Near East Foundation

What Near East Foundation does

Near East Foundation (NEF) is a Syracuse, New York-based nonprofit international non-governmental organization founded in 1915 as Near East Relief in response to the Armenian Genocide. Operating for more than a century and recognized as the United States' oldest nonsectarian INGO, NEF delivers community-led economic and social development programs for marginalized populations across the Middle East, Africa, and the Caucasus. Its programmatic offerings include financial literacy training (e.g., the Financial Literacy Support for MSMEs project in Iraq with GIZ), entrepreneurship and small-business grants disbursed through Siraj Centers in Jordan and Iraq, climate innovation incubation via the Growing the Youth Climate Innovation Incubator (GYCII) in Morocco, and livelihood recovery programs in South Sudan and Sudan delivered through Payam Level Associations and Development Impact Bonds.

NEF's service delivery is built on a partnership model rather than a proprietary technology platform. The organization collaborates with established local implementation partners — including GIZ Iraq, Emerging Business Factory, the Centre for Emergency and Development Support, and UNOPs-managed grant facilities — to design and execute programs through community structures. Its administrative technology stack consists of Blackbaud for donor management and payment processing, Google Analytics for web analytics, Basecamp for site management, and Facebook for social engagement; no core product, API, SDK, or AI/ML capability is offered.

NEF is funded through a diversified mix of government grants (U.S. Department of State, German Government, European Union), institutional and foundation grants (UNOPS Lives in Dignity, Elsa & Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation, Islamic Relief USA, Government of Morocco's National Human Development Initiative), and individual donor programs including the recurring STAR monthly giving program, The 1915 Society ($1,000+ donors), crisis response funds, and endowment gifts to the Violet Jabara Jacobs Endowment Fund. NEF maintains affiliated entities NEF Belgium (Brussels) and NEF UK, with separate boards supporting EU and UK institutional relationships. Disclosed financial efficiency allocates 92.5% of donations to direct programs, 4% to management and general operations, and 3.5% to fundraising.

Name

Near East Foundation

Legal name

Near East Foundation

Website

https://neareast.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Near East Foundation (NEF) is a Syracuse-based nonprofit INGO founded in 1915 that delivers community-led economic development, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and climate innovation programs for marginalized populations across the Middle East, Africa, and the Caucasus, funded by government grants, foundations, and individual donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Economic empowerment programs
• Humanitarian aid services
• International development NGO
• Livelihood support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Near East Foundation generates revenue through grants from foundations, corporations, and institutional donors. The organization receives funding from government agencies, charitable foundations, and multilateral organizations to implement development programs.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through various giving programs including monthly giving (STAR), The 1915 Society ($1,000+ donors), crisis response funds, and endowment gifts. These donations support the organization's general programming.
3. Government and Institutional Funding: The organization receives significant funding from government sources including the U.S. Department of State, German Government, European Union, and various national development initiatives to implement specific projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Near East Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization that delivers community-led economic and social development programs across the Middle East, Africa, and the Caucasus. It disburses loans and grants to marginalized individuals, runs entrepreneurship hubs (Siraj Centers), incubates youth-led climate startups, delivers financial literacy training to micro and small entrepreneurs, and builds the capacity of civil society organizations in conflict-affected regions.

Product overview

Near East Foundation is a non-profit international development organization (INGO) offering community-led programs and initiatives rather than a commercial product portfolio. Its programmatic offerings include entrepreneurship support through the Siraj Center, climate innovation incubation through the Youth Climate Innovation Incubator (GYCII) in Morocco, and financial literacy programs for MSMEs. The organization disburses loans and grants, provides training, and facilitates access to finance for beneficiaries in conflict-affected regions. As an NGO, NEF does not operate a software-as-a-service platform or commercial technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NEF Siraj Center
• Growing the Youth Climate Innovation Incubator (GYCII)
• Financial Literacy Support for MSMEs
• ASRD Project (Advancing Self-Reliance Among Displacement-affected Communities)
• Loans and Grants for Income-Generating Activities
• Civil Society Capacity Building Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 390,269 people supported in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• GIZ IraqcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Financial Literacy Support for MSMEs project in Iraq. NEF partnered with GIZ Iraq (implementing partner) to provide financial literacy training to 1,900 entrepreneurs in Basra and Anbar governorates, with 80% women participants. Funded by the German Government.
• Emerging Business Factory (EBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal implementation partner for the Youth Climate Innovation Incubator in Morocco. EBF developed the incubator program with NEF to support youth-led climate solutions and agribusiness innovation. The program provides business training, technical expertise, mentoring, and startup funding.
• Centre for Emergency and Development Support (CEDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal implementation partner for the ASRD (Advancing Self-Reliance Among Displacement-affected Communities) project in South Sudan. CEDS works with NEF to deliver livelihood training and funding through community-based Payam Level Associations.
• Carrefour MoroccomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWash Minute startup secured key commercial contracts with Carrefour Morocco, enabling expansion of eco-friendly car wash services across shopping centers in the country.
• Blackbaud SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party service provider for donor database management and payment processing. Handles credit card transactions for online donations and securely stores donor information. NEF's data received through the website is housed in Blackbaud's secure database.
• TamwilCommajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoroccan government-backed startup support program. Wash Minute was selected for TamwilCom's prestigious program supporting young Moroccan businesses, which helped accelerate the startup's development.
• INSKIP FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational startup support program. Wash Minute was selected for this program, which provides international mentorship and acceleration services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercy Corps: U.S.-headquartered INGO of comparable scale working in conflict-affected and fragile economies across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. Delivers economic recovery, livelihoods, and financial inclusion programs through local partnerships, mirroring NEF's community-led delivery model.
• International Rescue Committee: Major humanitarian and development INGO operating in crisis and post-crisis settings with livelihoods, economic recovery, and education programming. Comparable geographic footprint (Middle East, Africa) and similar donor base (governments, foundations, individuals).
• CARE International: Large international NGO with a global footprint including the Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus. Implements community-led economic empowerment, women's entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion programs very similar to NEF's Siraj Center model.
• Relief International: Mid-sized INGO focused on fragile and conflict-affected states with livelihoods, economic recovery, and WASH programs. Operates in overlapping geographies (Sudan, Iraq) and shares NEF's profile as a U.S.-based, government-funded implementer.
• Global Communities: U.S.-headquartered INGO implementing community-driven economic development, financial inclusion, and local capacity building in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Closely comparable in mission, methods, and institutional donor mix.
• Heifer International: INGO focused on economic empowerment and livelihoods for smallholder and micro-entrepreneur populations through community-led models. Shares NEF's emphasis on graduated, self-reliance outcomes rather than perpetual aid dependency.

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: The world's largest development organization, with deep programs in microfinance, livelihoods, and community empowerment across multiple continents. A broader incumbent whose graduation-and-graduates model closely parallels NEF's entrepreneur support approach.
• Catholic Relief Services: Large U.S.-based INGO with significant programming in livelihoods, agriculture, and community resilience across the Middle East and Africa. Operates at a larger scale than NEF but overlaps substantively on community-led economic development.

Regional players

• Solidarités International: France-headquartered INGO with strong presence in the Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus delivering WASH, livelihoods, and economic recovery programming. Comparable program mix with NEF, particularly on displaced and crisis-affected populations.

Emerging players

• Islamic Relief USA: U.S.-based INGO delivering humanitarian and development programming globally with livelihoods and entrepreneurship components. Already a current financial partner of NEF's Morocco climate incubator — directly comparable on program design and target beneficiaries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/neareastfdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Near East Foundation