Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

‘Arab Americans Stories’ wins national award for diversity

The documentary series “Arab American Stories,” produced by Detroit Public Television (DPTV) and PBS, was recently selected to win a Belva Davis Broadcaster Award from the SAG-AFTRA American Scene Awards for presenting a “varied and multifaceted view of Arab Americans from all walks of life.” The American Scene Awards honors productions in the industry that…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Fall Grantee Roundup

Mark your calendars! Our fall grantees are offering an endless lineup of opportunities for Arabic-style fun and education. Sign up for Arabic classes with Mizna, engage in cross-cultural dialogue with the Iraqi Art Project (organized by the Iraqi American Reconciliation Project), treat your ears with Al-Bustan’s Arab Music Concert Series, or check out any number…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Ahlan wa sahlan to our newest board member!

The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is pleased to officially welcome Noha El-Shareif to our Professional Advisory Board. Noha brings over twelve years of experience within the Financial Services, Research and Management Consulting industries in Canada and the United States. Having worked closely with HR business partners, Noha has a solid understanding of the…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Travel philanthropy with a twist

  Kindness is a powerful force—lending our lives meaning and quite often giving us exactly what we need to move forward. In the case of Leon Logothetis, random acts of kindness helped transport him from Times Square all the way to Hollywood on just $5 a day. Inspired by the true story of Che Guevara…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

New film seeks to define philanthropy

What do we mean when we talk about philanthropy? An upcoming documentary by Grand Valley professor Salvatore Alaimo reveals how little we really know. “I don’t know. I think it has something do with money, maybe?”                             “Usually that’s when a rich person does something without taking a profit for someone in need.” More often than…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Travel Philanthropy: A river ride through Turkey and Iraq

Adventurers and activists unite! Nature Iraq is offering the opportunity of a lifetime in the form of a boat trip down the Tigris River. For 2-14 days in September, the Tigris River Flotilla invites you to explore the riverbanks of Turkey and Iraq and team up with local communities to help conserve the natural environment….

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Proactive philanthropy and immigration reform

The philanthropic community has the opportunity to make 2013 a historic year for immigration policy. Earlier this year, the Obama administration proposed a four-pronged approach to comprehensive immigration reform: Strengthening Border Security Cracking Down on Employers Hiring Undocumented Workers Implementing a Pathway to Earned Citizenship Streamlining Legal Immigration These measures are meant to protect civil…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Want to be happy? Help others!

Cats have it pretty easy: all it takes to please them is some quality petting time, a saucer of milk, and a nap in the sun. Humans are decidedly more complex, although napping in the sun sounds pretty appealing! Shopping for a new item of clothing or the latest music from your favorite artist will…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Immigrant philanthropy and start-up success

Without a doubt, immigrants have dramatically shaped the American business landscape. Did you know that half of all entrepreneurs are immigrants? If you take a look at some of the largest American companies (Google, Yahoo!, Facebook), chances are you will find they have foreign-born founders. Because the U.S. acts as an incubator for innovation and…

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Center for Arab American Philanthropy Pattern

Zakat al-Fitr

The end of Ramadan is always marked with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, when Muslims break their fast after 30 days of dawn-to-dusk abstinence of food and drink. This time of year is also highly charitable, as adherents to Islam offer “Zakat al-Fitr” to those who are most in need. Zakat is one of the…

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