About Circle
Circle is a community platform dedicated to strengthening the impact and effectiveness of philanthropy in the Middle East and beyond.
Circle is partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative, and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We are a hub to foster connections and facilitate knowledge sharing to empower philanthropic actors from across the Middle East to do more with their giving. We aim to nurture a thriving culture of philanthropy among like-minded donors, thought-leaders, foundations, and nonprofits.
Our resources have been curated for the regional philanthropy sector, and seek to inspire and support donors in the GCC and MENA on their giving journeys. We offer how-to guides, video interviews, in-depth case studies, and inspiring insights from leading philanthropists and foundations, complemented by expert workshops and exclusive member events to help donors grow their networks and knowledge.
Discover who is funding what, and where, and with whom, using our Circle Index. The first-of-its kind for the MENA region, this is a directory of nonprofits, foundations, social enterprises, and individual philanthropists, listing where and how they work.
Finally our podcast, Shaping Philanthropy, provides a new platform to regional philanthropists to share their giving journeys and for nonprofit leaders to inspire as they discuss pathways and strategies for effective philanthropy. Shaping Philanthropy is available on all leading podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.
➀ Our vision
To contribute positively towards a Middle East where philanthropy can thrive and donors and nonprofits can collaborate in order to drive positive change.
➁ Our mission
We build networks, share knowledge, and collect insights to strengthen Middle Eastern philanthropy, making it more collaborative, strategic, and impactful. By engaging philanthropy leaders, donors, foundations, nonprofits, and social enterprises, we aim to create a multiplier effect to amplify impact and unlock the full potential of giving in the MENA region.
Our values
We are accessible
Circle believes in removing barriers to create an inclusive platform that enables greater participation in driving transformational change.
We are empowering
Circle provides donors with the tools and resources necessary to create meaningful impact and empowers them to drive real change in their communities.
We are unifying
Circle aims to build a community of like-minded philanthropists, foundation and nonprofit professionals, social entrepreneurs, and impact investors, uniting them under a common purpose to amplify their collective impact.