Near East Foundation (NEF)

Helping build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, community organizing, and economic development

The Near East Foundation helps build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, community organizing, and economic development.

For nearly 100 years, the Near East Foundation has pioneered innovative solutions to social and economic development challenges impacting communities throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Headquartered in Syracuse, NY, and engaged in a strategic partnership with Syracuse University, NEF is an operational non-governmental organization (NGO) with current programs in nine countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Senegal,  Sudan, and Syria.

In these countries and throughout the region, we work with local partners to directly improve the lives of tens of thousands of vulnerable people each year through initiatives in sustainable agriculture, microenterprise development, women’s empowerment, civic education, and peacebuilding.

Latest news and articles

Resilient Planet Initiative: Delivering solutions to build resilience to climate change

Join us during Climate Week NYC to discover more about RPI and explore collaboration opportunities for delivering essential climate resilience solutions

Southern African Resilience Academy: Call for transdisciplinary working groups (2025-2027)

The Southern African Resilience Academy (SARA) invites proposals for collaborative working groups to pursue inter- or transdisciplinary research and engagement that synthesize understanding under the guiding theme of “Transformative pathways to Resilient and Sustainable Futures”.

Highlights from the Southern African Resilience Academy’s Knowledge Exchange

Julian van Velden recaps the SARA Knowledge Exchange. Don't miss the chance to be involved in the next iteration. Details will be announced soon!

Flood risk communication through art in Nepal

Youth Innovation Lab, a 2023 Knowledge into Use award winner, presents a documentary that showcases how they partnered with the local municipality to map flood risks and turn these learnings into accessible knowledge for the wider community.

Inclusive finance and community-driven solutions play a vital role in Sudan

Since 2022, GRP has been working with Near East Foundation (NEF) to support their work with non-timber forest products producers in Sudan.