Lightup Impact

What Lightup Impact does

Lightup Impact is a non-profit community movement founded in January 2021 by Dr. Valeria Santoro, operating as a hybrid organization through three legal entities: Lightup Impact Kenya (the primary operating NGO headquartered at Kikao64 Hub in Eldoret with NGO registration NGO-7WFPP6), Lightup Impact Limited (a Kenya-registered for-profit subsidiary handling conference and consultancy revenue, PVT-BEUXPR7R), and Lightup Impact gGmbH (an Austrian non-profit registered under FN 556207b for collecting international donations, with no local employees). The organization serves over 100 young grassroots CBOs and NGOs across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania that focus on gender equality, health, and education, targeting members founded within the past three years with annual income under $20,000 USD.

Lightup Impact delivers four core programmatic offerings to member organizations at no direct cost: (1) the Impact Badge, a twice-yearly credibility certification that grants lifetime exclusive access to projects, partnerships, and training; (2) the Skills Development and Innovation for Impact Program, a one-year intensive capacity-building curriculum with 10 training modules covering leadership, governance, fundraising, financial management, and communication, co-developed with KCDF, iMPACT direct, TripleMinds, and ELF; (3) events including the biennial Lightup Impact Days conference (230+ delegates, 70 speakers, 23 exhibitors in 2025) and the Members' Reflection Summit; and (4) a peer community network supported by monthly meetups, Discord/WhatsApp collaboration channels, and integration into county government policy structures. The core team consists of 6 people (founder, co-founder, community manager, content editor, communications volunteer, finance intern) supported by 5 board members, 7 Founder Advisory Board members, and rotating independent consultants.

The revenue model combines a monthly giving donation program, episodic crowdfunding campaigns (4,327 EUR raised in 2021 for Founder Tour 2022; 16,015 EUR raised in 2022 for Skills Development), conference fees and consultancy services routed through the for-profit Lightup Impact Limited subsidiary, and partnership-sourced program funding. Since inception the organization has deployed approximately 50,342 EUR in total (30,000 EUR founder self-investment plus crowdfunding). Marketing is community-led and event-driven, relying on social media content across Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, blog-based knowledge hub content, email newsletters, and earned media partnerships with East Africa Philanthropy Network.

Name

Lightup Impact

Legal name

Lightup Impact Kenya

Website

https://lightupimpact.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lightup Impact is a non-profit community movement founded in 2021 that supports 100+ young grassroots CBOs and NGOs across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania through credibility certification, capacity-building training, conferences, and peer networking in gender and health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Capacity Building and Community Development

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights, Social Inclusion & Disability Inclusion (BPAGABAN)

Keywords

• Grassroots community building
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Gender health advocacy
• Social entrepreneurship network
• East africa civil society

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna, Austria

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Crowdfunding: Monthly giving program offering recurring donations for operational costs, annual conference, skills development program, founder tours, and locally-led meetups. Crowdfunding campaigns for specific programs. Past campaigns raised 4,327 EUR (Founder Tour 2022) and 16,015 EUR (Skills Development Program 2022).
2. Conference and Consultancy Revenue: Lightup Impact Limited (for-profit subsidiary) generates revenue through conference fees and consultancy services to support sustainability of non-profit activities.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lightup Impact is a community-led movement that builds the capacity and visibility of over 100 young grassroots organizations in East Africa working on gender, health, and education. It delivers this through four core offerings: the Impact Badge certification, the year-long Skills Development and Innovation for Impact Program, the Community Network that connects grassroots leaders across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania, and the biennial Lightup Impact Days conference plus regular community meetups. All programs are provided free of charge to qualifying grassroots members and funded primarily through donations and crowdfunding.

Product overview

Lightup Impact operates as a community network organization rather than a traditional software product company. The organization offers a suite of programs and services centered around four core offerings: (1) the Impact Badge certification program that validates grassroots organizations' credibility and provides access to exclusive opportunities; (2) the Skills Development and Innovation for Impact Program, a one-year capacity-building initiative with 10 training modules covering leadership, governance, fundraising, and organizational development; (3) Events and Conferences including the biennial Lightup Impact Days conference and regular community meetups; and (4) the Community Network connecting 100+ grassroots organizations across East Africa for peer learning and collaboration. Lightup Impact is structured as a hybrid organization with both nonprofit (Lightup Impact Kenya) and for-profit (Lightup Impact Limited) branches, along with a non-profit entity registered in Austria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Impact Badge Certification Program Twice-yearly credibility certification that reviews member grassroots organizations on credibility, impact, vision, and commitment. Certified organizations (Badge is valid for life) gain exclusive access to additional projects, calls for partnerships, and training opportunities.
• Skills Development and Innovation for Impact Program One-year intensive capacity-building program equipping grassroots organization founders with skills in communication, fundraising, governance, financial management, and personal development through 10 training modules delivered online and in-person with coaching. Developed with Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) and other expert partners.
• Events and Conferences (Lightup Impact Days, Community Meetups, Public Events) Biennial flagship Lightup Impact Days conference (230+ delegates, 70 speakers, 23 exhibitors in 2025), monthly community meetups for members, public online events, locally-led founder meetups, and fundraiser events bringing together grassroots leaders, policymakers, funders, and advocacy networks across East Africa.
• Community Network Membership Free membership network of over 100 grassroots member organizations in gender and health across East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania) providing peer support, networking, visibility, and collaboration opportunities for member CBOs/NGOs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participant organizations improved capacity scores from <50% (start-up stage) to 71-73% (growth stage)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Together Women CanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsored Members' Summit 2025. Organization builds partnerships to provide women access to health tools, sexual health education and treatments to help eradicate cervical cancer while promoting women's empowerment. Potential future collaboration combining microfinancing with capacity-strengthening opportunities.
• Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborated with KCDF to create a comprehensive curriculum with 9 training manuals and hands-on expertise for the Skills Development & Innovation for Impact Program. Resources available in Lightup Impact's Knowledge Hub.
• iMPACT directcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Sofina Merino from iMPACT direct provided expertise in theory of change and delivered training for Skills Development program members. Organizations now have clear path to creating lasting impact through structured theory of change methodology.
• TripleMindscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Lisa Ringhofer from TripleMinds delivered engaging training on proposal writing for program members. Participants now equipped with skills to craft proposals that stand out to funders.
• Emerging Leaders Foundation - Africa (ELF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ELF delivered Storytelling and Life Mapping module to program members, aligning with shared vision of leadership from the ground up and power-shifting to grassroots leaders.
• East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-hosted Lightup Impact Days 2023 annual conference. EAPN is the largest philanthropy support organization in the region, connecting diverse philanthropic entities in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and beyond with over 80 members and 100+ partners.
• The Pollination ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Supported Usanii Village Africa in engaging artists to raise awareness about plastic pollution. Example of partner-supported member organization initiative.
• Felix KaloominorOthers · 1 January 2023Independent consultant providing HR and Administration expertise for Skills Development program.
• Loice KoskeiminorOthers · 1 January 2023Independent consultant providing Financial Management expertise, led workshop on financial management for NGO success.
• Philip OdinominorOthers · 1 January 2023Independent consultant providing Strategic Planning expertise for program participants.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF): Kenyan foundation supporting community-led development and grassroots organizations through grantmaking and capacity building. Direct comparable in CBO capacity building; KCDF is also a documented curriculum partner for Lightup Impact's Skills Development Program.
• The Pollination Project: Global seed-grant funder providing micro-grants and capacity-building support to early-stage social change leaders worldwide. Direct comparable in serving early-stage grassroots organizations with small grants and capacity support; also a documented partner of Lightup Impact member organizations.
• East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN): Regional philanthropy support organization connecting funders and CSOs in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and beyond. Direct comparable as a regional convener and network builder; EAPN is also a documented partner that co-hosted Lightup Impact Days 2023.
• Emerging Leaders Foundation - Africa (ELF): Pan-African leadership and storytelling organization that trains young African leaders and grassroots founders. Directly comparable in mission and audience; ELF is also a documented training partner for Lightup Impact's Skills Development Program.

Broad incumbents

• Restless Development: International youth-led development agency running youth leadership and community programs across East Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Comparable in target audience (young grassroots leaders) and geography, though operates at significantly larger scale with institutional donor backing.
• African Women's Development Fund (AWDF): Pan-African grantmaking foundation funding women's rights organizations across the continent. Directly comparable as a funder/capacity builder for gender-focused CBOs and NGOs in East Africa, though at much larger scale and with broader geographic remit.
• Mama Cash: International women's rights fund providing grants and capacity-building support to feminist and gender-focused organizations globally, including East Africa. Comparable in gender-focused grantmaking and CBO support, though with substantially larger grantmaking capacity.
• VSO International: Global development organization focused on volunteering and community-led development across East Africa. Comparable in CBO capacity building and youth empowerment focus, with much larger institutional infrastructure and donor base.

Emerging players

• Grassroots Trust / Grassroots Africa: African community development organization focused on grassroots mobilization in East and Southern Africa. Comparable in grassroots network-building approach and East Africa presence, though narrower thematic and geographic focus.

Regional players

• Uraia Trust: Kenyan civic education and community empowerment trust supporting citizen participation and grassroots leadership. Comparable in focus on bottom-up community empowerment in Kenya, though narrower thematic focus on civic education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LightupImpact
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lightupimpact674
• Facebookfacebook.com/LightupImpact
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lightup-impact
• Instagraminstagram.com/lightupimpact

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lightup Impact