Emirates Foundation approves New Programs Portfolio

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development; yesterday chaired the Foundation's Board of Director's Meeting, which took place at the Foundation's headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The Board discussed the details of the Foundation's new business model and program portfolio that uses venture philanthropy to deliver social enterprise solutions to social issues. The Board has also approved plans to scale up existing successful initiatives of the organization into the Northern Emirates. On the organizational front, the Board approved the remit of the new Research and Advocacy Department which aims to provide facts and information to support the development of the Foundation's new programs that focus on youth development and to research and advise on the operating environment for social businesses in the UAE. According to the new program portfolio, a number of new initiatives will be announced in the coming months. All of these sit under the three main areas of the Foundation's core business: leadership and empowerment, social inclusion and community involvement. The new program portfolio will respond directly to the needs of young people in the UAE helping them to navigate both their personal and professional development. It will also aim to scale up existing successful programs at the Foundation including Takatof and SANID which focus on volunteering. Sheikh Abdullah declared: "The Board is supportive of the various structural changes that Emirates Foundation has undergone in the past six months. We believe that the new organization and business model is better positioned to deliver even more social impact and value for young people in the UAE." "Our new strategy is focused on empowering and guiding young people as they navigate their personal development career paths. We are committed to ensuring that we maximise the impact of the organization while also ensuring that it is run efficiently and effectively. Today's Board meeting was an opportunity for us to review the progress made to date and advise on how to optimize the outcome of the new program portfolio," he concluded. The Board also approved the 2013 preliminary administrative budget and the Foundation's Emiratisation targets. The Emirates Foundation was launched in April 2005 as an initiative from H.H. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces . It is chaired by HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 2012, the Emirates Foundation was re-launched under the name "Emirates Foundation for Youth Development" as an integrated national initiative that seeks to invest in UAE youth. The new strategy adopts venture philanthropy which aims to impact the lives of UAE youth positively and permanently through measurable projects that have sustainable impact.