FAQs

Anera’s life-changing work across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Jordan is powered by the generosity of diverse funding sources, including government grants, foundations, individual donors, corporate partners, and in-kind contributions. Each gift—whether financial or product-based—plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian aid, fostering sustainable development, and responding to crises.

Our commitment to transparency and accountability ensures all donors can trust that their contributions are maximized for impact, with rigorous screening and anti-terrorism compliance in place. From governments and institutions to compassionate individuals and corporate champions, every supporter helps Anera build resilience and hope in vulnerable communities. Learn more about how our funding sources.

As a registered 501(c)3 U.S. non-governmental organization, all gifts to Anera are tax-deductible as provided by U.S. law. (Anera's employer ID number is 520882226.)

By policy, all donations over $5,000 to Anera may be designated. All other gifts are used to address the greatest needs in order to improve lives and help hope find a way in the Middle East.

Contributions to Anera deliver emergency relief supplies, build clinics and schools, improve water and sanitation systems, create educational opportunities, improve health delivery services, feed children, and create jobs in underserved communities in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon. Anera employs exclusively local professionals to staff our offices in the countries where we work. Anera projects are done in partnership with local charities and organizations which also contribute a portion of the project costs. In this way, the community has a greater sense of ownership and accomplishment once the project is completed.

Anera’s policy is to supply assistance to only legitimate and capable institutions and to comply with U.S. laws. We filter individuals and agencies against computerized lists maintained the U.S. Treasury Department on its Office of Foreign Assets Control list. Because Hamas, for instance, is designated as a “terrorist group” by the U.S. State Department, Anera does not work or even coordinate with them.

Anera’s local staff evaluates our partners and assesses accountability, management, technical capacity, and community outreach. Through this process we determine if the institution is capable and eligible to work with Anera.

When a project is completed, we generate detailed financial and program evaluation reports. We use robust monitoring and evaluation systems. In this manner, Anera continually evaluates projects from a fiscal and impact standpoint.

Anera is audited annually by independent auditors and we follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which are standard financial guidelines for most non-governmental organizations. This measures many of the benefits and the success of each program. Read our accountability statement.

In our registration in 1968 with the Israeli government, Anera is restricted to serving the Palestinian people. That document remains in force up to the present. Israel is a developed nation with a large number of well-financed agencies that cater to Israeli communities. Anera focuses on poor families and disadvantaged areas lacking in basic services, where the incomes are well under half of the Israeli average.

We serve all vulnerable communities in the regions where we work. Anera began its work in response to the 1967 war as a relief organization helping Palestinian refugees. Today, Anera’s programs serve refugees and non-refugees alike, including Palestinians and other nationalities living in vulnerable circumstances in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Lebanon. 

As a result of our proven capability and dedication to the region, Anera receives funding from thousands of individual donors, international organizations, governments, corporations, foundations, and charitable organizations. Some examples are the United Nations, Islamic Relief USA, the Citi Foundation and the Malala Fund. View our Annual Report archive to see more.

Anera is a founding member of InterAction, a coalition of over 160 international service agencies helping disadvantaged people all over the world. Our Jerusalem office is a member of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), which meets regularly to coordinate humanitarian work and share experiences. In Gaza, we also communicate with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In Lebanon, Anera also works with OCHA and other UN agencies for coordination as well as the Lebanon Humanitarian INGO Forum and the Disaster Risk Management Unit. Anera is also a member of the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, an alliance of non-profit and corporate organizations committed to health impact.

All relief items are shipped from the US and other locations to our distribution centers in the West Bank and Gaza or to reliable partners in Jordan and Lebanon. Upon arrival, our staff reviews the shipment against the packing list for accurate inventory accounting. From there, goods are delivered by our staff to local partner organizations which have been vetted and regularly rechecked.

In addition to our annual independent audit, a U.S. government A-133 audit is conducted every year. Because Anera receives funding from the United States Agency for International Development and the State Department, we are subject to regular reviews.

Zakat contributions made to Anera will be restricted to our food assistance and medical aid programs. This means that your Zakat will be used to acquire and distribute food packages, necessary medical supplies, hygiene kits and other essentials for families who would otherwise go without.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept most physical, in-kind gifts like books, clothes or medicines for distribution in the Middle East. The logistics of shipping goods internationally make this approach impractical. While we appreciate the thoughtfulness that caring people invest in these collection efforts, for the most part we cannot accept these kinds of donations from individuals. Instead, we encourage people to donate financially. This is for multiple reasons:

Volume. Anera typically sends 20- and 40-foot containers of donated medicines and relief supplies to the Middle East. This is by far the most cost-effective way to send donated goods as a container can fit an enormous volume of materials and many of our wonderful in-kind donors cover the cost of shipping.

Storage. Some organizations and individuals have asked us if we can include supplies from them in one of the containers we are already planning to ship. Unfortunately, the answer is still no. Anera does not maintain U.S.-based warehouse space. The containers we send to the Middle East are shipped directly from the warehouses of our medical donation partners. For safety and quality control reasons, these donors will not allow Anera to add donations to their carefully inspected and professionally packed containers.

Speed and Expense. It is a much slower process to bring goods in from abroad rather than to purchase them locally. To do so, Anera would need to get the customs export and import documentation in order; arrange for and cover the cost of shipping; get the items approved through local authorities (which takes 6 weeks at a minimum); pay for the costs of clearance, storage, demurrage, and transportation to our local warehouse; receive and inventory them in the warehouse; and then finally distribute them. All told, this can cost us upwards of $20,000. With funds in hand, staff can immediately and specifically respond to the needs on the ground as they arise. This approach has the added benefit of supporting the local economy.

Anera does accept in-kind donations from established organizations, such as Americares, Direct Relief, Lutheran World Relief, and United Methodist Committee on Relief. These are organizations whose business is to send in-kind donations – from medicines and supplies to hygiene kits and baby care items – to the communities that need them most. Having done this work for decades, they have an effective and well-tested set of processes designed to respond specifically to the needs Anera communicates to them through our on-the-ground staff. Read more about our in-kind work in Gaza.

Unfortunately, we are not in a position to facilitate donations of cash or other assistance to specific individuals specified by a donor.

If jobs become available, they will be posted on our website with specific instructions on how to apply.