2013 ANNUAL REPORT
A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER These are exciting times at Firelight. Our newly launched strategic plan has reminded us how far we’ve come, and brought opportunities to strengthen our support of African communities creating lasting change for children and families. Our new tagline, “communities stop poverty,” reflects our core belief in the power of change from the ground up. This past year I made the decision to step down as the Board Chair, but my commitment hasn't changed. I envisioned this transition when Firelight became a public charity in 2010, and am thrilled that Catherine Milton has stepped into the role with such energy, insight, and dedication. She brings an extensive background in social entrepreneurship and nonprofit management to her role and we are privileged to welcome her leadership. I remain a strong believer in Firelight and the work we have before us and will continue to serve as Founder and an active member of the Board of Directors. Experiencing Firelight’s growth has been a life-changing journey. And as with all such journeys – it’s all about the people. From our board and advisory council members, to our staff and volunteers and donors, to our grantee partners who are leading the way to real change–my heart is full of gratitude for the many ways that each individual has played an irreplaceable role in the story of Firelight. At the heart of this story are the children and youth whose lives we so deeply value, and the families and communities that together complete the circle of support that we seek to strengthen. Thank you for sharing this journey with us, Kerry
FOURTEEN YEARS:
$18,723,467 FUNDED
353
PARTNERS
1,499 GRANTS
LAST YEAR:
$2,549,400 FUNDED
100
PARTNERS
128
GRANTS
A LETTER FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2013 was a great year for Firelight. Because of you, we awarded $2,549,400 to 100 organizations in nine African countries, helping communities care for vulnerable children and families. Since we started in 1999, we’ve partnered with over 350 African community-based organizations, providing $18,723,467 to support the health, resilience, and education of children. We’ve watched our partners grow and strengthen through our seven-year partnerships and look forward to the years ahead as we continue to support them. This year, our Board leadership has changed. We are tremendously grateful for our founder Kerry Olson’s vision and dedication. While Kerry has passed the Board chair’s gavel onto Catherine, we know she will remain an integral part of our work as an active member of the Board of Directors. It’s our honor to join Kerry in her long-term vision for Firelight. We are now focused on continuing to strengthen Firelight as it has transitioned from a private foundation to a public charity. In the coming year we will grow and strengthen the board, and work closely with our Africa-based advisory council, who greatly enrich our work. We continue to deepen our program expertise and our measurement of results, and to inform other funders about the value of getting resources directly to the grassroots. Our new online Funds allow us to reach a broader audience with the opportunity to invest in the great work of our African partners. It’s because of your continued support that we can carry on our work of identifying, investing in, and strengthening community organizations making lasting change for children and families. This change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedicated time, reflection, and skill, and all of us have an important role to play in the effort. Thank you for being a part of the Firelight community whether as a colleague, a donor, a volunteer, an advisor, or an advocate spreading the word. We couldn’t do it without you. Catherine & Peter
LAST YEAR:
100
128
AFRICAN PARTNERS
GRANTS
9
18 Partners Graduated
$2,549,400 FUNDED
CHILDREN SUPPORTED
$736,600
Zambia
$615,900
Malawi
$464,700
Rwanda
$288,650
Zimbabwe
$209,150
Lesotho
$155,000
AFRICAN COUNTRIES
20 New Partners
62,482
Tanzania
South Africa
$53,000
Ethiopia
$25,000
13,898 FAMILIES SUPPORTED
Kenya
$1,400
INVESTING IN YOUNG CHILDREN, INVESTING IN NEW PARTNERSHIPS
Firelight provides grants, capacity building, mentorship, and networks to grantee partners. Building effective organizations that make real change for children and families is a challenging, long-term effort. That’s why we look for organizations already doing good work with scarce resources, invest in them, and establish seven-year partnerships through which we can grow together. One of our promising new partnerships is the Tanzania Home Economics Association (TAHEA). TAHEA is based in the Mwanza District in northwest Tanzania, on the shores of Lake Victoria. The fishing communities on the lake shore face high illiteracy, concentrated poverty, and an increasing HIV rate. TAHEA knew that these fishing communities wanted a better life for their children, so they convened village meetings to identify existing challenges and what actions the community could take. Several villages chose to focus on early childhood education, to give their children a good start in life. They realized that they would have to take action on their own – throughout rural Africa, it’s very often communities rather than governments that step up to create pre-school centers for their children. TAHEA worked with these villages to create an action plan, facilitating the process, and providing key ideas and information. As Firelight staff saw when we made our initial visits, these plans are working. Community volunteers have been trained as para-professional teachers to work in the pre-school centers. The communities have also started working with the youngest children. Volunteers trained by TAHEA now facilitate mothers’ groups to support the health, nutrition, and interaction with their children from birth to three years of age. TAHEA helped the communities think about sustainably financing these efforts, and encouraged each village to start several savings and loan groups. Adults pool their earnings each week to loan to members for improvements to their businesses. Members also contribute weekly to an education fund used to pay the costs of running the centers. Long after external funding ends, these centers will thus be able to continue to provide an education to children.
Impressed by this solid work on the ground, Firelight offered TAHEA an initial grant of $90,000 over three years to expand its early childhood work to additional villages. And just as TAHEA is helping communities invest in their children’s future, Firelight is helping TAHEA grow and develop. In addition to providing funding for TAHEA’s own early childhood efforts, Firelight has selected TAHEA as a “lead partner” for Firelight’s early childhood work in Tanzania. As such, TAHEA provides mentoring and technical assistance to six smaller Tanzanian organizations working with young children. TAHEA has been Firelight’s key partner in piloting the ZamCAT child assessment tool in Tanzania, in order to rigorously measure the outcomes of early childhood work. Firelight has enabled TAHEA Program Coordinator Mary Kabati to present TAHEA’s work at a conference on young children affected by AIDS in Cape Town this year, and next year we intend to fund her to make a presentation at the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia. Next year, Firelight will continue to support TAHEA’s growth by providing the capacity building it needs to strengthen its organization and programs. We will also support TAHEA’s new community grant program aiming to involve youth in improving learning for young children. Firelight looks forward to the next six years of our relationship with TAHEA, which we expect will lead to many good outcomes for children, and to TAHEA’s growing from strength to strength.
15
VILLAGES HAVE STARTED SAVINGS AND LOAN GROUPS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.
450
MEN AND WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO GROUP SAVINGS EACH WEEK.
2
GROUP SAVINGS PAY FOR SALARIES OF PARA-PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS, CHILDREN’S MEALS, CENTER SUPPLIES, AND EMERGENCIES.
NEW CENTERS ARE IN PLANNING STAGES.
1000
THE COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTES 20% OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND FIRELIGHT CONTRIBUTES 80%. RESOURCES AND LABOR ARE PROVIDED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
CHILDREN ARE SERVED BY THE PROGRAMS
2013 FINANCIAL REPORT (JULY 1, 2012 - JUNE 30,2013)
ASSETS
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
FY12 $1,241,889 $3,245,221 -$118,787 $21,820
FY13 $1,020,249 $2,603,024 $5,636,089 $75,348 $19,145
$4,627,717
$9,353,855
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE & ACCRUED EXPENSES GRANTS PAYABLE
$223,271 $703,700
$236,910 $1,360,500
TOTAL LIABILITIES
$926,971
$1,597,410
$3,226 $3,697,520
$4,398,080 $3,358,365
TOTAL NET ASSETS
$3,700,746
$7,756,445
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
$4,627,717
$9,353,855
FY12 $580,107 -$2,555,513 $42,639
FY13 $538,437 $4,528,419 $3,817,715 $268,708
$3,178,259
$9,153,279
GRANTS AWARDED PROGRAM SERVICES GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDRAISING
$2,095,600 $1,464,997 $517,997 $281,694
$2,549,400 $1,584,737 $618,629 $344,814
TOTAL EXPENSES
$4,360,288
$5,097,580
$1,182,029
$4,055,699
CASH GRANTS RECEIVABLE INVESTMENTS OTHER CURRENT ASSETS PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET TOTAL ASSETS
LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
REVENUE & SUPPORT
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES EXPENSES
12% 7%
81%
81% TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENSES 12% GENERAL & ADMINISTRATION 7% FUNDRAISING
UNRESTRICTED TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED
SUPPORT FROM INDIVIDUALS SUPPORT FROM FIRELIGHT ENDOWMENT SUPPORT FROM FOUNDATIONS OTHER INCOME TOTAL REVENUE AND SUPPORT
CHANGE IN NET ASSETS
DONORS (JULY 1, 2012 - JUNE 30, 2013) Thank you to all of our donors for their generosity and support. Your commitment makes it possible for us to support communities caring for children and families in sub-Saharan Africa. INDIVIDUALS Jeffery Acton Nancy Adams Nancy Alpert Karen Ande & Jeffrey Johnson Chris Arisian Catherine Bacon Lisa Barca-Hall Sharon & John Bargetto Cecile & Christophe Bellito Richard Benthin Michael & Kyoko Berkovec Marci Berman Lee Berry & Susanne Kocsis Marla Bobowick Barry Bolink Nick & Frances Bongo Jayne Booker Cheryl & Paul Brautigan Avila Bright Evelyn Brown Jamie & Melanie Brown Keyna Bugner Patrick & Linda Bujold Tom & Lore Burger James Burk Nick Carli Bruce Chamberlin Theresa Cicchinelli Randall Clare Judy Clement Steven Corbato & Susan Bratton Greg Cotten Jason & Michaela Crooks Karen Dandurand Claire & Robert Dankoff Joel & Jeanine Dankoff Christopher Davis Sophia Davis Jeffrey Denny
John & Ann Dizikes Mike & Margret Dominguez Chris & Kristine Donzono Emily Dubner Marjorie & Howard Ebright Judy Edghill Martha Egan Peter Ehrhardt Jacalyn Elsoffer Ethan Emanuelson Debra & David Evans Barbara Fagan-Smith & Colin Smith Abigail & Roger Farber Terri Fette Cynthia & Michael FitzGerald Dan Foy Mary Freedman Pat & Michael French Max Friedman Marcus Frost Gevork Gabrelian Jeff Gaffney Betsy Gaiser Marcel & Elisabeth Gani Aviva Garrett & David Doshay Stefanie Gerard Paola Gianturco Julie Goldstein & Eric Goodman Frankie Graves Chuck & Susan Hawley John & Tracy Heathcote Kathryn & Ian Hermann Pedro Hernandez-Ramos Margaret Hill Kevin Hislop Maddie Hitzeman Cathy Hodsen Dina & Tony Hoffman Trevor Hoffman Pat Jessup
Robert & Sharon Joyner A. Edward Katz Dave Katz & Kerry Olson Nancy & Robert Keiber Larry Kerr & Jennifer Antrim Kyla Kessler Dallis Kidd Noreen Kilby Michelle King & Oscar De Leon Jimmy Kolker Sharon Kosecki Scott & Joan Kriens Sandy Lansdale Robert LaPorte & Laura Best Linda Larkin Dorothy Laugharn Peter & Marie Laugharn John Laughlin Mary Lee Sally Levie Heidi Lidtke Bonnie Lilienfeld Joan Lombardi & Neville Beharie Aviva Longinotti Eain Lopez Mark Lorey & Deborah Forbes Ali MacGraw Vanessa Machado Linda & Lowell Marcus David Margrave Hope McCullum Jones Ginger McNally & Matthew Murphy Barbara Meyer Elone Miller Catherine Milton Philip & Maribel Mitnick Mark Morey Stephen & Susan Morriss Robert & Timi Most Fredi & George Munger
John & Jane Munger Dennis Murnyak Erin Murphy Peter Neal John Neilson Bob & Sandy Nelson Giovani Nicosia Julia & Daniel Nicosia Wendy O'Meara Lester Olmstead-Rose Joshua Olson Gayle Ortiz Janis Ost Patrick & Kristen Osterkamp Peggy & John Overcashier Isabella Parks Barbara Parlapiano Anna Payne Janice Pearson Jill Phillips Victoria Pilate James Potash & Sally Scott Suzanne & Ronald Powers Steve Principe Desi Rakela Ben Ranz Belay Rebi Kyle Rhoads Peter & Judith Rice Teresa Roberts Michelle Roland Janet Rossi Delwin Roy Joop Rubens & Laura Marcus Dorothy Ruby Emily & John Salcido Danielle Sanchez-Witzel Michele & David Sanguinetti Thomas & Tania Schlatter Mia Schmid
DONORS
375
INDIVIDUALS
9
BUSINESSES
1
CHURCH
15
FUNDS & FOUNDATIONS
2
STUDENT CAMPAIGNS
2
SCHOOLS
David & Jerilyn Schricker Paola Scommegna & Paul Jackson Amanda Sermeno Nancy & Kent Shallow Dan Shapiro & Hester Parker Sarah Shokair Pradeep Sindhu & MaireFrancoise Bertrand Arthur Sippola Robert & Suzanne Sippola Cathy Slesinger Pete & Sally Slicer Allison Smith & Thomas McManus Bev & Pat Smith Jane Smith Whitney Smith Janine Snyder Michele & Roger Snyder David & Deborah Sonnenberg Andrea Spielvogel Sandra Spires & Stuart Ferguson Aliana & David Spungen Scott Staub Richard & Christina Staufenberger Juniper Stein-Catanach Deborah Stephan Jane Stokes Peter Stults Jeff Thurston Curtis Tom Claire & Thomas Torrey Randy Trigg & Cailtin Stanton William Turner James & Sally Vittorio Kerstin Waddell Patricia Wadors Joe & Ginger Walmsley Howard Ward Jim & Judy Warner Jonathan Warren John Williamson Romain Worms Vincent Worms Mary Yoo Noreen Yoshida Mark Zaplin Leland & Marian Zeidler Ralph & Susan Zerweck
Brian Ziel Anonymous (26) GIFTS IN HONOR OF Laeta Blanker From Philip Mitnick Josh, Mneesha, & Matolah From Claire & Robert Dankoff Josh Dankoff From Joel & Jeanine Dankoff Britt Ehrhardt From Peter Ehrhardt Sue Gibbons & Elizabeth Colton From John Williamson Whitney & Durrel Hunter From Whitney Smith Albert Lee From Peter & Marie Laugharn Aaron & Lisa Longinotti From Amy Longinotti Luapula Foundation From Dina Hoffman Nelson Mandela From Joop Rubens & Laura Marcus Jane Munger From Kerry Olson & Dave Katz John & Judy Neary From Melanie & Jamie Brown Kerry Olson & Dave Katz From Debra & David Evans From Mark Lorey & Deborah Forbes From Peggy & John Overcashier Lisa Palm From Bruce Chamberlin Dila Perera From Amanda Sermeno Mrs. Rufaro From Cynthia and Michael FitzGerald Mia Schmid From Wendy O'Meara David Sonnenberg From Abigail & Roger Farber Stefan Stec From Anonymous Emma & Katie Stokes From Joe & Ginger Walmsley Bettina Sutton From Anonymous
Mary Yoo From Anonymous Ivan & Yong Ok Yoo From Mary Yoo Donna Ziel From Brian Ziel Judy Margolis From Catherine Bacon GIFTS IN MEMORY OF Al Hudock From Cheryl Brautigan From Jacalyn Elsoffer From Marianne Hudock From International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 134 From Robert & Sharon Joyner From Lee Berry & Susanne Kocsis From Janice Pearson From Arthur Sippola From Robert & Suzanne Sippola From Claire & Thomas Torrey From Anonymous Alice Marie O'Connell Gaffney From Jeff Gaffney Eric Edward Roy From Delwin Roy on behalf of The Roy Family Trust BUSINESSES Baking for Good Burger Inc. Business Legal Partners Attorneys at Law, Law Corporation GoodSearch Juniper Networks Matching Gift Program Mind Garden, Inc. ROI Communications (ROICO) The Owings Gallery Zaplin-Lampert Gallery FUNDS & FOUNDATIONS Aid for Africa Alpert & Alpert Foundation Cars 4 Causes Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Fidelity Charitable Firelight Endowment Johnson & Johnson Family of
Companies Contribution Fund Nike Foundation Robert N. and Florence Slinger Fund Royal Bank of Canada Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited Schwab Charitable Fund Silicon Valley Community Foundation The Roy Family Trust The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Tsadik Foundation c/o Partech International CAMPAIGNS ON BEHALF OF FIRELIGHT 10 Days for Change Interact 5170 CHURCHES The First Presbyterian Church of West Virginia SCHOOLS John Long Middle School Saint Francis High School AFRICANS IN THE DIASPORA* FAITH TO ACTION INITIATIVE* Better Care Network - NY Bright Hope International Christian Alliance for Orphans Firelight Endowment Oak Foundation INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION FUNDERS GROUP* Douglas B. Marshall, Jr. Family Foundation The Banyan Tree Foundation The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Inc. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Anonymous * Firelight acts as the Fiscal Agent for these groups.
OUR TEAM
(JULY 1, 2012 - JUNE 30, 2013)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Catherine H. Milton, Chair of the Board Richard Staufenberger, Vice-Chair & Treasurer Kerry Olson, Founder & President Emeritus
Diana Aubourg Millner Anand Chandrasekaran Barbara Fagan-Smith
Geoff Foster, MD Rowland P. Hobbs David Katz, Secretary
VOLUNTEERS
ADVISORY COUNCIL
STAFF
Geoff Foster, MD, Consultant Pediatrician, Ministry of Health, Zimbabwe
Peter Laugharn, Executive Director
Mulugeta Gebru, Executive Director, Jerusalem Children and Community Development Organization (JeCCDO), Ethiopia
Robin Dixon, Communications Officer
Serena Kelsch, Grant Writer
Ryan Lee
Elizabeth Missokia, Executive Director, HakiElimu, Tanzania
Aili Langseth, Program Officer
Carrie Mendivil
Wairimu Mungai, Executive Director, WEM Integrated Health Services (WEMIHS), Kenya Linda Richter, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Human Sciences Research Council & Senior Specialist (Vulnerable Children), Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, South Africa
Evelyn Brown, Grants Administrator
Amanda Hill, Program Assistant
Kristen Molyneaux, Program Officer Dila Perera, Program Officer Joop Rubens, Director of Development Marcus Frost, Development Officer Mia Schmid, Program Assistant Zanele Sibanda, Director of Programs Jane Stokes, Finance Manager Cheryl Talley-Moon, HR & Office Manager Dawn Weathersbee, Engagement Associate Bridget Zwimpfer, Program Assistant
Thomas, Barkley Elizabeth Berk Kristyn Glenn Amanda Hill Isaac Hinman Lily Laugharn
Bob Moon Chiara Neilson Elaine Stanfield Hannah Thiemann INTERNS Anya Barca-Hall Kate Clendenen Nicole LaPorte Katherine Stewart
OUR GRASSROOTS NETWORK IS GROWING.
Our grassroots to grassroots connection is growing. We're bringing people who
Give online: www.firelightfoundation.org/fund
believe in the power of African communities closer to our partners making a difference
Send a check to: Firelight Foundation 740 Front Street, Suite 380 Santa Cruz, CA 95060
for children and families on the ground. When you go to our website, you’ll now see short-run Funds that allow you to learn more about our partners and invest in their work directly. Each fund highlights the unique strategies communities use to improve children and families’ lives with the opportunity to learn more about the people behind the work alongside some of the
Instead of birthday or holiday gifts, you could start your own fundraising campaign: http://www.firelightfoundation.org/fund/fund-page Join the conversation, follow us online:
children and families who benefit. You can invest in these timely opportunities or invest in Firelight's overall work to help communities strengthen and grow.
Questions? Contact our Director of Development at development@firelightfoundation.org
Firelight Foundation believes in the power of African communities to create lasting change for children and families affected by poverty, HIV, and AIDS. We identify, fund, and strengthen promising community organizations that support Firelight Brand Identity Guidelines
TAG LINE
the health, resilience, and education of children in Africa. The Firelight tag line is the heart and soul of the identity, playing and intrical part in emphazing what Firelight does and how they do it. The tag line, “Communities Stop Poverty”, should always be reproduced with approved artwork whenver possible, however when writing the tag line in body copy, feel free to use whatever formatting is used in the written piece. The Firelight tag line is a “floating” tag line, primarily