Volume 04 |September 2022
AFF NEWS
Greetings!

It’s the end of Summer!
 
I can’t believe we’re already in the final quarter of the year and, as we take stock of the last two and a half years, this communication with our network feels long overdue. It’s no overstatement to say that Arab Foundations Forum has experienced a transformation over the past two years and I’m excited to tell you all about it.
 
For one thing, we are now registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the US and are no longer headquartered in Belgium. This change was a necessary one and has given the organization a renewed energy with fewer restrictions, better banking conditions, and more flexibility in how we shape our network in keeping with the evolving trends of our sector. Our mission to enhance, empower, and engage the Arab philanthropy sector remains the same, but our network has grown to include new actors in the sector, and we have made a concerted effort to democratize access to our network.
 
What does that mean? Well, for one thing, we have broadened the scope for eligibility to join AFF to include any individual or organization that is part of the philanthropy ecosystem in the region. This allows for more people to engage with each other and, we believe, will help to strengthen the sector more and more. We’ve also made our membership fees more accessible to a wider range of the sector, with the belief that everyone, no matter their contribution, should have equal, equitable access to our network and what it has to offer. We believe this is more in line with the values of an equitable society and embodies the ethos of philanthropy.
 
We have so much going on at AFF and we want you to join us and access all the things we have on offer for this year and beyond! As a member of AFF, we want to make sure you’re getting the most of your membership with us, so please make sure you let us know if you still need to activate any of your benefits.
 
We’re hosting our AFF Annual Meeting this year, online, on November 21st so make sure you save-the-date and look out for formal invitations soon. The other thing we’re working on that we’re so excited about is data – by the beginning of next year, AFF will have developed 3 major research and data projects that cover various aspects of the sector, both regionally and locally in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. Our research will be published in Arabic, as well as English, and we believe this will accomplish one of our key strategic objectives, which is to build and increase the knowledge and resource being developed, owned, and analyzed by local Arab researchers and data scientists. Also, did you know AFF now has a consulting service! Learn more about it here and get in touch with us if you want to hear details.
 
We have completely migrated and updated our website with new, relevant content and you can see all the changes for yourself! You’ll also find our updated list of current members and our new membership brochure and new fees structure. Finally, we’ve also created a new presentation to show what’s new at AFF in 2022 and you can find that, and so much more information on upcoming events and other resources, on the website!
 
Finally, if you’re interested in joining our network, please reach out to Walid, our Network and Relationships Director and, as always, I’m happy to hear from you and to hear your thoughts!




Naila Farouky
CEO – Arab Foundations Forum
EVENT UPDATES
In collaboration with our partners at Social Value International (SVI), we have already conducted 3 capacity development modules in May and June 2022 focusing on Impact Measurement and Management. 100% of attendees polled indicated the content areas are relevant to the needs and scope of work. 75% rated the modules as very good and 25% as excellent. You can access more information here.
We hosted our first webinar for the year to present AFF’s new structure, the new services and the plan for 2022. You can access the overview here and the full recording here.
In April 2022, AFF was represented by our CEO, Naila Farouky, in a panel discussion organized by the OECD Centre on Philanthropy where the report on “Private Philanthropy for Development: Data for Action” was launched
In May 2022, AFF was represented by our CEO, Naila Farouky, in a panel discussion where the report produced by the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy (CSP) was launched. You can find more information here.

On September 7th our CEO, Naila Farouky, participated as a panelist at the F20 event on “Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen” where she discussed the role Arab philanthropy in addressing the climate crisis and how we can contribute meaningfully in the “Race to Net Zero”. You can see the full panel recording here (AFF’s intervention is at 01:47:00 – 01:55:00)
On September 8th, our AFF Team participated in an invitation-only roundtable event on “Philanthropy in Climate” at the International Cooperation Forum (ICF) in Cairo. You can read more here.
AFF UPCOMING EVENTS
In partnership with the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at the Cambridge Judge Business School, AFF will be holding a virtual panel discussion on system change in philanthropy for development on September 28th from 2:00PM – 3:00PM EEST. To register, please click here. 
In partnership with the OECD Centre on Philanthropy, AFF will be hosting a virtual panel discussion focusing on Philanthropy in the Middle East and North Africa on Partnerships in Philanthropy: Models for Collaboration on November 3rd from 2:00PM – 3:30PM EEST. To register, please click here.
In collaboration with AFF’s partner Innovety, AFF will be offering two capacity development modules focused on innovation in financial sustainability and digital marketing. If you are interested to attend, please email us here.
AFF Annual Meeting
November 21, 2022 - ONLINE
Our flagship annual event is back this year all our plans, we think it’s time we meet – if only online for now – and take this opportunity to touch base with you, our network! We’re designing an engaging day of online sessions, panels, and discussions and we’re open to hearing your pitches on topics you’d like to make sure we cover. If you would like to host your own session, please let us know!

We hope to host our next in-person Annual Meeting in Cairo in May/June 2023, so stay tuned for more details soon!

If you have a session you’d like to host for our network, please reach out to us and let us know – we have a few member-driven sessions open for our network to design. We will be at COP27 and COP 28 in Sharm El Sheikh and Abu Dhabi, respectively, and we hope to represent the Arab region’s philanthropy sector and to collaborate with partners working on the climate crisis and engaging our network in conversations on how our sector can better address issues around climate in the fight for our planet’s survival.
Other Upcoming Events
October 2022 – DATE TBD: AFF will be hosting a webinar in preparation for COP27
 
18-21 October 2022:
AFF’s partner the Resource Alliance will be holding its annual international fundraising congress IFC from the 18-21 October 22022 online and in person. Here is the IFC Online page and you can explore the online programme here.

The IFC online ticket is £150 per person. The ticket incorporates the following items: IFC2022 online; Global Community membership, starting immediately and valid till August 2023 with free access to monthly keynotes and ask the expert webinars, and access to the library full with video content; and free access to #FRO, Fundraising Online Conference, in April 2023.

November 2022 – TBD: AFF will host several side events during COP27 taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. More information will follow soon.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Here are some additional resources from around the world we’ve collected that we think are helpful!
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BECOME A MEMBER AT AFF
For more information on how to join our growing network of members, please visit our website for a membership application.
The Arab Foundations Forum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization EIN 84-4966210.