Foundation for Ethnic Understanding

What Foundation for Ethnic Understanding does

The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 133527874) headquartered in New York and founded in 1989 by Rabbi Marc Schneier and the late Joseph Papp. It operates as a small-staffed (1-10 employees) convening and advocacy organization rather than a software platform, with its "core technology" being the facilitation of direct dialogue between Muslim and Jewish communities globally and between Black and Jewish communities in the United States. Its program portfolio comprises four pillars — Muslim-Jewish Relations (global, pioneered in 2007), Black-Jewish Relations (U.S., founding mission since 1989), Evangelical-Muslim Relations, and a Grassroots Partners Network — anchored by the Season of Twinning program that runs annually across 30+ countries on six continents. Supporting assets include two published books ("Sons of Abraham" co-authored with Imam Shamsi Ali, translated into six languages, and "Shared Dreams" on MLK and the Jewish community), international leadership summits, congressional engagement since 2005, and public service announcement campaigns with celebrities including Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder.

FFEU's business model is donation-based under U.S. charitable tax law; the organization generates no commercial revenue from its programs, which are delivered free of charge, and it has no disclosed equity, debt, or venture funding. Its go-to-market is community-led: programs are delivered through direct partnerships with grassroots organizations, religious institutions (mosques, synagogues, student groups, women's and youth organizations), and a network of Flagship and Core strategic partners including the Muslim World League, King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, Baku Center for Interfaith Cooperation, KAICIID, Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, N. Nazarbayev Center, NAACP, National Urban League, National Action Network, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Marketing and distribution rely on Rabbi Schneier's Arab News column, the FFEU website, social channels (Facebook, X, YouTube), earned media coverage (AP, CNN, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel), email newsletters, and high-touch convening events including biennial congressional receptions and international summits.

The organization is led by President Rabbi Marc Schneier (also founding senior rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue), Executive Director Chris Sacarabany, and European Coordinator Selim Cherkaoui, supported by a Board of Trustees. FFEU holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, has no parent company or subsidiaries, and is recognized by the U.S. Congress (2014) as the National Address for Black-Jewish relations. It has been honored with the Children of Abraham award (2019, Florence School of Advanced Studies), the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions award (Kazakhstan, 2023), and a Humanitarian Award from the American Friends of Soroka Medical Center (2025).

Name

Foundation for Ethnic Understanding

Legal name

Foundation for Ethnic Understanding

Website

https://ffeu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FFEU is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that runs interfaith dialogue and ethnic-relations programs in 30+ countries, serving as the recognized global address for Muslim-Jewish relations and the U.S. national address for Black-Jewish relations through grassroots convening, diplomatic engagement, and publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interfaith Dialogue and Ethnic Relations Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• Interfaith dialogue
• Religious reconciliation
• Ethnic relations
• Faith community engagement
• Civil rights collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: FFEU is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that generates revenue through tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations supporting its mission of promoting racial harmony and inter-group relations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FFEU is a nonprofit interfaith organization that convenes direct dialogue and reconciliation programs between Muslim and Jewish communities globally and between Black and Jewish communities in the United States. Its core offerings include the Muslim-Jewish Relations Program (the global address since 2007), the Black-Jewish Relations Program (the founding mandate since 1989), the Season of Twinning grassroots initiative (annual twinning of mosques with synagogues in 30+ countries), the Evangelical-Muslim Relations Program, the Grassroots Partners Network, accompanying published books ("Sons of Abraham" and "Shared Dreams"), and high-level international leadership summits and congressional engagement.

Product overview

The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU) is a nonprofit organization operating as a single unified offering—interfaith dialogue and ethnic relations programming—rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core programs include: Muslim-Jewish Relations (the global address since 2007, spanning 30+ countries), Black-Jewish Relations (the national address since 2014), the Season of Twinning (flagship grassroots initiative held annually across 30+ countries), Evangelical-Muslim Relations, and Grassroots Partners. These programs are complemented by publications ("Sons of Abraham" and "Shared Dreams" books), PSA campaigns with celebrities, International Leadership Summits, and Congressional Engagement. FFEU also facilitates delegations, conferences, educational curriculum guides, and public awareness campaigns—all unified under the mission of fostering direct dialogue between ethnic and faith communities to promote reconciliation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Muslim-Jewish Relations Program FFEU's flagship global initiative established in 2007 as the global address for Muslim-Jewish relations, with programs spanning over 30 countries and a network that includes heads of state, religious leaders, political dignitaries, civil society organizations, women, youth, and academia committed to tolerance, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.
• Black-Jewish Relations Program FFEU's founding domestic program, recognized by the United States Congress in 2014 as the national address for Black-Jewish relations. Includes the Civil Rights Leadership Series, Black-Jewish Outreach dialogues, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month celebrations, congressional engagement, and PSA campaigns.
• Season of Twinning FFEU's flagship grassroots Muslim-Jewish program, convened every November and December across more than 30 countries, in which mosques twin with synagogues, Muslim and Jewish student groups partner across faith lines, and young-leadership and women's organizations collaborate on joint events, acts of service, and public stands against Islamophobia and antisemitism.
• Evangelical-Muslim Relations Program Program convening American Evangelical Christian leaders and Muslim leaders from the United States and abroad for direct dialogue, building relationships that allow each community to be heard by the other directly rather than through stereotype.
• Grassroots Partners Network Partnership network spanning more than 30 countries across six continents including North America, the Middle East/Asia, Africa, and Europe, through which local organizations twin mosques with synagogues, Muslim student groups with Jewish counterparts, and women's or youth-leadership organizations with peers.
• "Sons of Abraham" Book Book co-authored by Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali, titled "Sons of Abraham: A Candid Conversation About the Issues That Divide and Unite Jews and Muslims." Translated into Arabic, Azeri, English, French, Hebrew, and Indonesian; foreword by President Bill Clinton; sponsored by King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
• "Shared Dreams" Book Book by Rabbi Marc Schneier titled "Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Jewish Community," chronicling Martin Luther King Jr.'s efforts in support of the Jewish community and adapted into a high school curriculum guide and student guide for FFEU's Black-Jewish Relations work.
• PSA Campaigns Public service announcement campaigns promoting ethnic understanding and fighting antisemitism and racism, including campaigns featuring Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, and other celebrities.
• International Leadership Summits High-level diplomatic conferences and delegations including the National Summit of Imams and Rabbis, Muslim-Jewish Conferences in Europe, and delegations of European, Latin American, and Southern Hemisphere Muslim and Jewish Leaders to New York and Washington, D.C.
• Congressional Engagement Program U.S. advocacy program comprising biennial congressional receptions welcoming new ethnic members of Congress since 2005, inter-ethnic congressional leadership forums, congressional staff meetings, and awards honoring members of Congress who demonstrate leadership in strengthening ethnic community relationships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pioneered Muslim-Jewish relations since 2007 and helped build relationships that made the Abraham Accords possible
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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 flagship, core and minor.

• Muslim World League (MWL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2019Historic partnership announced in October 2019 for the Season of Twinning program, bringing together rabbis and imams and their synagogues and mosques. MWL Secretary General Dr. Muhammad Al-Issa named antisemitism as a sin against Islam and led a delegation of Muslim leaders to Auschwitz.
• King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful CoexistenceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2018H.M. King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa appointed Rabbi Marc Schneier as Special Advisor to the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence under the leadership of H.E. Shaikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.
• Baku Center for Interfaith Cooperation (BCIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2018BCIC, led by His Virtue Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade under the patronage of President Ilham Aliyev, appointed Rabbi Schneier as a Trustee of the prominent interfaith center.
• King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRabbi Schneier served on the advisory forum of KAICIID, an international interfaith dialogue organization.
• Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (Qatar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQatar-based international organization partnering with FFEU for interfaith initiatives.
• N. Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue (Kazakhstan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKazakhstan-based center partnering with FFEU for interfaith and intercultural dialogue initiatives.
• Al Amana Centre (Oman)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOman-based interfaith organization partnering with FFEU for dialogue initiatives.
• National Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFEU collaborates with National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial in Civil Rights Leadership series discussing Black-Jewish relations.
• NAACPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFEU collaborates with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in Civil Rights Leadership series discussing Black-Jewish relations.
• National Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFEU partners with Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network for Martin Luther King Jr. day events and joint condemnations of antisemitism.
• Rainbow PUSH CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFEU partners with Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition for Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summits, with over 30 years of collaboration.
• Southern Christian Leadership ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFEU collaborates with SCLC President and CEO Dr. Charles Steele in Civil Rights Leadership series.
• MACFEST (Muslim Arts and Culture Festival)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFFEU supports MACFEST, an award-winning festival celebrating art, music and culture that brings Muslim and non-Muslim communities together, organized by Qaisra Shahraz MBE.
• Jamaica Muslim CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFEU partners with Imam Shamsi Ali's Jamaica Muslim Center (largest mosque in New York with over 20,000 members) for interfaith events and the co-authored book 'Sons of Abraham'.
• Indian Pluralism FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFFEU partners with Indian Pluralism Foundation led by Owaiz Aslam for interfaith events and youth peacebuilder delegations in India.
• Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic StatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFEU collaborates with Rabbi Mendy Chitrik's Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States for interfaith platform initiatives in Nigeria.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FFEUnyc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EthnicUnderstanding/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/FFEUOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-foundation-for-ethnic-understanding-ffeu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Ethnic Understanding