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Firelight Foundation is Now Accepting Letters of Inquiry for Lesotho, Malawi, and Tanzania!

WHERE & WHAT WE FUND

Link to APPLICATION INFORMATION

OVERALL FUNDING STRATEGY

Firelight strives to increase the resources available to community-based organizations that are strengthening the capacity of families and communities to care for children made vulnerable by HIV, AIDS, and poverty.

Every child, regardless of race, creed, or country, deserves the promise of a future. We currently give initial one-year grants between $1,000 and $9,000 to community-based initiatives that work directly and effectively to support the fundamental needs and rights of children affected by HIV, AIDS, and poverty. 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 renewal grants based on funding needs and opportunities for shared learning.

Firelight receives around 1,000 requests for funding each year and is able to support only a small percentage of these. In order for us to focus our efforts in an effective and sustained manner, we will only accept letters of inquiry in 2012 from organizations that meet the following criteria. We will decline funding requests from organizations that do not fit the following criteria.

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES FOR NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN 2012

The primary geographic focus of our grantmaking is eastern and southern sub-Saharan Africa. At this time, we are only accepting letters of inquiry from three countries: Lesotho, Malawi, and Tanzania.

Lesotho

Malawi

Tanzania

ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS IN LESOTHO

FUNDING CRITERIA

Firelight receives around 1,000 requests for funding each year and is able to support a small percentage of these. In order for us to focus our efforts in an effective and sustained manner, we will only accept letters of inquiry in 2012 from organizations that meet the following our criteria. We will decline funding requests inquiries from organizations that do not fit the following criteria outlined below.

Specifically in Lesotho, we are interested in funding organizations that are currently operating in districts beyond Maseru. Organizations with programs in Berea, Leribe, Mokhotlong, and Thaba Tseka will be given priority.

Program Criteria:In Lesotho, Firelight’s objective isis seeking to support programs that respond to the needs of children in transition, including, children living on the street, survivors of abuse, child-headed households, and children in temporary placements (like short-term foster homes, transitional care orphanages, or temporary stays with family members). Priority is given to programs that create a supportive environment for children’s holistic growth and development through programs that include various activities such as:

Permanency planning programs that work towards providing children with a safe, stable home under the care of a nurturing caregiver who is committed to a life long relationship with that child.
Reintegration of children from orphanages and other temporary placements into long-term family and community care.
Building skills and knowledge of caregivers to develop sustainable livelihoods so they can meet the material needs of children.
Enhancing parenting skills and knowledge of caregivers so they provide supportive and nurturing care and guidance to children.
Legal aid to protect children’s rights for vulnerable children.
Local and national level advocacy on children’s needs and rights.

In selecting organizations to support, Firelight Foundation looks for:

Direct support and services that meet the needs and rights of vulnerable children.
Holistic support for children’s development that nurtures children’s voice, leadership, and active participation in decisions that affect their lives.
Approaches that mobilize community support and resources, and build family and community capacity.
A history of effective community action that spans at least three years.
Networking and collaboration with other organizations and relevant government agencies.
Effective programming with innovative responses to the challenges affecting children’s well-being.
Sound organizational governance and management systems, including distinct roles between the Board and Director.

Firelight does NOT fund: individuals; scholarships for individual use; government entities; organizations or programs designed to influence legislation or elect public officials; organizations or programs solely intended to generate income or provide charity to individuals; academic or medical research; fundraising drives; or endowments. Firelight believes strongly in non-discrimination and does not fund programs that limit participation based on race, tribe, religion, gender, or nationality. We very rarely fund US-based organizations or branches of international non-governmental organizations.

Firelight Foundation believes that children develop best when raised within families and communities; therefore, we do not fund the institutionalization of children, i.e. orphanages. We are often asked for food aid, medical care, and housing. We understand the urgency of these needs, but we are not a relief agency. If you request such assistance, please explain how the planned activities will be undertaken in a sustainable and holistic way. Similarly, we receive many requests for school fees. Firelight rarely funds requests for school fees alone. If your organization seeks such assistance, please describe how your group plans to address children’s other needs, and what your plan is for sustaining school fees beyond Firelight support.

LETTER OF INQUIRY TEMPLATE

If your organization is a charitable organization and meets the criteria described above, we invite you to send a letter of inquiry and provide us with basic information outlined below.

Full name of your organization (and acronym if applicable)
E-mail and postal mailing address (both PO Box and street address, if available) and location of proposed activities
The names and contact information for three people at your organization (name, title, e-mail, phone)

BACKGROUND

In your letter, please explain how your work meets Firelight’s criteria by briefly answering the following questions:

Tell us your organization’s founding story. When did you begin? What inspired the founding of your organization and who was part of the process?
Briefly describe your organization’s main programs.
Please share two or three things that you have achieved in the time that you have been operating.
Describe how your organization is operated (including its management structure, number of paid staff, and number of volunteers).
Describe your approach in implementing your programs.
What activities do you propose for Firelight funding?

FINANCIALS

How much funding are you requesting? Please provide a breakdown by activity. (Remember, Firelight awards first-time grants of $1,000 to $9,000. Greater requests will be declined.)
Please estimate the number of children, families and communities you expect to reach through these activities.
In the previous year:
- What was your organization’s budget?
- What were your main sources of funding?

We accept any kind of written or electronic submissions. We currently accept applications in English, and Sesotho. Please limit your letter to three pages.

ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS IN MALAWI

FUNDING CRITERIA

We are seeking to expand our portfolio in the Northern Region of Malawi. Therefore, we will only accept letters of inquiry only from organizations based in the Northern Region. We encourage community-based organizations (CBOs) to apply.

In selecting organizations to support, Firelight Foundation looks for:

Direct support and services that meet the needs and rights of vulnerable children.
Holistic support for children’s development that nurtures children’s voice, leadership, and active participation in decisions that affect their lives.
Approaches that tap into local support and resources, and that build family and community capacity.
A history of effective community action that spans at least three years.
Networking and collaboration with other organizations and relevant government agencies and. Organizations should be known by, or registered with, the District AIDS Coordinating Committee or District Social Welfare Office relevant government agencies.
Effective programming with innovative responses to the challenges affecting children’s well-being.
Sound organizational governance and management systems, including distinct roles between the Board and Director.

Examples of areas of interest include the following programs supporting vulnerable children:

Firelight supports programs that respond to the needs of vulnerable children, including, but not limited to children living on the street, children with disabilities, child-headed households, grandparent-headed households, adolescent girls, children that are living with HIV, and children affected by HIV. Priority is given to programs that enhance or create a supportive environment for children’s holistic growth and development through various activities such as:

Building skills and knowledge of caregivers and youth to develop sustainable livelihoods.
Addressing barriers that keep children from enrolling and succeeding in school.
Providing counseling, emotional support, and recreation for children.
Mobilizing communities to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, and violence against children.
Supporting families to start gardens that provide better nutrition and regular meals for children.
Reintegration of children into family and community.
Legal aid for vulnerable children.
Local and national level advocacy on child rights.
Enhance health of children and caregivers, including promoting of HIV/AIDS prevention and access to treatment.

LETTER OF INQUIRY TEMPLATE

If your organization is a charitable organization working with orphans and vulnerable children based in the Northern Region of Malawi, we invite you to send a “letter of inquiry” and provide us with basic information about your organization. Please ensure we have complete contact information for your organization, including:

Full name of your organization (and acronym, if applicable)
E-mail and postal mailing address (both PO Box and street address, if available) and location of proposed activities
The names and contact information for three people at your organization (name, title, e-mail, phone)

BACKGROUND

In your letter, please explain how your work meets Firelight’s criteria by briefly answering the following questions:

Tell us your organization’s founding story. When did you begin? What inspired the founding of your organization and who was part of the process?
Briefly describe your organization’s main programs.
Please share two or three things that you have achieved in the time that you have been operating.
Describe how your organization is operated (including its management structure, number of paid staff, and number of volunteers).
Describe your approach in implementing your programs.
What activities do you propose for Firelight funding?

FINANCIALS

How much funding are you requesting? Please provide a breakdown by activity. (Remember, Firelight awards first-time grants of $1,000 to $9,000. Greater requests will be declined.)
Please estimate the number of children, families and communities you expect to reach through these activities.
In the previous year:
- What was your organization’s budget?
- What were your main sources of funding?

We accept any kind of written submission. We currently accept applications in English, Chichewa, French, Kinyarwanda, Sesotho, and Swahili. Please limit your letter to three pages.

ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS IN TANZANIA

FUNDING CRITERIA

Firelight receives around 1,000 requests for funding each year and is able to support only a small percentage of them. In order for us to focus our efforts in an effective and sustained manner, we will only accept letters of inquiry in 2012 from organizations that meet the criteria outlined below. Specifically we seek to fund organizations that demonstrate:

Sound analysis and articulation of the barriers to children’s learning.
Effective and innovative program design specifying how programming and interventions lead to improvements in learning outcomes.
Support for children’s learning that bridges between what happens in school and out of school.
Robust monitoring and evaluation to track progress and demonstrate learning outcomes.
Commitment to using data to inform program review and adaptation.
Track record in improving children’s learning.
Collaboration with a variety of stakeholders that influence and impact children’s learning and well-being, including peers, local institutions and relevant government agencies.

In selecting organizations to support, Firelight Foundation looks for evidence of:

Direct support and services that meet the needs and rights of vulnerable children.
Holistic support for children’s development that nurtures children’s voice, leadership, and active participation in decisions that affect their lives.
Approaches that tap into local support and resources and build family and community capacity.
A history of effective action that spans at least three years.
Networking and collaboration with other organizations and relevant government agencies.
Consistency between mission, goals, and strategy.
Learning and adaptation in response to emerging needs and insights derived from experience and data.
Effective programming with innovative responses to the challenges affecting children’s well-being.
A track record of accomplishment and innovation in education, particularly in improving children’s learning outcomes in primary school
Sound organizational governance and management systems, including distinct roles between the Board and Director.

LETTER OF INQUIRY TEMPLATE

If your organization is a charitable organization working with to improve learning outcomes for primary school children in TANZANIA, we invite you to send a letter of inquiry and provide us with basic information about your organization. We will give particular priority to organizations working in the Mbeya, Iringa and Morogoro regions. Please ensure we have completed contact information for your organization, including:

Full name of your organization (and acronym, if applicable)
E-mail and postal mailing address (PO Box and street address, if available) and location of proposed activities
The names and contact information for three people at your organization (name, title, e-mail, phone)

BACKGROUND

Tell us your organization’s founding story. When and why your group was started? Who was involved in its founding?
Briefly describe the main activities of your organization.
Describe three major accomplishments of your organization since it began.

PROPOSAL FOCUS

What are the key obstacles to children learning well at school? Which of these problems can be addressed by civil society organizations?
Which problem(s) will your organization address, and what is your strategy for addressing the problem?
Explain what is innovative about your strategy
Describe the main activities that you will implement with Firelight funding.
In your activities, who are the critical actors in supporting improvements in children’s learning?
Define the desired outcomes and how you will measure them. Specify how you will measure improvements in children’s reading and math skills.
What schools are you working with and where are they located?
How many children will you reach?
What other collaborations will be part of your program implementation?

FINANCIALS

How much money are you requesting in US Dollars? (Remember, Firelight only awards grants of $1,000 to $15,000. Greater requests will be declined.) Please provide a summary of your proposed budget.
In the previous year:
- What was your organization’s budget?
- What were your main sources of funding?

We accept any kind of written submission. We currently accept applications in English and Swahili. Please limit your letter to five pages.

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