Firelight was established in the late ‘90s in Silicon Valley as private philanthropy supporting children, youth and communities in Southern and Eastern Africa. But after a decade and a half of giving, we found ourselves asking – is it enough to say we support shifting power if we are not actually doing it inside our own organisation? What would it take to transition Firelight to be led, staffed and directed by the people it was established to serve?

The answer took us on a journey that showed us that it was not only important to change who we were, but also entirely possible.

The origin story

Firelight was established as a private foundation in 1999 by Kerry Olson and Dave Katz who were beneficiaries of a Silicon Valley IPO and wanted to give back. Firelight was incorporated and endowed with a mission to address the needs of children orphaned and affected by HIV, AIDS, and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. The goal was to support grassroots initiatives, based on global evidence that community-based care provides a better future for vulnerable children.