The Forward Leap Foundation is a left-of-center advocacy group founded by banker Eric Urbani in 1997. Urbani and his wife are the only listed board members of the organization.  ¹

The Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of Project 48, a curriculum designed to promote a Palestinian nationalist narrative of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (also known as the Israeli War of Independence) and its aftermath for Palestinians. ^{1 2}

Founding and History

Forward Leap was founded in 1997 by banker Eric Urbani. The group is the fiscal sponsor of Project 48, a curriculum designed to promote activism and education regarding a Palestinian narrative of the Arab-Israel War of 1948 (also known as the Israeli War of Independence), characterizing the period using the Palestinian nationalist term Nakba, which translates to “catastrophe” in Arabic. ^{2 1}

Finances

In 2022, the Forward Leap Foundation reported $46,278 in revenue, of which the entire amount was derived from contributions and grants. It reported $80,509 in expenses, of which the entire amount was allocated to professional fees and payments to independent contractors. The group ended the year with a net loss of $34,231 and net assets of $24,496. ³ According to its 2022 tax forms, the executive director and director did not receive salaries that year. ⁴ The group also received funding was from ImpactAssets, the Mal BDL Charitable Foundation, and the Schwab Charitable Foundation. ⁵

Projects and Initiatives

Forward Leap Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of Project 48, a curriculum that promotes Palestinian nationalist narrative of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (also known as the Israeli War of Independence) and its aftermath for Palestinians. ² The curriculum is designed to be utilized in specific high school, college-level, and semester-based courses as well as webinars and workshops. The curriculum is deigned to be used either whole or in part, and emphasizes concepts such as “settler colonialism” and “Zionism.” ⁶

The project also maintains a gallery of documents, photographs, and material artifacts associated with the original conflict as well as a catalog of video testimonials. ^{7 8}

Leadership

Eric Urbani is the executive director of the Forward Leap Foundation. Urbani previously worked in the finance industry and was the executive partner at the Black Emerald Group, a London-based bank from 1994 to 2016. Following this, he founded environmentalist firm  Belluno Organics. ⁹

Urbani founded the Forward Leap Foundation in 1997 and serves as its executive director as of 2024. His wife, Shaeda Urbani, is listed as a director and the only other board member of the Foundation. ^{9 4}

1. “Forward Leap Foundation.” Forward Leap Foundation. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://forwardleap.org/.
2. “History and Information of Nakba – Project48.” Project 48. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://project48.com/about/.
3. Forward Leap Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (Form 990) Part I, 2022.
4. Forward Leap Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (Form 990) Part IV, 2022.
5. “Forward Leap Foundation | Cause IQ.” Cause IQ. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/forward-leap-foundation,133941551/.
6.  “Palestinian Nakba Curriculum – Project48.” Project 48. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://project48.com/curriculum-overview/.
7. “Images on the History of Nakba – Project48.” Project 48. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://project48.com/galleries/.
8. “Testimonies of Survivals of the Nakba – Project48.” Project 48. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://project48.com/testimonies/.
9. “Eric Urbani | LinkedIn.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericurbani/.