The Big Heart Foundation

The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) was founded by Sharjah’s Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi in 2015 with the aim to protect and empower vulnerable children and families around the world. With a focus on advocacy, aid, and development, TBHF supports programmes in healthcare, education, emergency relief, and livelihoods in more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Its grantees include UNICEF, BRAC, Oxfam, the Malala Fund, Mercy Corps, UNHCR, UNDP, and WFP, in addition to a number of smaller locally-led nonprofits in Lebanon and Palestine. Since its establishment, the organisation has reached more than 4.5 million beneficiaries in nearly 30 countries.

  • Organisation type Foundation
  • Year founded 2015
  • Headquartered Sharjah
  • Registration United Arab Emirates
  • Website https://www.tbhf.ae

Related sustainable development goals

  • No Poverty
  • Zero Hunger
  • Good Health and Well-Being
  • Quality Education
  • Gender Equality
  • Decent Work and Economic Growth

Impact

Dhs 288m+ value of grants

4.5m+ people supported

30+ countries reached

Focus areas

Focus sectors

  • Education
  • Health
    • Mental health care
    • Diseases and conditions
      • Cancers
    • Medical specialities
    • Medical support services
  • Humanitarian
    • Youth development
      • Community service for youth
    • Food aid
  • Legal and courts
    • Abuse prevention
      • Domestic violence
    • Disasters and emergency management
      • Disaster relief

Focus populations

  • Immigrants and migrants
  • Internally displaced people
  • Orphans
  • Refugees and displaced people
  • Victims of conflict and war
  • Victims of crime and abuse
  • Victims of disaster
  • Widows and widowers
  • Women and girls

Focus geographies

  • Africa
    • Niger
    • Tanzania
    • Somalia
    • Mauritania
    • Guinea
    • Kenya
    • DR Congo
  • Europe
    • Greece
  • Middle East
    • Iraq
    • Turkey
    • United Arab Emirates
    • Yemen
    • Lebanon
    • Palestine
    • Jordan
  • North Africa
    • Egypt
  • South Asia
    • Pakistan
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • India
  • South-east Asia
    • Malaysia

Grantees

  • Al Nas Hospital
  • Basmeh and Zaitooneh
  • BRAC
  • Citizen Foundation
  • Environmental Quality International
  • Gulf Federation for Cancer Control
  • King Hussein Cancer Foundation
  • Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation (Egypt)
  • Malala Fund
  • Mercy Corps
  • Misr AlKheir Foundation
  • Nadia’s Initiative
  • NAGAAD Network
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI) Egypt
  • Oxfam
  • Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF)
  • Sharjah International Charity
  • Tumiani La Maisha
  • UNDP – ENID
  • UNHCR
  • UNICEF
  • Union for International Cancer Control
  • Welfare Association
  • Zivica

Partners

  • BRAC
  • Mercy Corps
  • Nama Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA)
  • Oxfam
  • SOS Children's Villages
  • The Malala Fund
  • UN-Women
  • UNDP
  • UNHCR
  • UNICEF
  • WFP

Programmes

  • Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support

    This award, which is organised by TBHF in partnership with UNHCR, aims to recognise exceptional organisations working to support and advocate for forcibly displaced populations and refugees around the world. 

  • TBHF grants

    The foundation provides grants to organisations to fund projects supporting education, livelihood, protection, emergency relief and humanitarian aid, healthcare, and infrastructure in more than 30 countries around the world.

Financials

Funding model

  • Grants to Individuals
  • Grants to organisations
  • In-kind gifts

Primary funders

  • Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi

Funding source

  • Royal

Operations

Key staff

  • Mariam Al Hammadi, director
  • Alya Al Musaiebi, head of media
  • Mariam Al Sarkal, head of partnerships

Board members

  • Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi

Contact details

More

Resources

Op-ed: Investing in the education, health and freedom of orefugees pays long-term dividends, writes Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasim, founder of The Big Heart Foundation. Read more

A home for a home: UAE property developer Arada partners with UNHCR and The Big Heart Foundation to build homes for refugees in Kenya. Read more

More from TBHF:

Annual report 2022