organization in Rwanda.
Where the funders are
The US states home to the foundations giving to Rwanda, shaded by dollars granted. Click a state.
Notable grants
The largest individual grants to Rwanda on record.
Questions and answers
- Which US foundation gives the most to Rwanda?
- THE SUSAN THOMPSON BUFFETT FOUNDATION is the largest US funder of Rwanda organizations on record, with $369M across 30 grants.
- How much do US foundations give to Rwanda?
- 101 US foundations have granted a combined $472M to organizations in Rwanda across 575 grants in the IRS filings on record, about $33.09 per resident.
- What do US foundations fund in Rwanda?
- The largest areas are health & medicine, environment & climate, human rights & democracy, by the kind of organization receiving the money.