Following the conclusion in 2003 of a 14-year civil conflict, the African nation of Liberia began to attract increasing levels of transatlantic official donor and philanthropic support. In an attempt to harness the burgeoning foundation activity in the country, the government of Liberia under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in collaboration with several philanthropic partners, established the world’s first Philanthropy Secretariat, a presidential unit dedicated to building the quality and quantity of philanthropy in Liberia. This secretariat could be a useful model for other countries as a means for foundations to maximize the effectiveness of their funding, for transatlantic official donors to increase their level of collaboration and partnership with these foundations, and for developing country governments to improve the quality of external donor support.