Near East Foundation (NEF)

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.

Our work is based on a conviction that, to play an active role in the development of their communities and countries, people need opportunities and tools: the knowledge to participate in civic and economic life, a voice in public decisions that affect their wellbeing, and a means of making a meaningful living. We call this approach “Knowledge, Voice, and Enterprise”- a philosophy reflected in all of NEF’s work.

For nearly 30 years, NEF has developed sustainable, community-based approaches to manage forests, fisheries, rangelands, and agricultural lands in Mali. NEF projects alleviate poverty, reduce conflict, and build institutional capacity in a region that is vulnerable to famine, climate change, and disputes over natural resources. NEF has fostered long-standing relationships of trust in Mali by proving its effectiveness with successful initiatives at multiple scales—from isolated villages, to local governments, to the national policy arena.