AFRICAN CENTRES FOR LIGHTNING AND ELECTROMAGNETICS NETWORK INC - ACLENet
Lightning Kills! Save a Life in Africa
Mission
ACLENet, the African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network, is a pan-African Network of Centres dedicated to decreasing deaths, injuries and property damage from Lightning. ACLENet's VISION is to have the African continent equipped to mitigate lightning damage and deaths by: 1. WORKING with GOVERNMENTS to improve lightning protection and forecasting 2. EDUCATING Africa's own EXPERTS 3. RAISING AWARENESS of the lightning hazard 4. PROVIDING timely WARNINGS to populations affected by lightning 5. DOCUMENTING the lightning injury DEMOGRAPHICS in each country 6. PROVIDING local and regional TRAINING of lightning protection specialists 7. ENCOURAGING RESEARCH 8. IMPROVING the ECONOMIES of developing nations by protecting infrastructure 9. PROTECTING SCHOOL CHILDREN
Notes from the nonprofit
ACLENet was incorporated in the US in January 2016 and in Uganda in June 2016. The first 990-EZ was filed for 2016 and has been filed each year since then. ACLENet is in the process of developing best practices, financial policies and other essentials as we transition from an all volunteer staff to our first paid employees. Other milestones for ACLENet: 1. Installation of first lightning protection systems (LPS) on six schools in Uganda. 2. Site surveys of additional schools for LPS design and fundraising 3. Publication of newspaper inserts, television broadcasts and public safety announcements on lightning safety, science, and protection. 4. Monthly Newsletter published since 2017 5. Maintenance of largest publicly available on-line database for lightning injuries and deaths - 33 of 55 African countries included by 2020. 6. All volunteer Lightning Protection Working Group: internationally recognized lightning protection experts meeting weekly since 2018 to design LP for schools
Ruling year
2016
Managing Director
Dr. Mary Ann Cooper
Relationships Manager
Richard Tushemereirwe
Main address
632 Clinton Place
River Forest, IL 60305 USA
Formerly known as
ACLIR
EIN
81-1417000
NTEE code
Education N.E.C. (B99)
Safety Education (M40)
Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C. (S99)
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
ACLEnet is dedicated to decreasing deaths, injuries and property damage from lightning across the African continent
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Lightning Kills! Save a Life in Africa
More than half of the lightning deaths reported across Africa are to school children. 90% of sub-Saharan buildings are not lightning safe. Since schools tend to be the most substantial buildings in many villages, we are surveying schools to assemble portfolios of each school in order to design and install lightning protection systems (lightning rods plus down-conductors plus grounding systems) on schools. The cost for each school depends on the number of buildings, soil resistance and other factors. We will also be working with teachers and students to promote weather education and safety awareness. While it will take a generation or so, just as it has in the US, families will learn from their children and lightning injury prevention will become a standard. See http://aclenet.org/lightning-kills-save-a-life-in-africa/
Graduate and Professional Training
ACLENet is working with universities in our national centres to expand graduate education (MS, PhD) as well as upgrading the training of graduated practicing engineers with Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses.
Public Education
We have been funded to use television programs and newspaper inserts to do public education in lightning safety. We are giving training in lightning safety to parents, children, and the communities of the schools we protect. We also work with media to help them spread lightning safety messages.
Where we work
Awards
Global Resilience Partnership Grant 2015
U.S. Agency for International Development
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of entities served by expertise
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults
Related Program
Lightning Kills! Save a Life in Africa
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These are schools where standardized lightning protection systems have been installed. A total of 7 schools have been protected and we have donations for two more for 2023 implementation.
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Lightning Kills! Save a Life in Africa
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2016 grant was for two years 2016-8
Number of evaluations conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Lightning Kills! Save a Life in Africa
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This represents the number of schools measured for lightning protection. Some schools may have had configuration changes since they were measured.
Number of list subscribers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Public Education
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Giving Tuesday and Newsletter mailing list. The 'never or seldom open' were deleted to decrease mailing costs. The result is a more active and involved readership, even if the numbers seem lower.
Number of public service announcements created
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Extremely poor people, Low-income people, Working poor, Victims of disaster
Related Program
Public Education
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Public service announcements on lightning safety and science are broadcast on radio and TV during the Christmas holidays. We would like to do considerably more if funds become available.
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Health, Social and economic status
Related Program
Lightning Kills! Save a Life in Africa
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of demonstration project or pilot sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Social and economic status
Related Program
Lightning Kills! Save a Life in Africa
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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?
ACLENet seeks to decrease deaths, injuries and property damage from lightning across Africa by: 1. Working with governments to improve lightning safety and weather forecasting/warning 2. Doing public education on lightning safety 3. Working with universities across Africa to improve education in electrical engineering and do graduate training to educate Africa's own experts 4. Protect schools/students by installation of lightning protection systems compliant with the internationally accepted standards (IEC 62305) 5. Working to assess the number of lightning deaths and property damage in each country
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
ACLENet has an international board of advisers ready to help. The leaders of ACLENet are internationally recognized experts in their fields partnered with leaders in each country where ACLENet has national centres. ACLENet is building relationships with industry, universities, public health and national research organizations, mentoring researchers and teachers, and working with government to assure code compliant lightning protection systems in both new and existing schools.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
ACLENet is actively seeking grants, networking with appropriate government and university programs to build programs, and building a donor base. We are recruiting and training personnel to help with each of our goals.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
ACLENet has been incorporated and received tax-exempt status in the US. Each national center has its own areas of talent, interest, needs and opportunities: In Uganda, the host country, ACLENet has installed lightning protection (LP) at several schools and is working with the Ministry of Education and Sports to assure code-compliant LP designs for the new schools they are building this year. We are working with Makerere University, Makerere University Business School and the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers to train electrical engineers. In Zambia, the first national center (ACLE-Zambia) was formed in 2015 and is working to institute graduate training at the University of Zambia and working with the Rural Electrification Authority to protect electrical generation (solar) and distribution installations in a country whose hydroelectric production has been sorely reduced by drought. Several other countries have expressed interest in national centers.
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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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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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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 engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, We serve extremely poor rural Ugandans. If they take time to meet with us, their family will not eat
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
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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AFRICAN CENTRES FOR LIGHTNING AND ELECTROMAGNETICS NETWORK INC - ACLENet
Board of directorsas of 08/11/2023
Dr. Mary Ann Cooper
ACLENet
Richard Tushemereirwe
ACLENet
Term: 2014 -
Mary Ann Cooper
Professor Emerita UIC,
Ronald L. Holle
Holle Meteorology and Photography
Richard Tushememeirwe
ACLENet
Ken Nixon
University Witwatersrand
Kim Loehr
Loehr Lightning
Tonny Lusambu
Retired Commissioner of Education, Uganda
Daile Zhang
University of Maryland
Katie Flanagan
East Carolina University
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? No
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
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