Strategic Alliances

As a private foundation working to address the needs of children orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Firelight Foundation has been able to greatly increase our impact and effectiveness by collaborating and networking with foundations, associations, non-governmental organizations, and governmental representatives. Our participation in conferences, meetings, online forums, and networks helps us connect with the broader community of groups working to address HIV/AIDS. These activities enable Firelight to adapt our grantmaking strategies to the changing landscape of HIV/AIDS and to identify where our resources can have the greatest impact. Firelight also forms strategic alliances with peer organizations that share an approach similar to ours. These alliances extend the impact of our individual efforts by facilitating information exchange, joint advocacy on key issues, and the leveraging of funds.

Meetings and Alliances
Along with the Bernard van Leer Foundation in the Netherlands and the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI) in Zimbabwe, Firelight co-funded a satellite session on “Enhancing Psychosocial Support for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS” in July 2004 at the XVth International Conference on HIV/AIDS in Bangkok. The session was designed to provide non-governmental, faith-based, and community-based organizations with a better understanding of the psychosocial support needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Also at the conference, Firelight Advisory Board member Geoff Foster represented Firelight at a gathering hosted by the Bernard van Leer Foundation that focused on HIV, young children, and psychosocial support. Participants included individuals from REPSSI, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Save the Children-UK, and UNESCO, among others.

In 2004, the Firelight Foundation coordinated a series of bimonthly phone meetings with a group of foundations involved in grantmaking focused on children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participating foundations included the American Jewish World Service, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the Pan African Children’s Fund, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The goal of these ongoing meetings is to share information to improve our effectiveness as donors. At each meeting, staff members provide an update on recent grants and site visits, regional developments, technical assistance plans and activities, and relevant conferences and meetings. Country-specific issues, such as street children in Zambia, are discussed, challenges are identified, and strategies are explored. This lively forum for sharing and supporting one another’s work has led to an increase in the number of groups jointly funded by the participants.

Thanks to Firelight’s recommendations, many of the groups we support are now being funded by other donors that want to support children’s issues in a particular country or thematic area. Over the past year, referrals by Firelight have resulted in over $150,000 in direct grants from other donors to our grantees.

Collaborative Partnerships
Since 2003, the Firelight Foundation has worked to develop a collaborative partnership with the leadership and program staff of the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) and the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvL). The goal of this strategic partnership is to enhance our work through advocacy, technical assistance, and shared learning.

In 2004, AJWS held a series of exchanges and workshops with their grantees to enhance their grantee’s capacity. AJWS updated the Firelight Foundation and BvL regularly and shared their results. With input from Firelight and AJWS, BvL developed a video that was filmed by children to highlight the importance of listening to children’s voices. The video was shown at the International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa (ICASA) held in Kenya in September 2003. Firelight has developed a publication entitled, The Promise of a Future: Strengthening Family and Community Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa (see page 22), in collaboration with AJWS, BvL, and the Pan African Children’s Fund, to advocate for community-based approaches to addressing children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Firelight expects to publish this report in 2005.

Conferences and Presentations
Firelight staff members regularly participate in and make presentations at conferences sponsored by organizations such as The Global Philanthropy Forum, the Council on Foundations, and Grantmakers Without Borders. For example, in March 2004, Firelight’s Executive Director, Jennifer Astone, and the Global Fund for Women’s Program Officer for Africa, Muadi Mukenge, gave a joint presentation on the Girl Child Network at the Foundation Incubator in Palo Alto, California. In April 2004, Senior Program Officer Jennifer Anderson-Bähr gave a presentation on Firelight’s due diligence procedures at the Council on Foundation’s Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada.

Memberships
Firelight is a member of and participates in meetings held by the Africa Grantmakers Affinity Group, the Council on Foundations, Funders Concerned About AIDS, Grantmakers Without Borders, and Northern California Grantmakers. Jennifer Astone serves on the Executive Committee of the Africa Grantmakers Affinity Group and as an ex-officio member of the International Committee of Funders Concerned About AIDS.