Table of Contents

1 Executive Director’s Message2 Our Mission and Vision3 Where We Work4 An Unprecedented Agreement6 Connecting Elementary Schools to New Ways of Learning8 Enhancing Infrastructure for Safe Travel to School in the West Bank10 Empowering Palestinian Youth through Technology11 Restoring Vision for Cataract Patients14 Providing Special Needs Children with the Tools for Success15 Caring for the Most Vulnerable16 Board of Directors and Gifts In Kind17 Financial Summary18 Donor Acknowledgements19 Join ACP to Make a Difference in Palestine

American Charities for Palestine

Report design by Timothy Schommer Design, Ltd.

Thank you for your generosity.This progress report represents a remarkable first five years at American Charities for Palestine. Since our inception in 2008, we have worked to strengthen Palestine’s education and health sectors by enabling safe giving to Palestinian partner organizations. With the support of our generous donors, family foundations and volunteers, American Charities for Palestine has delivered more than $600,000 to our partners in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Your investments in education enhanced students’ learning environments, particularly when it came to accessing technology, and helped ensure that future generations will have the skills they need to build Palestinian institutions, strengthen the economy and join a productive workforce. Your investments in health improved accessibility and the quality of basic and specialized services, with a focus on ensuring that the most vulnerable individuals get the care they need.

This past year in particular has been one of tremendous growth. American Charities for Palestine has formed new partnerships, doubled our number of supporters, and adopted more robust tools to continuously monitor and evaluate our operations. ACP has also established a blog and joined several social media networks, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which enables us to interact with our supporters in the United States, Palestine and beyond.

While we celebrate our accomplishments, the situation in Palestine has deteriorated in the last five years. Palestinian hospitals must often refer patients who require specialized care abroad; many primary and secondary schools lack adequate infrastructure and are severely under-resourced. Meanwhile, an increasing number of Palestinians have fallen into poverty, surviving on less than $2 per day. These developments strengthen our resolve to do whatever we can to improve education and health care for Palestine’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations.

The steadfast support of donors and volunteers has made the work outlined here possible. We are privileged to pursue our mission to improve education and health care in Palestine on your behalf.

With gratitude,

Elizabeth Arend, MPHExecutive Director

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Our MissionAmerican Charities for Palestine (ACP) is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization that promotes the development of Palestine’s education and

health sectors in partnership with other institutions. We believe that every Palestinian should have access to high-quality education and health care.

Our VisionAs a reflection of Palestinian values and in recognition that access to education and health care is a basic human right, ACP envisions a Palestinian

state in which all citizens have access to education and health services that meet global standards of excellence and support their self-determination and dignity.

Photo courtesy ofOne Laptop Per Child

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Where We WorkACP works with various partner organizations throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The following is a list of those organizations and their respective locations of operation:

St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group• Jerusalem• Hebron• Anabta• Gaza City

Spafford Children’s Center• Jerusalem• Bethany

Four Homes of Mercy• Bethany

Beit Ur El Tahta• Road project outside Ramallah

One Laptop Per Child• Nablus• Salfit• Ramallah• Bethlehem• Hebron• Qabatia

LEBANON

Gaza Strip

West Bank

Dea

d Se

a

Mediterranean Sea

EGYPT

SYRIA

JORDAN

ISRAEL

Hebron

Bethlehem

Jerusalem

Nablus

Salfit

Anabta

Qabatia

Ramallah

Gaza City

An Unprecedented AgreementIn August 2008, ACP signed an historic memorandum of understanding with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that allows ACP to identify potential beneficiaries through USAID’s ongoing partnerships with Palestinian organizations. This

agreement, which is the first of its kind, allows ACP to partner with organizations that have previously undergone USAID’s vetting process.

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ACP Chairman Dr. Ziad Asali and USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore (center) celebrate the signing of ACP’s historic memorandum of understanding with colleagues, August 2008.

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“Many Palestinian organizations have undergone USAID’s vetting process for two main reasons: First, it demonstrates that we are against all forms of violence. Second, it is pragmatic. Accessing USAID funding has enabled Palestinians to build strong infrastructure, schools and improve health and education.”

—Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, CEO of Augusta Victoria Hospital, Jerusalem

Connecting Elementary Schools to New Ways of LearningIn 2009, ACP partnered with the One Laptop per Child Association and the Ministry of Education to deliver 1,000 laptops to 13 elementary schools in Nablus, Salfit, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Qabatia. The rugged, low-power laptops have enhanced these schools’ curricula by

providing content and software designed for “collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning.”

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Enhancing Infrastructure for Safe Travel to School in the West BankIn partnership with the Sheikh Mohammed Shami Foundation, USAID and CHF International, ACP facilitated a $400,000 infrastructure development project in the West Bank village of Beit Ur El-Tahta in 2009. These funds were used to pave the village’s main road and install sidewalks, guardrails and street lights. The project also created much-needed job opportunities for more than 70 workers, the majority of whom lost construction jobs in Israel following the Second Intifada. The enhanced infrastructure benefits the village’s 5,000 residents, including hundreds of students who now have a safe route to walk to and from school.

Main road in Beit Ur Al Tahta before (top left) and after project completion (bottom left). Men at work during construction (right).

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Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (third from left) attends the ribbon cutting ceremony following the completion of the infrastructure development project in Beit Ur El-Tahta.

MYTecC participants with Rami Nasser Edin. >

Empowering Palestinian Youth through TechnologyAs part of ACP’s broader effort to improve education in the West Bank, ACP facilitated a $50,000 donation from philanthropist Craig Newmark to the Mediterranean Youth Technology Club (MYTecC). MYTecC is an innovative new program that builds leadership capacity and cross-cultural skills among Palestinian youth through technology and social media. Through this network, participants communicate collaboratively, express themselves through various technological tools and social media platforms, and learn about their peers who live in different cultures.

“MYTecC is a new adventure for kids. When we connect kids who are 14 or 15 years old with kids from abroad, they can really break stereotypes...we have a platform where they can connect with each other, talk with each other and understand the culture of each country. MYTecC opened that space and created an opportunity for youth to explore the world.”

—Rami Nasser Edin, MYTecC Project Manager, Jerusalem

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Restoring Vision for Cataract PatientsSt. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group is Palestine’s leading provider of charitable eye care to Palestinians throughout Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. ACP’s $27,000 donation in 2011 funded operations for patients who had been blinded by cataracts—Palestine’s

leading cause of preventable blindness. Without ACP’s support, these patients would not have been able to afford treatment.

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“ACP’s donation helped more than 100 cataract patients from the West Bank and Gaza to restore their vision and see the world again.”

—David Dahdal, St. John Eye Hospital Development Director

A young patient receivesan eye exam at St. JohnEye Hospital, East Jerusalem,October 2012.

Photo courtesy ofElizabeth Arend

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A mother and child wait for the child’s check-up at the St. John Eye Hospital’s pediatric clinic in East Jerusalem, October 2012.

Photo courtesy ofElizabeth Arend

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Providing Special Needs Children with the Tools for SuccessACP’s $5,000 donation to the Spafford Children’s Center in 2009 supported psychological, social and educational services for some of the most vulnerable children in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Spafford Children’s Center also provides speech and play therapy, as well as a variety of

cultural, sporting and artistic activities for local children.

Photo courtesy ofSpafford Children’s Center

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Caring for the Most VulnerableIn 2011, ACP provided $10,000 to the Four Homes of Mercy, a clinical residence for severely neurologically disabled Palestinians in the West Bank. ACP’s donation supported 24-hour clinical care and therapeutic services for the facility’s 78 residents, including 25 children and 53 adult men and women, whose families are unable to care for them at home. In addition to clinical services, the Four Homes of Mercy provides weekly music and dance therapy, occupational therapy, art therapy, recreational trips and weekly social events for its residents.

Photo courtesy ofElizabeth Arend

Board of DirectorsGhassan Salameh, Chair

Dr. Hani Findakly Juan Zarate

Emeritus Board Members

Naila AsaliDr. Ziad AsaliJesse I. AweidaMaria Aweida

Amb. Wendy ChamberlainOmar Kader

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Gifts In KindACP is grateful to the following individuals who have generously donated

their time, energy and talents to further ACP’s mission.

Naila AsaliFlannery BergMar Ghaleb

Sarah HolewinskiJamie Leadens Johnson

Michael KleinmanElizabeth LucasMichael Pirog

Pam TotahFrancisco Vieira

Photo courtesy ofSpafford Children’s Center

Statement of Activities

RevenueContributions - $136,025

ExpensesPrograms & Services - $103,712

Support ServicesGeneral & Administrative - $16,449

Fundraising - $1,546

Total Expenses - $121,707Net Assets Beginning of Year - $16,962

Net Assets End of Year - $31,280Change in Net Assets - $14,318

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Financial Summary: 2011*(Jan. 1, 2011-Dec. 31, 2011)

GENE

RAL

&

ADMIN

PROGRAMS

&

SERVICES

14%

85%

FUNDRAISING

1%

%

OFEXPENSES

*This is the most recent audited financial data as of the date of publication.For detailed, audited financial reports for 2008-2011, see www.americaforpalestine.org

FoundationsThe Franciscans NetworkInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtKenneth Ellis Family FoundationOne Laptop per Child AssociationPeace and Reconciliation CharitiesSheikh Mohammed Shami FoundationUnited WayAndrew D. Zacks Foundation

Individual DonorsJames J. AbdoLayla AksakalRandi AliSaad Fawzi Al KhayyatMustafa Al-OmariFarouk AlomayyedIbrahim Al-TouqJo Anne AmouraNahia Jean AmouraAnonymous (2)Jennifer Arend & Stephen BeckerRolf & Elaine ArendDr. Ziad & Naila AsaliDilek AykutSayd Mobarak Abdullad BaarmhSamiah BahuurDiana BairdDr. Asoka BandarageDavid & Geri BergFlannery BergMary Brooner

Sarah BroonerRami BibiAmb. Wendy ChamberlinArchana ChidanandanErika CornelisenEdith B. CummingsRobert DunlapMazen ElbaltagiBasim FarisColleen FarleeMichael FetchoKimberly Flowers Dr. Hani Findakly Faris Ghawi Nadia GilSteven GoeringLouise Green Nishat HassanMatthew Hawksworth Eva Elizabeth HayesAmb. Edmund & Amal HullJohn JacobMildred JaslowAmb. Robert KeeleyJane T. KelleyDr. Anita KholiMichael KleinmanWarren KomisMissy LaneJo Anne Y. LangWilliam LangSamuel Lewis

Bill LonnemanNathalie LonsdaleElizabeth Lucas & Robert BakerPatrick MackenzieN.J. MarreroJuliana MeehanGeorge MendenhallSeiphemo MonnapulaBarry Morley Omar MusaAdib NadarCraig Newmark Charles Nuttall-SmithSilke OssenkoppMartha Gregg PriceAaron RanckMarjorie RansomRita ReichertRobby ReyesItai Rosovsky Khalid M. Saffarini Ghassan SalamehHarvey SchusslerJamil ShamiSarab ShamoonIrene StevensonDavid TabakRichard Vogler & Sabrina DalyAnn WadmanDerek Wadman Anwar ZamelJuan & Cynthia Zarate

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Donor Acknowledgements

Join ACP to Make a Difference in Palestine

DONATE NOW

When it comes to improving access to high-quality education and health care in Palestine, every dollar counts. You may send a check payable to “American Charities for Palestine” or give online through our secure website, www.americaforpalestine.org. All donations to American Charities for

Palestine are tax-deductible.

LEAVE A LEGACY

When you donate to ACP through your estate or long-term financial plans, you ensure that future generations of Palestinians will have access to high-quality education and health care. Visit ACP’s website or contact plannedgiving@acpal.org for more information.

GIVE THROUGH THE CFC CAMPAIGN

ACP joined the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) as a member of Peace and Reconciliation Charities in 2011. The CFC runs an annual campaign from September to December to support eligible nonprofits and philanthropy in health and human service projects domestically and internationally, by soliciting donations from federal employees at the workplace in their local offices on behalf of participating charity organizations. The CFC is the

largest and most successful workplace philanthropic campaign.

ESTABLISH AN ACP FAMILY FUND

ACP Family Funds empower individuals to fundraise among their own family members for education and health projects of their choice. By making a contribution, these family members can make tax-deductible gifts to ACP and collectively decide how the funds will be spent. For more

information, contact familyfunds@acpal.org.

GIVE THROUGH EMPLOYER MATCHING FUNDS

Many U.S. employers match their employees’ charitable gifts dollar for dollar–some will double or even triple match donors’ gifts. Your $100 contribution can easily turn into a $200 or even $300 gift for the charity of your choice through your company’s matching gift program. We

encourage you to contact your human resources department to ask about your company’s guidelines regarding matching gifts. Even if you’re retired, you may still be eligible to participate in your former employer’s program.

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