PopWorks Africa is the independent practice of Stephanie Kimou, a feminist strategist who works with leaders, institutions, and donors to clarify vision, strengthen strategy, and navigate philanthropy with agency and confidence.

PopWorks Africa supports people and organizations working at the intersection of power, resources, and social change. The work helps clients align values with action, transform how decisions are made, and ensure that strategy is guided by lived experience rather than external agendas or institutional inertia.

Rooted in womanist thought, shaped by Alice Walker’s framing, PopWorks Africa operates from a simple principle: when systems are designed around the needs, realities, and leadership of those most impacted, they become more just, effective, and sustainable for everyone.

Since 2016, Stephanie has collaborated with leading philanthropic institutions, advocacy organizations, universities, and donor communities across Africa, Europe, and North America.

Work has included:

  • Leading learning journeys on decolonization, racial and gender justice, and values-aligned philanthropy within major foundations

  • Advising boards and senior leadership through periods of institutional transition, political pressure, and funding realignment

  • Supporting advocacy, youth engagement, and movement-building strategies across health, gender justice, and leadership ecosystems

  • Helping institutions diversify portfolios and redesign grantmaking practices to better reflect feminist and equity-centered values

As a board member of the Global Fund for Women and FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, Stephanie has helped steward over $100 million in feminist funding, including transformative gifts from MacKenzie Scott, while navigating the loss of government funding without compromising movement integrity. Her leadership has contributed to redefining feminist funding not only by how money moves, but by how relationships, trust, and power are handled in the process.

Philanthropic Strategy & Advisory:

Stephanie advises foundations, donor-advised funds, and individual donors seeking to align their giving with clear philanthropic pillars and equity-centered values.

This includes:

  • Designing philanthropic frameworks and pillars that guide giving decisions

  • Translating values into practical funding recommendations

  • Advising donor-advised funds on portfolio strategy and grantmaking alignment

  • Identifying aligned organizations, movements, and long-term investments

  • Navigating risk, power, and accountability in philanthropic decision-making

The work demystifies philanthropy while maintaining rigor, helping donors move from intention to responsible, strategic action.

Strategic Thought Partnership:

Stephanie works one-on-one with leaders and senior teams to clarify vision, strengthen coherence, and navigate shifting political, organizational, and funding landscapes.

This work is confidential, rigorous, and grounded in real-world constraints.

Support may include:

  • Vision articulation and narrative development

  • Political, institutional, and funding landscape mapping

  • Organizational coherence and role alignment

  • Leadership transition or governance support

  • Sustainability and endowment pathway scoping

Donor Engagement & Immersive Learning:

Stephanie also advises on donor engagement strategies that move beyond site visits and optics.

This includes:

  • Designing and facilitating donor learning journeys and trips

  • Supporting ethical, relationship-centered engagement with communities

  • Preparing donors to enter spaces with humility, accountability, and context

  • Translating immersive experiences into long-term funding commitments

This work often includes collaboration with trusted partners, such as curated donor travel experiences, to ensure alignment between learning, relationships, and impact.

Programmatic Accompaniment:

Stephanie provides hands-on design and reflection support for programs across philanthropy, health, gender justice, and leadership.

She helps organizations:

  • Design adaptive, participatory programs grounded in feminist and adult learning principles

  • Integrate reflection and learning without extractive evaluation practices

  • Develop toolkits, curricula, and documentation for replication

  • Build internal learning cultures that support long-term change

Principal Consultant

Stephanie Kimou is a philanthropic facilitator, equity strategist, writer, and lecturer working to make the NGO and philanthropic sectors more equitable and accessible for Black women, femmes, and gender-expansive folks. She has a decade-long career in African development and now supports philanthropic institutions in defining decolonization and implementing next-generation equity initiatives.