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Friends of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (USA)

"The bringing together of these two names represents a symbolic moment in the closing of the historic circle ... We know with confidence that the work of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation will substantively contribute to a better life for the people of South Africa and further abroad on the African continent."

-Nelson Mandela, 2003

Pictured above: The 2011 class of Mandela Rhodes Scholars. Meet the 2012 class of Mandela Rhodes Scholars.

The Friends of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (USA), Inc. was incorporated in October 2005, with a mission to fund the development of exceptional leadership capacity in southern Africa. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the Friends of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation has since raised nearly $6.5 million. The Friends of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation has now endowed five Mandela Rhodes Scholarships in perpetuity through over $3 million in grants to the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

Please find our 2011 annual appeal letter here. To donate, click here.

"We felt the slight, weird tickle of history: we were the first Mandela Rhodes Scholars, the first people to hold the legacy of the “union” between Old Cecil and our Madiba. . . . We needed to show that we could be good human currency, that we had the potential to keep the vault well-packed. It got emotional..."
from Closing the Circle: Mandela Rhodes Scholars in the New South Africa

The Friends of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (USA) was created as an expression of a few powerful and interrelated themes within the community of Rhodes Scholars in the United States.

First, Rhodes Scholars universally recognize the extraordinarily powerful impact a special educational opportunity can have on an individual life. Second, many Rhodes Scholars are deeply committed to what Cecil Rhodes romantically termed "the world's fight" and share a strong sense of global responsibility. Third, recognizing the origins of the wealth of the Rhodes Trust, many scholars have expressed a commitment to contribute to the ongoing transformation of southern Africa.

As a manifestation of this commitment, Rhodes Scholars have created the Friends of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation as a means for the American community to participate in the transformation of southern Africa by supporting educational scholarships and leadership programs.

To donate, click here.

Mr. Mandela and the 2008 Mandela Rhodes scholars

The activities of the Friends of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation focus on raising funds in the United States and evaluating and supporting grant proposals from organizations in southern Africa, including but not limited to The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, that work toward a common goal of developing exceptional leadership capacity in Africa.

Developing leadership in southern Africa