Alfanar

Alfanar is the Arab region’s first venture philanthropy organisation providing capital as well as management support to promising social enterprises addressing critical issues in Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. With a focus on refugee and other disadvantaged communities, Alfanar, which is headquartered in London but with regional offices, seeks to help businesses scale their impact and become financially sustainable. Key focus areas are: education, youth employment, the environment, and women’s economic empowerment.

  • Organisation type Venture philanthropy
  • Year founded 2004
  • Headquartered London
  • Registration Lebanon · Netherlands · United Kingdom · Jordan · United States · Egypt · Palestine
  • Website https://www.alfanar.org

Related sustainable development goals

  • Quality Education
  • Gender Equality
  • Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Reduced Inequalities
  • Responsible Consumption and Production

Focus areas

Focus sectors

  • Development
    • Economic development
      • Community improvement
      • Employment
    • Business and industry
      • Entrepreneurship
    • Sustainable development
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Human rights
    • Female empowerment
    • Equality
  • Humanitarian
    • Food banks
    • Thrift shops
    • Food aid
    • Youth development
  • Philanthropy
    • Venture philanthropy
    • Nonprofits
  • Public affairs
    • Leadership development

Focus populations

  • Low-income people
  • Refugees and displaced people
  • Women and girls
  • Working poor
  • Young adults

Focus geographies

  • Middle East
    • Lebanon
    • Palestine
    • Jordan
  • North Africa
    • Egypt

Grantees

  • BEDCO
  • Bridge. Outsource. Transform. (BOT)
  • Bright Tomorrow for Child Protection (BTCP)
  • Educate Me
  • FabricAID
  • Future Eve Foundation
  • Heya Masr
  • INAASH
  • L'Artisan du Liban
  • Life Vision for Development
  • Natakallam
  • SE Factory
  • Tabshoura
  • Takafoo

Partners

  • Future Eve
  • Global Fund for Widows
  • SODIC Developments
  • TheirWorld
  • UK Aid Direct

Programmes

  • Combat Crisis Campaign
    The mobilisation of funds to support vulnerable populations across the Middle East.
  • Venture Philanthropy Fund
    Supporting ambitious social enterprises to develop sustainable revenue streams and breaking the cycle of donor dependency. Alfanar offers funding and management support to its investees.

Financials

Funding model

  • Grants to organisations
  • Impact investing
  • Pro bono services
    • Pro bono program design and analysis services
  • Programme related investment

Primary funders

  • Al Nowais Investments
  • Aramco
  • Asfari Foundation
  • Coca-Cola
  • Dara Holdings
  • Drosos Foundation
  • Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany (BMZ)
  • Global Fund for Widows
  • Gulf International Bank (GIB)
  • Lubna S Olayan
  • Ripplewood
  • Social Entrepreneurship for Migration and Development (SEMD)
  • Sodic
  • Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC)
  • Tarek Ben Halim
  • Theirworld

Funding source

  • Corporate
  • Fundraising
  • Private
  • Revenue generation

Operations

Key staff

  • Fadel Zayan, investment director
  • Michelle Mouracade, Anara Impact Capital, head of investor relations, impact and operations
  • Nicolas Kroger, operations director
  • Safia Tmiri, executive director
  • Shenouda Bissada, Egypt country director
  • Suha Abdul Rahim, Jordan and Palestine country director
  • Youmna Assaf, Anara Impact Capital, head of investments

Board members

  • Lubna S. Olayan, chair
  • Ajmad Bseisu
  • Samir Assaf
  • Charlotte Boyle
  • Maysa Jalbout
  • Cynthia J. Oakes
  • Sherif Foda
  • Julia Middleton

Contact details

More

Resources

Giving hope: how Alfanar has partnered with the Global Fund for Widows and Future Eve Foundation to change thousands of women's lives in Egypt. Read more

Alfanar case study: Transforming lives through venture philanthropy. Read more

Podcast: Listen to Alfanar executive director Myrna Atalla and Acumen founder Jacqueline Novogratz in conversation with Maysa Jalbout in this podcast episode of The Impact Room.  Listen here

Building back: The Beirut port explosion devastated the city. It also inspired new ways to fund. Read more

 
Reports from Alfanar:

Alfanar audited accounts for 2022. Download

Alfanar impact report for 2023. Download