Small reflections on 2022

Small Foundation in Portmarnock, co. Dublin, November 2022

Against a backdrop of sweeping global events, 2022 has been a year of continuing evolution for Small Foundation. We built exciting new partnerships while cultivating and deepening existing collaborations. Our work in ecosystem-building advanced through new research and broadening our support to impact networks.

We continued to examine our role in multiple systems through self-reflection, seeking feedback, and increasing our transparency. We have done more to share our partners’ stories and learnings. And we met many of our partners in person for the first time since pre-pandemic days; grateful to connect and foster these essential relationships.

Before we turn to the prospects and opportunities of 2023, we want to take a moment to recount some highlights from the past year.

10 highlights from 2022

1. Released our first ever Impact & Insights Report, showcasing the diversity and connectivity of our work.
2. Supported Women in African Investments’ first annual impact report, a value articulation leading to membership growth.
3. Continued to work closely with Founders Factory Africain growing and supporting innovative agtech ventures like Isidore, Synnefa, Rural Farmers Hub, Offgrid Finance and Winich Farms.
4. Supported new reports from Creative Metier on African impact networks and from Palladium on how geomapping technology could improve access to finance for smallholder farmers.
5. Teamed up with Village Capital on new action research to learn how to better support rural-impacting entrepreneur support organisations in sub-Saharan Africa.
6. Refreshed our strategy to better reflect our systems change ambitions, and shared our best current thinking around how to track those changes to the system.
7. Supported ecosystem research by Agriterra on agri-BDS provision in sub-Saharan Africa; and research to inform the potential for SME Impact Fund’s expansion into Kenya and Uganda.
8. Established new multi-year partnerships with two impact networks working in different ways to connect and support African decision-makers across the continent: School of International Futures and AFRACA.
9. Converge supported by Small Foundation; we also expanded our learning and support partnership with Converge.
10. Published our three-part research series on design considerations for investment vehicles, in partnership with Palladium Impact Capital, Open Capital Advisors, and ISF Advisors.

Thank you to our partners and all who have engaged with Small Foundation to date. We look forward to seeing you in the new year.