Janet Mawiyoo

Janet joined the GFCF board in 2026, coming from a rich background in the development sector, having worked with both local and international organizations. She brings over 30 years experience of being a leader in the global majority. Before her current role as Team Leader at Galvanizing Africa Consult, Janet was the Executive Director of the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF). She was in the position for 17 years, leading and growing the first community foundation in East and Central Africa. This involved spearheading the process of structuring alternative vehicles for the growth of assets, laying the foundations for alternative income streams for KCDF’s mission.

During her time at KCDF, Janet played a leading role in exploring what community philanthropy means in the African setting, and building the discourse around African philanthropy. This emphasizes that philanthropy is deeply rooted in many African traditions, and challenges traditional top-down development discourses. Janet’s work in this regard was recognized when she was nominated as an Invisible Giant by Africans Rising in 2021, and later in 2022 received the African Philanthropy Lifetime Award from the African Philanthropy Network.

Janet is passionate about authentic leadership. As a Certified Executive Leadership Coach and Certified Organizational Development consultant, she currently spends time supporting civil society leaders, especially in efforts aimed at growing strong African organizations. She recognizes that leadership is a critical game-changer that holds many organizations back. She is recognized as a thought leader in philanthropy circles and regularly contributes to international and African philanthropic forums and conferences. She also enjoys working with reflective funders interested in becoming more effective in the global majority, especially those committed to funding in ways which enable communities to take ownership of their own development processes.

Janet previously served on several boards. This included TrustAfrica, a Pan African foundation working to strengthen African agency in addressing the continent’s most pressing challenges, and Accountable Now, a global non-profit platform that works to make civil society organizations more accountable, transparent and effective. She currently serves on the board of the I & M Bank Foundation, and on the board of Adapo, which is the investment arm of KCDF. She is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Geneva-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.