NEF's Mission

The Near East Foundation helps build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives.

NEF is an operational NGO with projects in seven countries -- Armenia, Egypt, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, and Sudan. Working with local partners, our programs directly improve the lives of tens of thousands of vulnerable people across the region through initiatives in Peacebuilding, Civic Engagement and Education, Sustainable Agriculture, and Microenterprise Development.

NEF's Approach

For nearly 100 years, the Near East Foundation has pioneered innovative solutions to social and economic development challenges throughout the Middle East and Africa. Our work is based on a conviction that, to play an active role in the development of their com­munities and countries, individuals require op­portunities and tools: the knowledge to participate in civic and economic life, a voice in public deci­sions that affect their wellbeing, a means of mak­ing a meaningful living. We call this Knowledge, Voice, and Enterprise -- a philosophy reflected in all of NEF's work. We are committed to helping the most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations overcome poverty and participate fully in the development of their own communities by strengthening:

KNOWLEDGE necessary to participate fully in civic and economic life through education, job training, and literacy programs. Without basic knowledge, urban and rural poor alike have little prospect of taking advantage of new opportunities for employment and self-improvement. Their poverty and vulnerability to exploitation persists—often while society around them prospers. NEF education and training programs offer access to the basic knowledge needed to engage in civic and economic opportunities.

COLLECTIVE VOICE through community organizing and institutional strengthening initiatives. Many of NEF’s local partners have been excluded from public decision-making due to poverty, lack of education, gender or cultural norms, or geographic isolation. They have no seat at the table, and their lack of political power is both cause and effect of vulnerability. NEF helps establish and strengthen local organizations so they can take collective action and effectively represent their members.

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY through enterprise development, micro-credit, and improved agricultural and natural resource management. Our approach to creating economic opportunity varies according to the social and economic realities of our local partners, and includes agriculture and natural resource management, value-added processing, small-scale commerce, and local service delivery. In each case, NEF provides technical assistance to improve productivity, job and business development training, and micro-credit to help vulnerable people gain the knowledge and skills needed to earn a meaningful living and lift themselves out of poverty.

With an annual budget of approximately $5.5 million, NEF maintains projects in Armenia, Egypt, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Palestine and Sudan. In the field, approximately 50 NEF staff members—all of them from the countries in which they work—partner with local organizations to find homegrown solutions to their development problems. A small staff based in the U.S. provides program development, project management and administrative support.

Visit Our Website

http://www.neareast.org