Mission
Let There Be Light International (LTBLI) addresses Energy Poverty and Climate Change through innovative solar programming in partnership with grassroots NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa. Let There Be Light International is committed to furthering the Sustainable Development Goals through our data-driven programming and outreach/education efforts. LTBLI advances maternal and infant health through our Safe Births + Healthy Homes program and educational outcomes through our Lights4Literacy efforts.
Ruling year
2015
Executive Director
Sarah Baird
Main address
640 ELLICOTT ST # 12B
BUFFALO, NY 14203 USA
EIN
47-1543177
NTEE code
Philanthropy / Charity / Voluntarism Promotion (General) (T50)
Rural (S32)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Imagine living in darkness. Imagine trying to care for a newborn, or a child with disabilities, or an elderly parent. In the dark. No lights in your home. No lights along the roads. No lights at your local health clinic or school or place of work. For hundreds of millions of people around the world, darkness is a constant and unimaginable reality. Having a connection to the electrical grid is a distant dream. At Let there Be Light International, we believe that every new mom and isolated elder and child with cerebral palsy deserves a safe light to use at home. And, in sub-Saharan Africa where sunlight is abundant, renewable solar lights are a great solution. Until a robust safety net is developed to care for vulnerable families living in off-grid communities, Let There Be Light International will be there to lend a hand and brighten lives. Join us as we Let There Be Light and Shine On!
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Solar Lights Change Lives
LTBLI facilitates the provision of Solar Lights to vulnerable communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Let There Be Light International raises awareness on campuses, in churches, and in medical settings about the environmental, safety, health, educational, and economic burdens of burning kerosene -the most common form of off-grid lighting in the developing world. Let There Be Light International works with trusted community development groups (registered NGOs) on the ground in sub-Saharan Africa to identify vulnerable off-grid communities eligible for solar distributions and installations.
SOLAR (Solar Outreach, Lighting, Access, and Research)
Let There Be Light International's (LTBLI) SOLAR program raises awareness in the United States about Global Energy Poverty and raises awareness in Uganda and Malawi about the benefits of off-grid renewable electrification for key community resources such as medical facilities, schools, and community centers. LTBLI hold community education meetings in Uganda and Malawi and contributes the funding and resources to solar electrify the key community facilities.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
SEforAll People-Centered Accelerator 2018
United Nations NGO Major Group 2017
United Nations Women's Major Group 2019
REN21+ 2021
Catalyst 2030 2021
Global Impact Network 2020
Civicus 2020
Together 2030 2020
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of people with access to electrified health center
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Women and girls, Children and youth, Families
Related Program
Solar Lights Change Lives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Let There Be Light International tracks the number of people in the catchment areas served by the health clinics electrified through our programs. The average number of clients is 17,000 people.
Number of health outcomes improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people, People with disabilities
Related Program
Solar Lights Change Lives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Totals reflect combined solar light and clinic beneficiaries. 98% of solar light recipients report improved health outcomes. ROI on a donated solar light is 10x investment.
Number of youth who increased their weekly hours of homework/reading
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Solar Lights Change Lives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
There are (on average) 3 children per targeted household. The children use the solar light 2-4 hours more per night with the majority using the lights for homework. Totals reflect all children.
Amount of carbon emissions averted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people, People with disabilities, People with diseases and illnesses
Related Program
Solar Lights Change Lives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These are cumulative amounts. The average pico solar light averts the release of 1.1 metric tons of CO2 over its 3 year lifetime.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Seniors
Related Program
SOLAR (Solar Outreach, Lighting, Access, and Research)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of clients served is measured by the number of people impacted by our solar lantern distribution program and by those impacted by the solar electrification of prioritized health clinics.
Number of facilities improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Seniors
Related Program
Solar Lights Change Lives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Let There Be Light International solar-electrifies prioritized rural off-grid health clinics in Uganda. Cumulative totals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The goals of Let There Be Light International are to: meet the basic energy needs of the most vulnerable off-grid communities in Uganda and Malawi; to provide solar electric lighting systems to health centers and other valued community assets in impoverished off-grid areas of Uganda and Malawi; to collect dis-aggregated demographic information about lighting need; to advocate for a pro-poor perspective in energy access and renewable energy programming on national and international levels through peer platforms, conferences, social media, and other high visibility platforms.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
*Identify need
*Conduct replicable needs assessments
*Identify and support vetted in-country partners
*Train partners on community education and outreach best practices
*Require nondiscrimination contracts
*Require Solar Light Recipient Usage Agreements
*Utilize established social service delivery channels known and maintained by vetted partners for effective and efficient solar light distributions
*Engage broad stakeholder support
*Conduct follow-up assessments and support
*Distribute only rigorously tested and approved (for instance, by LightingAfrica.org) lights and equipment that are available in local markets (no importing of products)
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
LTBLI is an all volunteer organization, but our board and executive director have a wide range of skills and capabilities that support the mission. LTBLI's board is comprised of experts in: Evaluation and Policy, Medicine, Nonprofit Management, Solar and Renewable Systems, Communications, and IT. LTBLI's Executive Director is trained in Humanitarian Service Administration and has an expertise in off-grid rural electrification in the developing world with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and solar.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have met the basic lighting need of 16,000 homes, but the need is far greater. We do not expect to meet all basic lighting need for all vulnerable people in Uganda and Malawi, but we are hoping to continue to meet the basic lighting need of the most vulnerable in targeted geographical areas.
There are 680 million people living without access to electricity in the world. Working with other organizations, stakeholders, and international and national energy interests, LTBLI hopes to continue to actively contribute to meeting the basic energy needs of the extreme poor in sub-Saharan Africa.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Program participants include grassroots NGOs, community stakeholders including medical staff at health clinics and District Health Officers, and recipients of solar lights through our Safe Births + Healthy Homes program.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
In response to surveys of clinic staff, we recently increased the frequency of our training of health clinic staff and field workers for our Safe Births + Healthy Homes program.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
Collecting feedback from the people we serve has allowed for a more participatory relationship and shifted power from funders to participants.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Let There Be Light International Inc
Board of directorsas of 11/02/2022
Sarah Baird
Joanne Goldblum
National Diaper Bank Network
Benjamin Kerman
The Atlantic Philanthropies
Steven Levine
Encap Development LLC
Jamie Perry
Catholic Medical Partners
Alissa Benchimol
Greenhouse Gas Management Institute
Emily Dunham
Pratt and Whitney
Rubens Mukunzi
Karibu News
Thatcher Mweu
Open Capital Advisors
Shreya Nathan
Wharton and Harvard Kennedy School
David Baird
St. Ann's School
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/26/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
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