Palestinian Research and Scholarship Fund

Name

Palestinian Research and Scholarship Fund

Legal name

Palestinian Students Scholarship Fund

Website

https://thepssf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit / Scholarship Fund

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE)

Keywords

• Higher education scholarships
• Nonprofit scholarship fund
• Palestinian student support
• Zakat eligible donations
• University partnership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bridgeview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PSSF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds higher-education scholarships for Palestinian students through public donations, with 100% of donations flowing directly to scholarships and all administrative costs covered by its Board of Directors. It partners with ten universities across Palestine to identify and support eligible students, and runs the Pay It Forward Project to extend each scholarship into measurable community impact.

Product overview

The Palestinian Students Scholarship Fund (PSSF) operates as a unified nonprofit offering a single scholarship program and a Pay It Forward Project competition. The core scholarship program provides financial support for Palestinian students to attend partner universities, with all public donations going directly to student funding. The Pay It Forward Project is a university leadership competition where student teams implement community initiatives that create multiplying ripple effects of positive change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Palestinian Students Scholarship Fund (Core Scholarship Program) A scholarship program providing direct financial support for Palestinian students to pursue higher education at ten partner universities in Palestine, with 100% of public donations going to student scholarships and all administrative costs covered by Board Members.
• Palestinian Pay It Forward Project A university leadership competition in which student teams across the PSSF partner universities design and execute community-impact initiatives; teams help 100-200 individuals each and encourage beneficiaries to support at least three others, producing documented ripple effects of positive change.
• Partner University Program Institutional collaboration framework with ten Palestinian universities — Al-Quds, An Najah, Bethlehem, Birzeit, Palestine Polytechnic, Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie (PTUK), Zaytuna University of Science and Technology, Al Khalil, and others — under which PSSF identifies and supports eligible students with scholarships and hosts the Pay It Forward Project competition.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Al-Quds UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for student scholarships, participating in the Pay It Forward Project competition.
• Al Najah National UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for student scholarships, participating in the Pay It Forward Project competition with multiple teams.
• Bethlehem UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for PSSF Annual Convention. Partner university for student scholarships.
• Birzeit UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for student scholarships, participating in the Pay It Forward Project competition.
• Palestine Polytechnic UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for student scholarships, participating in the Pay It Forward Project competition.
• Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie (PTUK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for student scholarships, participating in the Pay It Forward Project competition.
• Zaytuna University of Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for student scholarships, participating in the Pay It Forward Project competition.
• Al Khalil UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for student scholarships, participating in the Pay It Forward Project competition.
• Palestinian Red Crescent Society – Tulkarm BranchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner supporting the Basira Initiative for displaced children.
• Shweika Sports and Cultural ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting the Basira Initiative for displaced children.
• Popular Committees of Tulkarm and Nur Shams campsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting the Basira Initiative for displaced children.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Islamic Relief USA: Large US-based Muslim nonprofit offering Zakat-eligible programs including education and orphan scholarships worldwide. Comparable to PSSF on Zakat eligibility and scholarship programs but with much broader geographic scope and a more sophisticated operational footprint.
• Human Appeal USA: US branch of a global Muslim charity providing education, orphan sponsorship, and emergency relief including in Palestine. Comparable through Zakat-eligible education programs and Muslim donor base, though operating at much larger scale.
• Mercy-USA for Aid and Development: US-based nonprofit that funds education and humanitarian programs in Palestine and other regions. Comparable through Zakat-eligible education funding and Palestinian program delivery, though broader geographically.

Direct peers

• Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA): US-based nonprofit supporting Palestinian children through education, health, and community programs. Comparable grassroots-funding model and Palestinian-focused mission with explicit education programming.
• Anera (American Near East Refugee Aid): US-based nonprofit providing humanitarian aid and education support across Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan. Comparable in mission, donor base, and education-funding model serving Palestinian students in the same geography.
• United Palestinian Appeal (UPA): 501(c)(3) nonprofit that channels US donations to Palestinian communities, including education-focused programs. Competes for the same Palestinian-American donor pool and operates a similar scholarship/grantmaking model.
• Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF): US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting Palestinian children through medical, humanitarian, and educational programs. Highly comparable to PSSF as a Palestinian-focused charity that funds education and humanitarian assistance within the same diaspora donor community.
• KinderUSA: US-based 501(c)(3) providing food security, education, and humanitarian aid to Palestinian children and families. Highly comparable as a Palestinian-focused charity funded by the US diaspora with overlapping education and welfare programs.

Emerging players

• Direct Aid Society: US-based Muslim nonprofit running Zakat-eligible scholarship and humanitarian programs in Palestine and other regions. Comparable on Zakat-eligibility and student sponsorship, with overlapping donor demographics.
• Refugee Life Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit supporting refugees and displaced populations including Palestinians, with board overlap with PSSF (Ashraf Darwish). Closely comparable niche nonprofit operations in the same regional network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/trioeffect.ps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palestinian-students-scholarship-fund

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Palestinian Research and Scholarship Fund