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El Hibri Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.4M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $400,000-$1,000,000 (varies by year; nearly $1M in 2020-2021)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Grant funds distributed at end of calendar year
  • Grant Range: $25,000 average; up to $100,000
  • Geographic Focus: United States (national)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.elhibrifoundation.org
Email: info@elhibrifoundation.org
Phone: (202) 387-9500
Address: Ibrahim El-Hibri Building, 1420 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036

Overview

The El-Hibri Foundation was established in 2001 by philanthropists Ibrahim and Elisabeth El-Hibri and their family as a tribute to Ibrahim El-Hibri (1936-2007), who believed in the commonality of the three monotheistic religions and stressed their similarities instead of their differences. The foundation has assets totaling approximately $23.9 million and has provided hundreds of thousands to nearly a million dollars in grants annually. The foundation empowers and equips Muslim leaders and their allies to build thriving, inclusive communities through grants and innovative programs. Under the leadership of President Farhan Latif since 2015, the foundation draws upon faith values to build stronger, more resilient communities that advance pluralism and shared flourishing. In 2017, the foundation refined its strategic focus to three core areas: Advancing Inclusion, Building Capacity, and Organizing Communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation provides grants to U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations through an invitation-only process. When the grant cycle opens, select organizations are invited to submit Letters of Intent (LOIs) online. Grant amounts typically average $25,000, though some grants have reached $100,000. Grants are generally awarded for activities completed within a 12-month period, with funds distributed at the end of the calendar year. In 2023, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $400,000, while in 2020-2021, they invested nearly $1 million in grantee partners, much of it in the form of general operating and staffing support.

Priority Areas

In 2017, the foundation identified three focus areas for grantmaking:

  1. Advancing Inclusion: Implementing initiatives and programs to advance inclusion of American Muslim communities and promote inclusive societal norms
  2. Building Capacity: Equipping leaders and organizations with the training, skills, and approaches needed to maximize their organizational impact and reach high performance
  3. Organizing Communities: Catalyzing collaboration and collective action, and building coalitions and inclusive partnerships that strengthen civil society

Eligible activities include organizational capacity building, training, leadership development, and programs seeking to advance inclusion or organize communities.

What They Don't Fund

  • Capital expenditures
  • Political campaigns
  • Legislative lobbying efforts
  • Re-granting of funds to another organization
  • Activities undertaken primarily outside the United States
  • Organizations not registered as 501(c)(3) nonprofits

Governance and Leadership

President: Farhan Latif has led the foundation since 2015. Prior to joining the foundation, he led the think tank Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, where he advised White House officials and other agencies on national security and religious pluralism issues. As a student activist following 9/11, Latif observed that many local Muslim groups lacked the leadership and vision necessary to help defuse tension, lessons he now applies to building Muslim American civil society.

Board Leadership: Karim El-Hibri provides leadership to the Board of Trustees and the management team in shaping and achieving the foundation's mission.

Key Staff Members:

  • Patrick Cates, Senior Director of Philanthropic Partnerships
  • Catherine Orsborn, Director of Program Operations
  • Ibrahim Kadiri, Organizational Development Advisor
  • Greg Siegrist, Financial Operations
  • Dan Yar, Creative Producer
  • Eli Cordero, Building & Hospitality Manager

Leadership Vision: When Latif was appointed president, Chairman Fuad El-Hibri stated he has "full confidence in Farhan's ability to lead the El-Hibri Foundation team and take the Foundation to the next level, expanding the impact of the Foundation and raising awareness of the importance of peace education and respect for diversity."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The El-Hibri Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited proposals. When the grant cycle opens, select organizations are invited to submit Letters of Intent (LOIs) online for consideration. The foundation will not consider unsolicited applications, applications submitted by regular mail, or applications submitted outside of the listed grant cycle dates.

However, organizations whose work is consistent with the foundation's strategy and approach may submit a short pitch through the foundation's website. When LOIs are closely aligned with the foundation's initiatives, priorities, and goals, the foundation may ask these organizations to submit full grant proposals. Full proposals should only be submitted upon request, and a request should not be interpreted as a guarantee of a grant award.

All applications must be submitted electronically using the online form within the specified timeframe listed on the How to Apply page. An organization may submit only one application per grant cycle.

Decision Timeline

Grant funds are distributed at the end of the calendar year. The foundation encourages applicants to submit proposals for activities that will be completed within a 12-month period. Specific review timelines between LOI submission and notification are not publicly disclosed.

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly disclose success rates or acceptance rates. The invitation-only, multi-stage process suggests the grants are competitive. In recent years, the foundation has made approximately 16 grants annually.

Reapplication Policy

Information about whether unsuccessful applicants can reapply in future grant cycles is not publicly disclosed. Organizations should contact the foundation directly at info@elhibrifoundation.org for clarification on reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

Organizations that have successfully received grants from the El-Hibri Foundation share certain characteristics:

Alignment with Core Focus Areas: Successful grantees demonstrate strong alignment with the foundation's three focus areas: Advancing Inclusion, Building Capacity, and Organizing Communities. The foundation prioritizes organizations working specifically with American Muslim communities and their allies.

Long-term Partnerships: The foundation has shown a preference for building long-term relationships with grantees. For example, Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights has received annual, large-scale funding since 2003, totaling more than $1.9 million over nearly two decades, demonstrating the foundation's commitment to sustained investment in aligned organizations.

Examples of Funded Projects:

  • Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights - Received annual grants (as much as $100,000) since 2003 for leadership development and advocacy
  • Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) - Supported for community building; CEO Maha Freij was recognized with the 2022 Community Builder Award
  • Harvard University's Pluralism Project - Interfaith and educational initiatives
  • Interfaith Youth Core's "Better Together" initiative - Building interfaith understanding
  • Unity Productions Foundation - Documentary and filmmaking ventures promoting Muslim voices
  • Emgage Foundation - Muslim-American voter mobilization
  • Muslim Antiracism Collaborative - Advancing racial justice
  • Tannenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding - Peace education programs

Capacity Building Focus: In 2020-2021, much of the foundation's funding was directed toward general operating and staffing support, recognizing that organizational capacity is essential for mission achievement.

National Reach: While the foundation supports organizations working at various levels, they have a clear interest in nonprofits with national impact advancing inclusion of American Muslim communities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only process: You cannot submit an unsolicited full proposal, but you may submit a short pitch if your work aligns with their strategy. Building relationships and getting on their radar is essential.
  • Long-term commitment: The foundation demonstrates sustained investment in organizations that align with their mission, as evidenced by multi-year, substantial funding to organizations like Karamah.
  • Focus on Muslim communities specifically: While they support interfaith and pluralism initiatives, successful grantees center their work on empowering and including American Muslim communities.
  • Capacity building emphasis: Recent funding cycles have prioritized general operating support and staffing, not just programmatic funding.
  • Limited annual grantmaking: With only 16 grants made in 2023, competition is significant. Organizations must demonstrate strong alignment with all three focus areas.
  • 12-month grant period: The foundation prefers to fund activities completed within a year, with funds distributed at calendar year-end.
  • Contact before applying: Since unsolicited proposals aren't accepted, reach out to info@elhibrifoundation.org to discuss alignment before investing significant time in materials.

References

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