The Velaj Foundation Pledges $100,000 for EFE's Catalyst Fund in Celebration of EFE's 100K Graduates
March 20th, 2020 – Education For Employment (EFE) is proud of our long-standing partnership with The Velaj Foundation, whose investments in EFE’s strategic priorities and operational capacity since 2013 have accelerated EFE’s growth with impact. Now the leading nonprofit across the Middle East and North Africa tackling youth unemployment, EFE has supported over 100,000 youth to enter the world of work. EFE and The Velaj Foundation share a vision that when youth have the hope and dignity of employment, they can build a brighter future.
To celebrate this milestone, The Velaj Foundation has pledged an additional $100,000 in 2020, symbolizing $1 for every graduate in support of EFE’s Catalyst Fund. This builds on over $400,000 provided by The Velaj Foundation over the past seven years, as part of its steadfast vision to create outsized impact by investing in strategic priorities and operational capacity. Previous awards have supported EFE’s innovation as well as digital transformation (website, technology platform, monitoring & evaluation system, online curriculum), alumni mentoring programs, and gatherings of the EFE Network to share learnings and coordinate strategic decisions.
This year, The Velaj Foundation’s contribution to EFE’s Catalyst Fund will continue to support high priority initiatives and operations, including innovation, communications, and videos to tell the stories of the transformative journeys of youth we serve. EFE’s Catalyst Fund overall focuses on digitizing our courses and adapting content to meet demand by the modern job market, a more unified technology platform for our operations, employer and corporate outreach, and a toolkit to replicate EFE’s model.
About EFE
Education For Employment is the leading network of non-profit organizations that tackles youth unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our mission is to empower youth in the MENA region with demand-driven skills that lead to employment, dignity and hope. The EFE Network partners with over 3,000 employers and to date has connected over 105,000 graduates to the world of work. For more information, please visit www.efe.org or contact Jasmine Nahhas di Florio, Senior Vice President, jnahhasdiflorio@efe.org.
About The Velaj Foundation
The Velaj Foundation was created in 2007 by Alexander Velaj, Board Chair and Executive Director. The Foundation provides funding with a focus on outsized impact illustrating the power of philanthropy on a local and global scale.
