Lebanon’s squeezed nonprofits’ hunt for funding

The ability to attract donations and sponsors is a vital factor in an organization’s survival and is generally regarded as a full-time commitment in the nonprofit sector. Lebanese nonprofit organizations (NPOs) succeed in this endeavor only when they understand their audience and can engage them creatively—despite the many challenges. The NPO management that Executive spoke with in August all agreed that the present economic downturn has made it increasingly challenging to raise funds, as charity spending is often the first thing to go when belts are tightened and budgets cut. Fady Gebrane, president of road safety awareness nonprofit Kunhadi, says that his latest bi-annual Taxi Night—a major fundraising and awareness event for the organization, held most recently on August 6—was only able to acquire two sponsors willing to fork over the full amount of $10,000 each, whereas previously the organization averaged five sponsors per Taxi Night. To maintain their fundraising