Asfari Foundation

Background

The Asfari Foundation was founded in 2006 by Ayman and Sawsan Asfari to improve the quality of education and civil society in the Middle East. ¹ The organization has expanded its mission and provides grants to organizations that seek to promote a more left-of-center vision of foreign policy. ²

Ayman Asfari is a Syrian-born British businessman and former CEO of Petrofac, an oil and gas services company that designs, builds, and operates mineral extraction sites. ³ In 2017, Petrofac was the subject of a bribery investigation by the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office. ³ Petrofac ultimately pleaded guilty to systematically having engaged in bribe making to win oil contracts in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. ³ In 2020, Asfari stepped down as the CEO of Petrofac International and in 2022 left his position as a member of the company’s board of directors. ⁴

Finances

In 2021, the Asfari Foundation received £3,029,362 (approximately $3,684,325) in revenue, ⁵ made £3,098,384 (approximately $3,768,270) in expenditures, ⁵ and held £16,288,484 (approximately $19,810,136) in net assets. ⁵

Grantmaking

United States

The Asfari Foundation has contributed to both left-of-center and hawkish organizations that seek to influence United States foreign policy. These include The Syria Campaign, an organization that opposes any normalization of United States foreign policy towards Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, ⁶ and We Exist, an organization that lobbies the United States and European countries to refuse to return refugees to a Syria under Bashar al-Assad’s government. ⁷

The Asfari Foundation has also contributed to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an organization whose analyst, Rachel Kleinfeld, has argued that claims that American democracy is in decay are not overblown, ⁸ and pointed to former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) losing her primary after opposing former President Donald Trump as evidence of decay. ⁸ The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has also been critical of attempts by the United States to encourage a military alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel to combat Iran. ⁹

Between 2020 and 2021 the Asfari Foundation contributed to the Syria Campaign (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), We Exist! (£7,000) (approximately $8,513), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (£288,867) (approximately $351,321), and Jusoor (£50,000) (approximately $60,810). ¹⁰

In 2019 the Asfari Foundation contributed to the Syria Campaign (£115,207) (approximately $140,654), Syrian Civil Defense (£77,349) (approximately $94,386), the Atlantic Council (£37,736) (approximately $46,071) and the Black Pearl (£31,000) (approximately $37,847). ¹⁰

United Kingdom

The Asfari Foundation has contributed to left-of-center and nonpolitical organizations in the United Kingdom. The foundation contributed to Gaza Sky Geeks, an organization that provides free technical training in cloud computing to individuals in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. ¹¹

Between 2020 and 2021 the Asfari Foundation contributed to the Galilee Foundation (£150,000) (approximately $182,430), Gaza Sky Geeks (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), International Rescue Committee (£672,838) (approximately $821,044), Year Here, (£150,000) (approximately $182,430), CanDo  (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), Hands Up Foundation (£82,000) (approximately $100,062), Centre for Lebanese Studies (£5,000) (approximately $6,081), Humanitarian Leadership Academy (£30,261) (approximately $36,803), and Technovatio (£18,000) (approximately $21,891), Good Chance Theatre (£30,000) (approximately $36,486), and the Voices Project (£10,000) (approximately $12,162). ¹⁰

France

In 2020 and 2021 the Asfari Foundation contributed to three organizations in France: Women Now (£150,000) (approximately $182,430), Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), and Musawa (£7,000) (approximately $8,513); a Malaysian based nonprofit organization that seeks to promote a model of Islam throughout the world that aligns with left-of-center values and viewpoints. ¹²

In 2023, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, an organization that opposes the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, ¹³ successfully convinced French prosecutors to bring criminal charges in Paris against the Assad regime by strategically bringing claims on behalf of dual French-Syrian citizens, Mazen and Patrick Dabbagh, who died in Syrian prisons during the 2013 revolts in Syria. ¹⁴

Lebanon

Between 2020 and 2021 the Asfari Foundation contributed to Lebanese organizations that provide education, food security, and development aid to Syrian refugees. In addition, the foundation has supported organizations that seek to improve democracy and civil society in Lebanon, as well as environmentalist organizations. ⁵

Organizations supported by Asfari Foundation include Al-Fanar (£125,000) (approximately $152,025), Basman and Zeitooneh (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), ChangeLabs/Changemakers (£60,000) (approximately $72,972) , Fondation Diane (£150,000) (approximately $182,430), Pitchworthy (£265,059) (approximately $322,366), ShareQ (£157,000) (approximately $190,944), United Lebanon Youth Project (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), YMCA (£150,000) (approximately $182,430), DOT Lebanon (£7,500) (approximately $9,152), Labonon Support (£7,000) (approximately $8,541), Masar (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), Megaphone (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), Mentor Arabia (£7,000) (approximately $8,513), Nahnoo Association (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), Recycle Lebanon (£7,000) (approximately $8,513), Riyadah (£14,000) (approximately $17,027), Syrian Centre for Policy Research (£75,000) (approximately $91,520), American University of Beirut (£656,375) (approximately $798,286), Global Health Institute at the American University of Beirut (£160,000) (approximately $195,243), Humanitarian Leadership Academy (£7,000) (approximately $8,513), IDRAAC (£3,000) (approximately $3,649), and Injaz (£3,000) (approximately $3,649). ⁵

Israel

Between 2020 and 2021 the Asfari Foundation contributed to Citizens Build a Community (£7,000) (approximately $8,513), and Sanad (£5,000) (approximately $6,101). Citizens Build a Community is an organization that advocates for the rights of Arab citizens of Israel located within the 1948 armistice line or “green line” demarcating Israeli control. ¹⁵ The organization is a project of the Inter Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab issues. ¹⁵

Palestinian Territories

Between 2020 and 2021 the Asfari Foundation contributed Al-Fanar (£150,000) (approximately $182,430), Yes Theatre (£150,000) (approximately $182,430), Hakini (£12,000) (approximately $14,594), and the Al-Qods Foundation for Medical Schools in Palestine (£6,250) (approximately $7,601). ⁵

Leadership

Muna Abbas is the CEO of the Asfari Foundation. ¹⁶ Prior to leading the organization, Abbas was a country director for PLAN International’s Jordan office. ¹⁶ PLAN International is an organization that engages in a range of policy areas related to girls and young woman across the world including issues such as abortion and reproductive health. ¹⁷