The Africa Network is an officially approved 501c(3) non-profit organization, and is registered as a nonprofit educational institution in the State of New York. The national office of the organization is located at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. The Executive Director of the Network is Dr. Jim Pletcher, Department of Political Science at Denison University. The Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Africa Network is Dr. Cheryl Mwaria, Professor of Anthropology and Director of African Studies at Hofstra University. The first national conference of the Africa Network was held on October 22-24, 2004 on the campus of Hofstra University. The founding Chairman of the Board of Directors, and now Emeritus Chair, is Thomas L. Benson, the President Emeritus of Green Mountain College and the Executive Director of the World Education Corps.

The operating expenses of the Africa Network are supported primarily by income from grants and membership fees (although membership between October 2005-October 2009 is free). Additional revenue comes from individual donors and corporate giving programs. Membership in the organization is of two kinds: (1) Institutional, and (2) Individual. Voting and governance are based on institutional membership. All independent liberal arts colleges are eligible for membership in the Africa Network. Each year, institutional members designate an official representative to serve as the campus liaison and their voting representative at the Network’s annual business meeting. Individual members, ordinarily persons who are interested in the mission and projects of the Network, but not employees of member liberal arts institutions, may attend the meetings of the organization and participate in most of its programs.