Near East Foundation
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The Near East Foundation (NEF), formerly Near East Relief (NER), a New York-based American development agency founded in 1915.
NEF's mission is to help people in the Middle East and Africa build better lives they envision for themselves and their communities through a variety of practical programs and grassroots development projects.
The Near East Foundation is America’s first nation-wide international philanthropic effort. NEF pioneered nearly a century ago the approach to international development which enables people to acquire the tools to help themselves. NEF successes became the model for the United States government’s international aid program and for nearly all current development organizations. NEF works one-on-one, hand-in-hand with the often forgotten people at the grass-roots as equal partners in making our shared world better.
Cleveland H. Dodge led a group of New York leaders in forming Near East Relief (NER), a response to Ambassador to Constantinople Henry Morgenthau's urgent plea for assistance to save victims of the Armenian genocide and deportations of 1915. In 1930 NER was renamed Near East Foundation.
Year, State Incorporated: 1930, New York.
Affiliates:
Near East Foundation - Center for Development Services (CDS) - Cairo/Egypt
Near East Foundation - Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office
Near East Foundation - Sudan
Near East Foundation - West Bank/Gaza
Near East Foundation - Amman/Jordan
Near East Foundation - New Development Foundation - Amman/Jordan
Near East Foundation - Lebanon
Near East Foundation - Ethiopia
Near East Foundation - Morocco
Near East Foundation - GROW - Lesotho
Near East Foundation - Mali
NEF programs focus on promoting sustainable development in partnership with nationals, sponsoring a variety of innovative self-help initiatives that equip individuals and communities with information, training, skills, and technologies.
Current programs include: environment and natural resource management; agriculture and rural development; urban development and rehabilitation; micro-finance, community-based and bank-guaranteed lending; micro-enterprise promotion and income generation; employment and job creation; population, health, and family planning; human resource development and civil society building; leadership and institutional development; girls and women's development and education, basic education and literacy.
NEF programs help people improve their lives, increase incomes, assist others, and more confidently participate in their societies. Partners include local and international non-governmental organizations, bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations, financial institutions, project teams and government ministries.
In 2006, NEF operated in 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
[edit] Governance
- Chief Executive : Alexander Papachristou
- Chair of the Board: Shant Mardirossian
- Vice President for Program Development: Roger A. Hardister
- Vice President for Development: Andrea M. Couture
- Board Size: 19
- Paid Staff Size: 150
[edit] See also
- NEF is a Non-governmental organization and a Private voluntary organization.
