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 supports organizations working in the Middle East to initiate projects in international economic development, health, environmental issues, peace initiatives, microfinance, social entrepreneurship, education, reproductive health, women’s welfare and livelihoods, and arts and culture. It also funds American organizations promoting a deeper understanding of Middle Eastern issues and culture through various media and educational endeavors, with a keen interest in innovative, non-traditional approaches that promise broad, positive, and lasting impacts. The Trust prioritizes new methodologies with the potential to leverage modest funding for greater achievements and prefers to support smaller, local organizations with either unrestricted or project-specific donations.