From Charity to Social Change: Trends in Arab Philanthropy

Persistent societal problems and wealth creation in the Arab region are driving a new generation of actors to commit their resources for the greater public welfare. Widely known as philanthropy, voluntary contributions to causes that serve a public good are a longstanding and important aspect of cultures in the Arab region. What is of particular interest today is the proliferation of ways in which this private giving is being channeled into new institutional forms. In significant ways, some local philanthropy is becoming more strategic in its aims-by which is meant utilizing resources effectively to address the underlying causes of important social problems.

Through an examination of philanthropic trends in eight key Middle Eastern countries, this book seeks to shed light on the forms of institutionalized giving that currently exist, as well as to provide recommendations for how charitable contributions can be most effective as vehicles of future social change. Drawing on data collected from endowed corporate foundations, public-private partnerships between business leaders and governmental agencies, and small-scale community-based organizations, this study marks the first attempt to map the dynamic contemporary landscape of philanthropy in the Arab region.