The Cairo office makes grants in the Middle East and North Africa.
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Ford Foundation
P.O. Box 2344
Cairo, Egypt
Tel. (+20) 2-2795-2121
Fax (+20) 2-2795-4018
ford-cairo@fordfoundation.org
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Creating Opportunities
The foundation has been making grants in the Middle East and North Africa for half a century. Over the years, it has adapted its programs to keep pace with the region's changing needs. In consultation with leading researchers, academics, activists and policymakers, our staff has worked to develop effective strategies and identify emerging opportunities focused on some of the most pressing issues in the region. The staff is composed largely of professionals and administrators from the region.
After opening a regional office in Beirut in 1953 and a country office in Cairo in 1959, we focused on assisting societies in the region faced with the challenges of building nation-states and securing a just future. With the closure of the Beirut office in 1975, the Cairo office became our regional office. In 2008, our grant making in the region totaled more than $25.6 million.
Strengthening Regional Cooperation
Our work currently focuses on institution-building and on initiatives that benefit the region as a whole. Our regional grant making draws on common historical, cultural and linguistic influences as well as the intertwined politics of the region. Much of our grant making focuses on Egypt and the Palestinian territories because of the central role of each in regional development. The heart of our work is strengthening cooperation by addressing issues—such as conflict, poverty and unequal access to opportunities—that affect the development process.
We also seek to help scholars and researchers engage in regional dialogue. For example, through a set of grants to institutes in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian territories, we support joint research and publication projects, regional seminars, common Web sites and other efforts to attain greater visibility and sustainability by pooling resources.