Funding Guidelines & Review Process

Funding Criteria
The mission of Firelight Foundation is to support and advocate for the needs and rights of children who are orphaned or affected by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Firelight strives to increase the resources available to grassroots organizations that are strengthening the capacity of families and communities to care for children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Every child, regardless of race, creed, or country, deserves the promise of a future. We give one-year grants of $1,000 to 10,000 to community-based initiatives that work directly and effectively to support the fundamental needs and rights of children (birth to 21 years) orphaned or otherwise affected by HIV/AIDS. We believe that grassroots programs arising in direct response to needs within the local community are often the most effective. Firelight supports this vital work with initial one-year grants and regrants based on funding needs and opportunities for shared learning.

Eligible Countries
Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
The primary geographic focus of our grantmaking is Sub-Saharan Africa. In order for us to focus our efforts in an effective and sustained manner, we will only accept letters of inquiry from seven countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We will refuse inquiries from other countries unless an organization already received a Firelight grant or we have asked for a proposal.

Firelight receives around 300 requests for funding from our seven focus countries each year and awards around 40 new grants annually. We are not able to offer funding to all groups meeting the criteria below.

In selecting the programs to support, Firelight Foundation looks for:

• Programs that directly serve the needs of vulnerable children
• Grassroots responses to needs that raise resources within the community
• Programs that demonstrate strong leadership and community ownership
• Organizations with a history of effective community action
• Programs where children take part in decision making, advocacy, and leadership
• Innovative responses to the situations of children affected by HIV/AIDS

Areas of interest include the following programs supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS:

• Programs to enhance or create a supportive environment for children’s growth and development
• Primary and secondary education with a holistic approach to children’s needs