Three young boys take a break from working in their family's rice fields in Mali.

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

Catalytic Grant Blog March 9, 2023

Meet the Catalytic Grant Winners from the COP27 Resilience Hub

Four teams will be awarded with a $5000 USD grant. The award is a joint effort from Climate Justice Resilience Fund (CJRF), Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

Voices from the Frontline March 3, 2023

Trees of hope: How Kurna people planted trees to adapt to the climate crisis

The members of the Kurna Community are addressing climate change impacts by using nature-based solutions such as afforestation. This is the twelfth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.

Article March 1, 2023

Challenging established practices in the coffee industry

Coffee is one of the world’s most traded commodities, but many smallholder farmers struggle to access profitable markets. In Uganda, Mountain Harvest is working together with farmers to change this.

Voices from the Frontline March 1, 2023

Promoting Indigenous Knowledge to strengthen community led adaptation

Smallholder farmers in the Umzingwane district from the southern part of Zimbabwe are taking up locally-led initiatives and indigenous knowledge to adapt to unpredictable climate patterns. This is the eleventh of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.

Voices from the Frontline February 27, 2023

From debt cycle to self-resilience: A Story from the small village of Datinakhali

In Datinakhali, Bangladesh, a cooperative savings fund is helping local women diversify their livelihoods to adapt to climate change. This is the tenth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline (Phase-II)’ stories by ICCCAD and GRP.