Work

A radically different approach is needed to meet the Arab region's growing social challenges.

The Challenge

The Arab region is the only region in the world where poverty has increased over the past decade. Systemic social and economic challenges hinder access to quality education, employment and wellbeing. This is particularly felt by women, children, refugees, youth and people living in rural areas.

Alfanar Venture Philanthropy invests in innovative social enterprises working to address these challenges. By providing long-term funding, hands-on management support and tailored training, we ensure their sustainability and lasting impact on the communities they serve.

Our work is focused on four key areas in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals – with gender equality as a cross-cutting priority.

Employment: Empowering job seekers with essential skills and opportunities to achieve dignified and sustainable employment.

Education: Providing access to high-quality education to enable children and youth to reach their full potential and secure a better future.

Empowerment: Supporting women within disadvantaged communities with the tools and resources they need to secure dignified livelihoods.

Environment: Promoting sustainable consumption and job growth.

Our Response

At Alfanar Venture Philanthropy, we have developed a comprehensive approach to foster the growth of social enterprises in the Arab region. Our model is built around the 4S's: SEED, SUSTAIN, SCALE, and SPREAD. This approach allows us to support social enterprises at various stages of their development, ensuring they receive the tailored assistance they need to grow their business and impact.

SEED: 6-8 months of accelerated training, financial awards and business planning. Our foundational training programme for SEED social enterprises covers: theory of change, financial management, governance, impact measurement and management, and business planning.

SUSTAIN: long-term, flexible grants and zero-interest loans, management support and bespoke applications and analytics. Our signature support package provides social enterprises with the stability required to concentrate on expanding and enhancing their impact and financial sustainability.

SCALE: enabling breakout social enterprises to expand their reach regionally through financial instruments including social franchising and convertible loans.

SPREAD: growing the venture philanthropy movement globally by supporting entrepreneurship, unleashing capital and shifting perspectives towards strategic and sustainable change.