Qatar Foundation International, LLC (QFI)

Qatar Foundation International, LLC (QFI) is a United States-based member of the Doha-based and Qatari state-supported Qatar Foundation. 1 QFI primarily supports Arabic language education through grantmaking for state-funded primary and secondary school Arabic programs. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: For-profit
Website: www.qfi.org
Formation:

2009

Executive Director:

Omran Hamad Al-Kuwari

EIN:

20-5714317 (while operating as a 501(c)(3))

Affiliated with:

Qatar Foundation

Location: Washington, DC View on map
Tax ID: 20-5714317
Most Recent Filing: 2011
Budget (2011): Assets: $729,467 Revenue: $0 Expenses: $6,652,205

Contents

    Originally founded in 2009 as a private foundation, 3 4 QFI voluntarily terminated its status as a private foundation in 2012 and transferred its remaining funds to the Qatar Foundation. 5

    QFI has given millions of dollars to American state-funded primary and secondary schools and universities to support Arabic programs. 2 6 The organization has received criticism for offering lesson and curriculum materials with anti-American and antisemitic content. 7 7 8

    History and Leadership

    Qatar Foundation International was originally founded in 2009 as a 501(c)(3) private foundation. 3 4 That same year, it began Arabic language programs at partner high schools in Boston and Washington, D.C. 9 Washington Latin School in Washington, D.C., was one of QFI’s original partners. 9

    In 2012, QFI voluntarily terminated its status as a private foundation and transferred its remaining $506,935 balance to the Qatar Foundation, which is a registered foreign agent with the U.S. Department of Justice. 5 10 1 That same year, QFI formed its first elementary school partnership with Hamilton Heights School in New York City 9 and began teacher councils for Arabic teachers in Chicago, New York, Southern California, and Washington, D.C. 9 QFI formed New York City’s only Arabic dual-language immersion program in 2013 9 and expanded to the United Kingdom in 2017. 11

    Former Qatar Gas executive and economic advisor to the Qatari Minister of Economy and Commerce Omran Hamad Al-Kuwari is the CEO of Qatar Foundation International. 12

    Latrecia Wilsons is the acting executive director of QFI. Previously she worked at the Institute of International Education, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Save Darfur Coalition, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) labor union. 13

    Activities and Funding

    Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is a United States-based member of the Doha-based Qatar Foundation that supports Arabic language education through grantmaking for state-funded primary and secondary school Arabic programs. 2 6 QFI has been accused of supporting antisemitic and anti-Israel content in various U.S. schools with which QFI has ties. 14 15

    QFI sponsors “Classroom Connections” grants to fund trips for students to travel to Doha; 16 17 “Classroom Enrichment Grants” to primary and secondary school teachers in the U.S., UK, and Germany to teach Arabic or about the Arab world; 18 19 20 an Arabic Honor Society; 21 teacher leadership program grants for social sciences, humanities, and arts topics; 22 23 online Arabic resources; 24 trips to mosques; 25 classroom resource enrichment grants; and others. 26

    The organization also offers scholarships for first year college students to learn Arabic. QFI also offers unsolicited funding for those who would be ineligible for its other funding opportunities. 27

    QFI has been in collaboration with the American Councils for International Education to advance their goals of global education through world language education. 28

    Grantmaking Activities

    Between 2009 and 2017, Qatar Foundation International gave at least $30.6 million to public schools to fund Arabic language programs across the U.S. 29 QFI first made $625,000 of contributions to U.S. schools in the 2009-2010 school year. Washington Latin Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., was one of the first grant recipients and has received at least $1.04 from QFI since its inception. 30

    QFI also spent at least $5.5 million in the 2014-2015 school year; $3.8 million in the 2017-2018 school year; and $3.2 million in the 2016-2017 school year for its U.S.-based activities. 30

    QFI has entered into agreements with U.S. public schools that require these schools to give access to QFI. For example, a $465,000 contract between QFI and the Tucson Unified School district allowed QFI staff to observe classrooms, monitor progress, administer Arabic proficiency tests, and receive enrollment information. 7 31 QFI also gave $375,000 to the Portland, Oregon, public school system to pay for Arabic programs and fund trips to Doha. 32

    Al Masdar is QFI’s curriculum project. It offers one lesson entitled “Express Your Loyalty to Qatar” 7 and offers other lessons with anti-American and antisemitic material including lessons produced by the left-of-center Zinn Education Project, which teaches left-wing professor Howard Zinn’s version of American history. 7 Other lessons include “Whose ‘Terrorism’?”, which questions the definition of terrorism and creates scenarios for students to discuss, asking if “Israeli soldiers taunting and shooting children in Palestinian refugee camps, with the assistance of U.S. military aid,” should be considered an example of terrorism. 7 8

    School-Level Support

    Qatar Foundation International has supported Arabic programs and other activities at numerous institutions in the U.S. They include: 33

    • Arizona: Tuscon Unified School District, at least $640,243 (Tuscon) 32
    • California: Bell High School (Los Angeles), Elizabeth Learning Center (Los Angeles), Granada Hills Charter School (Los Angeles), Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)
    • Connecticut: Wilbur Cross High School (New Haven), Christopher Columbus Family Academy K-8 School (New Haven)
    • Hawaii: Campbell High School (Ewa Beach) 34
    • Illinois: Lindblom Math and Science Academy (Chicago) 25
    • Kentucky: Oldham County High School, $30,000 (Oldham) 35 36
    • Massachusetts: Boston Arts Academy (Boston), Boston Latin Academy (Boston)
    • Minnesota: Justice Page Middle School (Minneapolis), Success Academy (Bloomfield), Washburn High School (Minneapolis)
    • Montana: Irving Elementary School (Bozeman)
    • New York: P.S. 261 (New York City), P.S./I.S. 30 (New York City), 9 Hamilton Heights School (New York City) 9
    • North Carolina: Anne Chestnutt Middle School (Fayetteville)
    • Ohio: Chagrin Falls High School, $15,000 (Chagrin) 37
    • Oregon: Lincoln High School (Portland), West Sylvan Middle School (Portland) 32  
    • Texas: Arabic Immersion Magnet School, $90,000 (Houston), 38 Austin High School, $100,000 (Austin), Burnett Middle School (Austin) 39 40 41
    • Virginia: Harrisonburg High School (Harrisonburg)
    • District of Columbia: MacFarland Middle School, Washington Latin Public Charter School, 9 Kelly Miller Middle School 42
    • Washington State: OneWorld Now! (Seattle). 33

    According to the Center for Citizen Diplomacy, QFI also supports activities at K-12 schools in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. 43

    QFI has also provided funding or grants for summer Arabic programs, 44 Arabic teacher councils, 45 and other programs at several universities or academic programs including those at Brigham Young University (BYU), 46 Brown University 9 Columbia University, 47 Duke University, 9 Georgia State University, 48 Green Mountain College, 49 Portland State University, 50 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, 50 University of Maryland,  44 University of North Georgia, 51 University of Texas at Austin, 52 University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 44 and the Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth Program at Bowling Green, Kentucky. 44

    While operating as a nonprofit In 2011, QFI issued grants of $271,334 to Boston Arts Academy Foundation; $147,882 to the American Councils for International Education; $119,558 to the Tides Center; $116,840 to One World Now;  $101,700 to the Concordia Language Villages; $44,493 to the Washington Latin Public Charter School; $25,000 to the Global Language Project; $16,333 to the Lincoln High School PTA; $15,000 to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, and others. 53 That same year, QFI also spent $1,404,568 for its Arabic Language Culture Initiative. 54

    QFI has also issued grants to the Hawaii-based Pacific and Asian Affairs Council Hawaii 55 and the Chicago Center for Arabic Language and Culture (CALC). 56

    In addition to its work in the U.S., QFI supports programs in Austria, Brazil, 43 Canada, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. 57 58

    Funding

    Qatar Foundation International is currently a U.S.-based member of the Doha-based Qatar Foundation, which receives significant funds from the government of Qatar. 2 59 60

    Prior to terminating its nonprofit status in 2012, 61 QFI received a grant of $2,962,765 from the Qatar Foundation in 2010 62 and a grant of $7,232,066 from the Qatar Foundation in 2011. 63

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal ExpensesFiling
    2011 $729,467 $6,652,205 View
    2010 $331,366 $3,224,769 View

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Margaret Mitchell-SalemEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$218,677
    Emily FrancDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS$168,775
    Edward DjerejianDIRECTOR$18,250
    Patrick TherosDIRECTOR$18,250
    Vartan GregorianDIRECTOR$18,250
    Sanford WeillDIRECTOR$17,500

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

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