What We Do

The MEPI Model UN Conference for Jordanian Youth; Amman, Jordan.

MEPI’s projects are both regional and local in nature, with the goal of building partnerships with a wide spectrum of organizations and individuals.

LOCAL LEVEL -  Through its Local Grants Program, MEPI enables American Foreign Service Officers at U.S. embassies in the Middle East and North Africa to identify and support key projects that promote civil society and the rule of law, increase political participation, empower women and youth, create civic educational opportunities, support independent media, and foster economic growth and opportunity.  The Program is a focused, but flexible, mechanism which provides seed money for unique and sustainable projects, particularly projects that help develop the capacity and sustainability of non-governmental organizations in the region. 

MEPI Coordinators and Administrators, MEPI’s points-of-contact at each embassies in the region, reach out into local communities to assist those seeking positive change in their communities.  Through this interaction, U.S. diplomats are able to better understand community and country-specific areas where MEPI’s resources can be most helpful.   

Since its inception, MEPI has entered into over 250 partnerships with local organizations  in pursuit of meaningful ways to foster positive change based on a community’s specific needs.  Applications for MEPI Local Grant funding are accepted on an ongoing basis. Selection of projects is based on the applicants’ ability to demonstrate concrete achievements which can show an impact in a given field or community.  These grants usually range from $25,000 to $100,000 and generally last up to one year.  The MEPI Regional Offices, based in Tunis, Tunisia and Abu Dhabi, UAE, serve as the primary administrator for MEPI Local Grants.

REGIONAL LEVEL -  Through MEPI’s Washington, D.C.-based grants, MEPI awards funding to organizations working for change across the entire region. These scalable and highly-replicable projects are often implemented across many countries in the region.  Training-based projects, exchange programs, regional networks, and scholarship opportunities are just a few of the ways MEPI engages with citizens through its D.C.-based grants.

One of the major advantages of these awards is the opportunities they provide to participants to learn from one another and from U.S. citizens.  For example, online networks that span across the region connect entrepreneurs in Lebanon with those in Qatar, women lawyers from Morocco learn from the experiences of their peers in Kuwait.   MEPI’s exchange programs provide youth, academics, and professionals with the opportunity to learn about the U.S., often returning home with a greater understanding of our country and our desire to build constructive partnerships.

MEPI staff in Washington oversee the D.C.-based grants, often partnering with larger NGOs that have a proven track record of running successful projects in the region.  During the fiscal year, MEPI posts targeted announcements for funding for projects that promote democratic reform, civic participation, economic opportunity, women’s empowerment, youth empowerment, or  exchange programs on the MEPI website in our "Funding Opportunities” section, and on the U.S. federal grants website, www.grants.gov.