Chairman Message
The genesis of the Arab Foundations Forum (AFF) presents an inspiring model of a joint pan Arab foundations initiative. The incremental, yet steady growth of AFF has been rooted in trust, transparency and integrity and fueled by the solid commitment, dedication and resilience of its founders.
The solid foundations upon which AFF has been built, allowed for its subsequent rapid growth and global positioning. Within less than a year, the membership of AFF has grown from 7 to over 35 foundations. Collaborative agreements are either concluded or underway with international institutions such as the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) and key networks in global philanthropy such as the Council on Foundations (CoF), the European Foundations Center (EFC), the World Wide Initiatives for Grantmakers Support (WINGS) and the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists (WCMP).
While the rapid growth in membership is testimony that the creation of AFF fills a niche long overdue in the Arab philanthropic sector, it presents AFF leadership with new challenges:
- AFF will continue to foster the spirit of dynamic engagement of its membership and to create a real value added for each of its members.
- AFF should craft responsive interventions that help member foundations enhance their governance systems, and improve the quality of their giving towards higher and more sustainable social returns. Creating a space for effective mutual learning, and catalyzing the inception of collaborative schemes and partnerships between its members can play a key role in this context.
- AFF needs to identify creative ways of engaging the private sector in its effort to strengthen the Arab philanthropic sector, since strategic corporate philanthropy can play a vital role in enhancing the well being of Arab citizens and their communities and in promoting and mainstreaming a more enabling legal environment for philanthropy in Arab countries.
- Building the institutional capacity of AFF and securing its long term financial sustainability and safeguarding its autonomy will remain essential success factors for AFF to realize its mission and fulfill its objectives.
- Strengthening the philanthropic sector in the Arab region through promoting more strategic, transparent, effective and sustainable modalities of philanthropy and social investment will continue to be the key guiding principle in all our efforts.
On behalf of the first elected Board of Directors, I wish to celebrate our incumbent members, welcome our new members and extend an invitation to those who are not with us yet, to come on board so we can build a critical mass of foundations which together are capable of making a difference.
Prof. Dr. Marwan Awartani
Chairman of the Arab Foundations Forum (AFF)