Advocacy

Firelight made major strides in its advocacy work this year. Building on our efforts and relationships of the previous years, Firelight continued to press for an increase in the focus on the needs and rights of orphans and vulnerable children. Key to the success of these efforts was the power of working in partnership with other stakeholders in order to effectively deliver key messages.

SHARING THE MESSAGE OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CARE
From Faith to Action
The highlight of Firelight’s advocacy work in 2006 was the successful publication and launch of From Faith to Action: Strengthening Family and Community Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Enthusiastically received by a wide-ranging audience, From Faith to Action informs and raises awareness about the community-based approach to the care of orphans and vulnerable children. It draws attention to the limitations of orphanages as a solution to the orphan crisis and encourages a shift to family-based models of care. The document was specifically tailored to churches and other faith-based organizations that are interested in addressing the needs of orphans but may not be aware that there are alternatives to orphanages that better meet children’s needs. From Faith to Action provides readers with concrete descriptions of the many ways that African community and faith-based organizations are helping children remain in family care.

Launch and Distribution
See page 33 for more information on our official launch of From Faith to Action at the 2006 XVI International AIDS Conference.

Firelight’s primary distribution strategy for From Faith to Action was through the 23 organizations that endorsed the document. In collaboration with these endorsers, Firelight distributed copies to faith-based networks, denominational umbrella bodies, church intermediaries such as international relief and development organizations, and evangelical ministries. Endorsing organizations also conducted e-mail blasts to further distribute an electronic version of the document. Other methods of publicity and distribution include postings on listservs, publication on Firelight’s and endorsers’ websites, and feature articles in relevant media. Staff also distributed From Faith to Action through faith-based conferences such as the Church World Service Annual Conference, the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, and the United Methodist General Board for Church and Society Annual Conference.

In the first month following publication, Firelight and From Faith to Action endorsers distributed 66 percent (22,000 copies) of the full-length version and 80 percent (40,000 copies) of a summary version of the document.

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND COLLABORATIONS
Better Care Network
Firelight Founder and CEO Kerry Olson serves on the Better Care Network’s (BCN) Faith-Based Organization Outreach Committee. Formed in February 2006 at the BCN Advocacy Meeting in Washington, D.C., the committee also includes representatives from Family Health International, Save Africa’s Children, and World Vision. The purpose of the group is to engage in respectful dialogue with faith-based organizations that are addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children and to provide information and resources about the importance of family and community care.

In May 2006 members of the committee met in Seattle with national leaders in the faith-based community to share and discuss approaches to caring for orphans and vulnerable children. In September 2006 the committee held an all-day meeting in Washington, D.C., to refine its Action Plan, which included the goal of inventorying current faith-based organizations’ responses to the needs of vulnerable children in Africa and compiling a packet of resources for faith-based organizations seeking to address the issue. Together with World Vision, Firelight provided funds for a consultant, Firelight staff member Caitlin Brune, to work on the inventory and other committee-related projects. Working with Firelight Advocacy Coordinator Zanele Sibanda Knight, the committee has been instrumental in helping with the distribution of From Faith to Action to key audiences at conferences and other events.

Coalition on Children Affected by AIDS
Firelight played a leading role in funding and organizing the Coalition on Children Affected by AIDS (CCABA) in an effort to increase the visibility of children’s issues at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. With Firelight’s support CCABA organized a number of activities, including assisting child advocates with abstract submissions, creating a toolkit, and organizing a two-day pre-conference symposium, Envisioning the Future.

For more information on Firelight’s involvement with CCABA activities, specifically Envisioning the Future, please see page 34.

Principles of Accountability for International Philanthropy
Firelight’s Executive Director Jennifer Astone participated in the Joint Working Group meetings on Accountability in International Philanthropy, sponsored by the Council on Foundations and the European Foundation Centre, which took place from May 2005 through September 2006. The group met in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2006 for a southern consultation. Jennifer continues to remain involved in this key strategic collaboration.

Thirty three non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives joined 10 donor representatives at the February 2006 meeting in Cape Town. Firelight’s Advisory Board Member Linda Richter and a grantee-partner representative from Rwanda Women Community Development Network were among the attendees. Jennifer gave a presentation on the particular ethical issues faced by a small, private foundation doing international philanthropy. The group had a frank and open discussion around shared concerns and issues. The seven principles put forward by the group were: Integrity, Understanding, Respect, Responsiveness, Fairness, Cooperation and Collaboration, and Effectiveness. To download the document, please visit www.cof.org or www.efc.be. The document is also available in a printed format.

Strategic Alliances Conference Calls
Firelight continued to participate in regular phone meetings with other foundations and organizations focused on children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. The calls, which were organized in 2006 by the American Jewish World Service, also included the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the Pan African Children’s Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the New Field Foundation, the Stephen Lewis Foundation, the Global Fund for Children, and the Association François-Xavier Bagnoud. The participants expanded in 2006 to include a Firelight grantee-partner, Power of Love. The agenda of the calls ranges from updates on grantmaking and site visiting to regional developments and programmatic challenges. This forum continues to help Firelight stay abreast of country-level developments and to leverage funds for grantee-partners.

CONFERENCES AND PRESENTATIONS
In January 2006 Jennifer Anderson-Bähr and Jennifer Lentfer represented Firelight at the Africa Grantmakers’ Affinity Group’s annual meeting in New York. Jennifer Anderson-Bähr participated in a panel discussion on grantee-partner networking and Jennifer Lentfer led a session on monitoring and evaluation.

Also in January 2006, Jennifer Astone was interviewed for a segment on the Sunday morning news program Beyond the Headlines called Saving the Children of Africa. Jessica Aguirre interviewed Jennifer for the program, which aired January 15 on ABC7, a San Francisco affiliate of ABC television.

Board member Jim Hayes and staff member Zanele Sibanda Knight represented Firelight at the Council on Foundation Family Foundations Conference in Hawaii in February 2006. Zanele gave a presentation on the Small Grants, Big Impact panel, describing the evolution of Firelight’s risk grants strategy and providing insight on Firelight’s due diligence process, key challenges, and lessons learned.

Jennifer Astone and Joop Rubens attended the Council on Foundations Annual Conference in Pittsburg in May 2006. Jennifer presented on a panel introducing the Council on Foundations and the European Foundation Centre Joint Working Group’s draft document, Principles of Accountability for International Philanthropy.

Jennifer Anderson-Bähr, Jennifer Astone, and Britt Ehrhardt participated in the Grantmakers Without Borders Conference in June 2006. Jennifer Anderson-Bähr, who served on the organizing committee, presented Firelight’s site visit protocol along with the former project director of Firelight grantee-partner CINDI-Kitwe, Terry Mukuka. Jennifer Astone presented on the Council on Foundations and the European Foundation Centre Joint Working Group’s draft principles for international philanthropy.

In August, several Firelight team members and grantee-partners participated in presentations at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. For more information on these activities, please see page 36.