The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture

What The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture does

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) is an independent, non-profit foundation founded in 2007 to provide grantmaking, training, and capacity-building support to individual artists, filmmakers, writers, researchers, and cultural institutions across the Arab region and its diaspora. Registered as a Swiss foundation in Zug (2006) and operating through a Lebanese branch (registered 2011, headquartered in Beirut), AFAC runs nine open-call grant programs — covering Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Music, Documentary Film, Cinema, Creative and Critical Writings, Research on the Arts, Training and Regional Events, and the Arab Documentary Photography Program — plus nomination-based programs (Arts and Culture Entrepreneurship), and partnership-driven initiatives (Women in Film with Netflix, Ecologies of Culture with Oxfam/Megaphone/Echos Electrik and EU co-funding, North Africa Cultural Program with Swiss SDC, and the Cultural Atelier in Yemen with UNESCO). Its underlying technology is minimal: an online grant application portal supports a two-stage evaluation process using independent reader and juror committees, with a proprietary database of 10,000+ applicants and 1,350+ funded projects serving as the foundation's core data asset.

AFAC does not earn revenue from funded projects; instead, it raises funds from a diversified mix of foundations (Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, DOEN Foundation, Drosos Foundation, Boghossian Foundation), government partners (Norwegian Foreign Ministry since 2014, German Federal Office BKM, Swiss SDC, European Union), corporate sponsors (HSBC, UBS, Middle East Airlines, HBK, LBCI), platform partners (Netflix Fund for Creative Equity), and individual philanthropists (constituting roughly one-third of annual budget since 2014 via the Arab Creativity and Entrepreneurship Fund). Grants are capped at $10,000 for film development and $50,000 for most other programs, awarded on artistic merit by independent jurors with no editorial interference. Since inception, AFAC has granted over $43.8M across 2,097+ projects in 22 Arab countries, with the largest grantee cohort being individual artists (~75%) followed by institutions (~25%), and approximately 30% of grants going to women and ~42% supporting emerging artists.

Name

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture

Legal name

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (آفاق)

Website

https://arabculturefund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AFAC is an independent Swiss-registered foundation founded in 2007 that provides grants, training, and capacity-building to individual artists, filmmakers, writers, and cultural institutions across 22 Arab countries, funded by foundations, governments, corporate sponsors, and individual donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Culture Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO), Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD)

Keywords

• Arts grantmaking
• Cultural philanthropy
• Film funding
• Documentary photography
• Creative grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grantmaking: AFAC operates as an independent foundation funded through diversified sources including foundations (Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, DOEN Foundation), government partners (Norwegian Foreign Ministry since 2014), private sector partnerships, and individual philanthropy. The Arab Creativity and Entrepreneurship Fund has attracted individual donors constituting roughly a third of AFAC's annual budget since 2014.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AFAC operates annual open-call grant programs and training initiatives that provide financial support, mentorship, and capacity-building to individual artists, filmmakers, writers, researchers, and cultural institutions across the Arab region and its diaspora. Grants are awarded through a transparent two-stage evaluation by independent reader and juror committees, with maximum amounts of $10,000 USD for film development and $50,000 USD for most other programs.

Product overview

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) is an independent foundation that does not offer a unified software product but rather operates multiple grant programs for individual artists and cultural institutions across the Arab region. AFAC's core offerings consist of nine open-call grants programs (Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Documentary Film, Music, Research on the Arts, Creative and Critical Writings, Training and Regional Events, Cinema, and the Arab Documentary Photography Program) plus one nomination-based training program (Arts and Culture Entrepreneurship). Additional initiatives include the Ecologies of Culture program with Creative Labs, Creative Placemaking, and Creative Caravans pillars; the Women in Film training program in partnership with Netflix; the North Africa Cultural Program; and The Cultural Atelier in Yemen. AFAC also maintains an online grants management system for application submission and program administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visual Arts Grants Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $43 million in grants awarded to more than 2,600 artists and institutions across 22 Arab countries and their diasporas over 20 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Prince Claus FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Implementation partner for the Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP). The Prince Claus Fund collaborates with AFAC and Magnum Foundation on this flagship program supporting emerging documentary photographers from the Arab region.
• Magnum FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Implementation partner for the Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP). The Magnum Foundation provides expertise and support for the program, including mentorship components like the Joop Swart Masterclass.
• NetflixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2024Partnership for Women in Film training programs. Following successful collaborations in 2023 and 2024, AFAC launched Women in Film III program in 2026 focused on supporting emerging Arab women filmmakers in UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt. Netflix's Fund for Creative Equity provides support for mentorship and training across filmmaking departments.
• OxfamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Implementation partner for Ecologies of Culture, a four-year regional program supporting artistic and cultural initiatives that respond to interconnected global and local challenges.
• Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Research on the Arts Program, collaborating on research initiatives and knowledge building in cultural sectors.
• MegaphonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for the Ecologies of Culture program, contributing to program design and execution.
• Echos ElectrikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for the Ecologies of Culture program, supporting creative and cultural initiatives.
• HSBCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for AFAC events, providing financial or in-kind support for major organizational events.
• UBSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for AFAC events, supporting cultural events and initiatives.
• Middle East AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for AFAC events and programs.
• HBKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for AFAC events.
• Boghossian FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation sponsor for AFAC events, including the Boghossian Prize awarded to AFAC projects.
• LBCIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor for AFAC events, providing media coverage and visibility.
• PricewaterhouseCoopersminorOthersAFAC is audited yearly by PricewaterhouseCoopers in Zurich, Switzerland, ensuring financial transparency and accountability.
• UNESCOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFAC partnered with UNESCO for the Yemeni Institutional Empowerment Program, supporting cultural institutions in Yemen.
• Culture ResourcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Lebanon Solidarity Fund and joint initiatives supporting arts and culture structures in Lebanon.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: Global philanthropic network funding arts, culture, human rights and governance. Major institutional donor to AFAC and overlapping cultural funding priorities.
• Ford Foundation: Major US-based global foundation funding arts and culture among many other areas. Major institutional donor to AFAC; operates at vastly larger scale across many geographies.

Direct peers

• Sundance Institute: US-based independent arts and film foundation providing grants, labs, and festival platforms to independent creators. Comparable model of independent foundation grantmaking to artists across multiple disciplines.
• Doha Film Institute: Qatar-based film and culture grantmaker supporting Arab and international filmmakers through grants, festivals and training. Most direct regional peer given overlapping Arab-world grantmaking mandate.
• Tribeca Film Institute: Independent nonprofit supporting filmmakers through grants, labs and festival programming. Comparable model of foundation-led artist development and film/arts support.
• Prince Claus Fund: Dutch cultural philanthropy fund providing grants, awards, and cultural emergency response to artists in developing contexts. Direct partner on ADPP and overlapping mission in culture and development.
• Creative Capital: US-based nonprofit supporting innovative artist projects through grants and advisory services across disciplines. Highly comparable grantmaking model and artist-support infrastructure.
• European Cultural Foundation: Amsterdam-based cultural philanthropy fund providing grants and partnerships across Europe and the Middle East/North Africa. Overlapping model of cultural grantmaking with international and cross-regional reach.
• Magnum Foundation: New York-based photography foundation supporting documentary photography through grants, mentorship and exhibitions. Direct partner on ADPP with overlapping photography-grantmaking mission.

Others

• Oxfam: Global development NGO active across the Arab region, co-implementing AFAC's Ecologies of Culture program. Connected as implementation partner rather than direct cultural grantmaking peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afac1
• Facebookfacebook.com/afac.grants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arab-fund-for-arts-and-culture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture