1. What are some ways to give in support of Kakenya’s Dream?

The most effective way to support Kakenya’s Dream and the girls and communities we serve is through a financial donation. Our donors are truly the bedrock of all that we do, helping us move mountains for our girls. 

There are a number of ways to give. You can donate online, donate by phone at +1 (571) 527-4960, or donate via check mailed to our office at 4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22203. For checks, please make them out to “Kakenya’s Dream.” We also accept legacy and stock donations. However you chose to give, know that your gift to Kakenya’s Dream enables the most vulnerable and underprivileged girls in Kenya to receive life-altering education in a safe, supportive learning environment.

2. Is my donation tax deductible?

Yes, for U.S. citizens, your gift is 100% tax-deductible! When you donate online, a receipt for your tax deductible donation is sent to you via email. If donating over the phone or via check, a receipt will be mailed to you within 7-10 business days.

3. Can I make my donation recurring? Can recurring donations be changed/adjusted?

Yes! You can increase your impact and support for girls’ education year-round by making your gift to Kakenya’s Dream a recurring monthly donation. Simply select “Show my support by making this a recurring donation” on our online donation form.

You can adjust your recurring donation at any time, or any other information on file with us such as your email or home address by contacting us via email or phone at (571) 527-4960 from Monday to Friday between 9AM to 5PM EST.

4. Can I host a fundraiser? 

Yes! There are many different ways for individuals, groups, and businesses to host fundraisers for Kakenya’s Dream. Download our Peer Fundraising Toolkit for creative tips, tools, and strategies to transform your ideas into an impactful fundraising campaign today!

Visit our Opportunity page for a full list of other creative support options.

5. How else can I get involved? 

If you’re able to donate professional services like graphic design support, marketing and PR expertise, legal advice, financial services, etc., pro-bono support of this nature is greatly appreciated. When we’re able to save money on professional services like these, it means more of our budget can go directly toward supporting the girls in our programs. Contact us and let us know what professional services you are interested in donating.  

6. Can I sponsor a girl?

At Kakenya’s Dream, we do not offer sponsorship due to ethical concerns and administrative challenges. This article on sponsorship from our partner, She’s the First, provides a full and detailed explanation of our stance on the model.

While we don’t offer sponsorship, we do invite donors to join our giving circles, which offer exclusive benefits to engage deeply with our work. The members-only circles celebrate the impact of individuals who provide yearly support at amounts from $1,250 to over $25,000. To learn more, please visit our Giving Circles page.

7. Can I ship a donation of school/medical supplies to your schools/health clinic?

Unfortunately, we are based in a very remote part of the country where mail delivery isn’t reliable and shipping fees are exorbitant. It is not uncommon for packages to get lost on their way to our offices. 

Making a donation online or via check so that we can instead purchase these supplies in-country is the safest and most cost-effective option. As an added bonus, this also allows us to buy from small businesses and better support the local economy in an impoverished part of the world, which is critically important. 

8. Can I visit your schools and/or health clinic? 

Field visits can be a wonderful opportunity for our partners to learn about Kakenya’s Dream’s programs, experience life in the community, and build long-lasting relationships with the organization. As such, we do allow visitors on occasion. 

Our highest priority however, is the safety, wellbeing, and academic success of our students and the continuation of our daily work in support of our mission. As much as we would love to accommodate all of our incredible supporters, we must limit the number of visitors we allow on our campuses to protect the consistency of daily life for our students and ensure their academic schedules are not disrupted. To learn more about visitor eligibility, please contact us.

9. Can I volunteer at your schools, health clinic, etc.?

Our programs operate in very rural, resource-limited communities where jobs are scarce. As a result, poverty is pervasive. Part of our mission at Kakenya’s Dream is to uplift and transform rural communities, so we prioritize turning any help or services we need performed at our schools and health clinic into formal employment opportunities for locals. In turn, this helps reduce poverty, revitalize the local economy, and ensures our friends and neighbors are better able to support themselves and their families. Thus, we don’t typically offer volunteer opportunities.

In limited situations, where there is a need that the community can’t fill and your skill-set matches up with that need, we have considered taking on volunteers. In such situations, all volunteers must be able to stay and work with us for at least three months, preferably longer, and cover all expenses. If this is possible and you have expertise in education, health, or nonprofit management, feel free to share your resume/CV via email and tell us how your experience aligns with our work.

We also offer paid internships with our U.S. team to undergraduate and graduate students. When positions become available, they are listed on our Careers page. To be the first to learn when these opportunities arise, subscribe to our newsletter. 

10. What is your breakdown of funding allocations to programs, administrative costs, and fundraising?

We recognize that systemic change takes time and lasting investment. Therefore, our programs are long-term, sustainable interventions created by and for the communities in which we work, rather than one-off, short-term projects. To operate most effectively and efficiently, we invest in necessary capacity-strengthening initiatives, including human resources, organizational systems, and infrastructure. We also proudly offer competitive salaries and benefits packages to attract and retain a talented team, minimizing costly losses due to burnout and staff turnover, which is a major problem in the nonprofit sector. Ensuring our team is provided for through sustainable living wages ensures we can achieve our organizational mission.

In 2022, 76% of our funding went directly to our programs, 15% went toward general and administrative costs, and 9% went toward fundraising. For more information, please reference our most recent federal Form 990 filing. 

11. Can I make an anonymous donation? 

Donors who give $1,250 or more in a calendar year are publicly listed in our digital annual reports, while donors who give $5,000 or more are publicly listed on our website. Requests for donor anonymity will be honored, and donors who wish to remain anonymous may do so with every confidence, except in accordance with the law and reporting to the IRS. If you would like to remain anonymous, please contact us or call our office at (571) 527-4960 from Monday to Friday between 9AM to 5PM EST.