About Alfanar
Alfanar is the first Arab venture philanthropy organisation. Alfanar aims to improve lives in disadvantaged communities throughout the Arab region by fostering the growth of strong, self-reliant, enterprising organisations that effectively respond to pressing community needs.
Alfanar was started by Tarek Ben Halim in 2004, guided by the vision that over time strengthening organisations and their leaders will not only improve lives but transform communities.
Alfanar has been working in Egypt for over 6 years, and is expanding into Lebanon in 2011. The innovative organisations and daring leaders Alfanar supports are working tirelessly to improve early childhood education, enhance economic opportunities, especially for women, widen access to health care, combat domestic violence and raise awareness of social, economic, and human rights.
Alfanar employs a venture philanthropy approach to help charities, nonprofits, and social enterprises in the Arab region fulfill their social objectives while becoming more financially independent.
To learn more about how Alfanar works with its partners, you can watch the video on our Hub page.
What is venture philanthropy?
Put simply, venture philanthropy means combining a business-minded approach with charitable giving.
Alfanar supports organisations with social objectives, exhibiting leadership, bold ideas, a long-term focus, and a commitment to income generation. Alfanar builds long-term partnerships with these enterprising organisations, providing them with a package of support that includes financial grants, regular management guidance, and volunteer expert advice.