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Advocacy

"AWTAD's Advocacy Issue: Private Philanthropic Foundations"

Posted June 5, 2009 by Martina Bennett

The legacy of restrictions on endowments and confiscation or private property has created a major obstacle to institutional giving in Egypt. The waqf institution has lost its prominence in Egypt over the past 40 years, as a result of the government’s overhaul of the waqf system. The rise of moassasat is an important response to the decline of waqf, but it’s also a result of legislative restrictions on the operations of private associations and the occasional government interventions in their affairs. AWTAD hosted a high-profile conference on the topic of "Structuring Philanthropy for the Future of Egypt" at the Corporate Ambassadors Conference and invited key Ministers to sit on panel sessions. AWTAD lobbied the Ministry of Finance to change taxation laws regarding money spent in philanthropy, and the Ministry of Social Organizations to allow the creation of major foundations under the NGO laws. They also used the event to form committees that followed up with one-on-one discussions with various ministries. Following the conference, an article appeared on the local media reporting that the Ministry of Social Affaires is reconsidering its restrictions on NGOs in Egypt.

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