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Firsthand Foundation is a verified impact giving platform that connects donors directly to community-identified projects using AI-powered milestone verification and escrow-gated fund release.

Founded by Jesse Giddings — an international television host (E! News, MuchMusic), humanitarian photographer, and a decade-long collaborator with WE Charity across Kenya and India — Firsthand is built on the conviction that technology has made it possible to eliminate the trust gap in philanthropy entirely.

The platform is currently in its founding phase, launching its pilot cohort in Q2 2026.

Jesse Giddings is the Founder and Executive Director of Firsthand Foundation. A former international television host on E! News and MuchMusic, Jesse spent his holidays embedded with Syrian refugees as a humanitarian photographer and worked with WE Charity to facilitate celebrity partnerships and field programs across Kenya and India. He is based in Los Angeles.