Our Impact

Through our venture philanthropy approach, Alfanar has provided funding, training and management support to 185 social enterprises across the Arab region focussed on tackling challenges related to education, empowerment, employment and the environment. With two decades of experience supporting local innovators, Alfanar Venture Philanthropy continues to foster a growing ecosystem of social enterprises, operating as a catalyst for financial sustainability and business growth for impact.

Impact on Social Enterprises

Our support for social enterprises has enabled more than half of our portfolio to achieve sustainable growth or break-even, with a marked increase in both social impact and self-generated revenue. By prioritizing financial sustainability and management support, we ensure that our support far outlasts our investment.

Through financial contributions totalling £8 million to date, our social enterprises have generated £18 million in revenue through the sale of goods and services. In 2023, Alfanar’s social enterprises achieved a 66% cost recovery rate – shifting social enterprises from donor dependency to self-reliance.

Impact on Lives

The sustainable business growth of our social enterprises has generated increasing opportunities to improve the livelihoods of disadvantaged communities. To date, our support has directly impacted the lives of over 400,000 individuals. We have provided nearly 60,000 children with access to high-quality education and over 40,000 women with access to economic opportunity.

To find out about our impact in 2023, read our Annual Report. 

Alfanar has been an ally for years, and is among the few organizations that understands what it is to be doing deep social impact in a self-sustainable way and in a fragile context. Thank you for the ongoing support to our mission and to all of the refugees working with us as tutors and translators.

– NaTakallam Co-Founder and CEO, Aline Sara. Find out more about Alfanar’s support for NaTakallam here. 

One of the most important aspects we gained from the programme with Alfanar is learning how to develop our tools to measure our social impact correctly.

– Delta Oil CEO and Founder, Serag Moussa. Find out more about Alfanar's support for Delta Oil here.