The mission of the Trust is two-fold: to help improve the lives of the people in countries of the Middle East and to foster greater understanding of Middle Eastern culture in the United States.
The Trust makes grants to organizations that work in the following countries in the Middle East: Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Palestine (Occupied Territories), Yemen, Egypt, North Africa. Countries further afield (such as the Gulf countries, Sudan, or Afghanistan) may be considered, but will not be given priority.
The Trust welcomes innovative ideas in the fields of:
The Trust also makes grants to American organizations that promote a deeper understanding of Middle Eastern issues and culture (particularly related to the countries listed above) in the United States.
Every applicant, whether American or foreign, must provide the Trust with sufficient proof of its bona fides—including providing the names of people and organizations it works with and proof that it has done due diligence in relation to those people and organizations—so as to satisfy requirements of the U.S. Government.