Grantmaking

In our first seven years of grantmaking (2000-2006), Firelight, including our Donor Advised Fund at Tides, made 523 grants and regrants to organizations serving children in 12 African countries. These grants totaled nearly $6.5 million. In Fiscal Year 2006, Firelight awarded 38 new grants and 102 regrants in 11 countries totaling more than $2 million.

Where We Fund and Why
Firelight’s decision to focus our grantmaking on eastern and southern Sub-Saharan Africa was based on an assessment of both need and opportunity for the most substantial impact. Of all the regions in the world, Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the worst affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Home to only 12 percent of the world’s population, it contains more than 60 percent of all people living with HIV, and more than 80 percent of the children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS worldwide. Grassroots organizations operating throughout Africa provide the frontline response to this crisis, yet very little money makes it to the ground. Firelight Foundation has responded to this situation by providing funds directly to community-based organizations that are serving children orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS.

In our first year, Firelight accepted unsolicited proposals from locally run organizations in any country in Sub-Saharan Africa. By 2002 we were inundated with requests and decided to concentrate on countries based on several criteria, including highest level of need and the most limited access to funds. In 2006 Firelight awarded grants in response to unsolicited proposals from seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In addition Firelight made grant awards in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda to organizations that had previously received funding or had been invited to submit applications.

Firelight staff seeks to address funding gaps and works closely with our Advisory Board to ensure that we direct our grants where they will have the greatest impact. Each year our staff prepares a country analysis that provides an overview of relevant statistics, detailing available services for children and access to funding. This analysis informs our strategy within each country. We engage in responsible risk taking and work actively to support small, worthy organizations that may not have previously received outside donor funds. In addition Firelight funds more established organizations that also meet critical community needs.

Who We Fund and Why
From the beginning Firelight’s approach to grantmaking has been child-centered, family-focused, and community-based. We believe that children grow best in families and that the most effective strategy for addressing the needs of children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and poverty is to strengthen the capacity of families and communities to provide for their care. For this reason Firelight funds grassroots organizations that support households and communities to meet the material, educational, and psychosocial needs of children. We look for programs that have local leadership, engage the community in creating solutions to problems, and strengthen the community’s capacity to address its own needs.

While Firelight does not view orphanages to be developmentally appropriate or cost effective, we recognize that residential care facilities can sometimes offer a temporary and last-resort response to children who have fallen through the safety net of family care. We fund residential programs for street children, children with HIV/AIDS who need special care, and abused children requiring short-term shelter. Firelight has also provided funds to organizations transitioning from an institutional care model to family and community-based alternatives.

How Much We Give
Firelight provides initial one-year grants of $1,000 - $10,000 to community-based organizations serving children. We strive to make grants that support local initiatives, and are sensitive to the capacity of smaller organizations to absorb and utilize funds. Once a relationship with a grantee-partner has been established, Firelight makes one-year and multi-year regrants of up to $15,000 per year based on program effectiveness and funding needs. Investing funds over time enables organizations to develop their programs and increase their organizational capacity. In special circumstances the Advisory Board or Board of Directors will recommend grants exceeding the $15,000 limit.