SPECIAL FEATURE
THENEAREASTFOUNDATION
ACENTURYOFHUMANITARIANISM
The Near East Foundation celebrates 100 years of influencing American giving abroad with
innovative fundraising that launched the concept of citizen philanthropy.
BY ERICA MOODY
A
d
s we are all overwhelmed by the
philanthropic history that an
recent tragic images of families
organization appealed directly to the
escaping violence in the Middle
public to support humanitarian work
East and wondering what we can
overseas, giving birth to what is called
do to help, we are reminded of the
“citizen philanthropy.” Fundraising and
first major outpouring of American
publicity tools that are now ubiquitous
humanitarian support abroad following
were first formed by NEF. Posters with
the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the
captivating images called for donations;
mobilizing power of America’s first nonone from a 1917 campaign juxtaposed
governmental relief organization. Before
illustrations of suffering women and
the Peace Corps and USAID there was
children with appeals for $30 million to
the Near East Foundation.
aid “The Child at Your Door: 400,000
Now in its centennial year, the NEF
Orphans Starving.” Patriotic images in
holds the honor of being the second
other posters suggested it’s America’s
Congressionally-chartered nonprofit
duty to protect children. The recent
(the first was the American Red Cross),
heartbreaking photograph of the Syrian
receiving this distinction in 1919. In
boy on the beach brings to mind the
1915, Ambassador Henry Morgenthau
powerful images utilized by NEF to
sent a cable to the U.S. Department of
mobilize Americans to action nearly a
State declaring that the “destruction of
century ago.
the Armenian race is progressing rapidly”
In keeping with this founding spirit,
and urging something be done. The
the theme of NEF’s centennial gala is
refugees he was pleading for included
“Celebrating 100 Years of American
more than 132,000 orphans whose
Humanitarianism Abroad.” On Oct. 28
parents were killed during the genocide
at Cipriani Wall Street in New York,
and deportations that claimed the lives of
NEF’s board of directors and committee
nearly three million Armenians, Greeks
co-chairmen will join representatives of
and Assyrians from 1915 to 1923 in what
NEF’s “founding families” (those who
is now Turkey and Syria.
worked with the organization in the early
The NEF’s ad campaign materials forever changed the landscape of
Two weeks after Morgenthau’s call
years and were key in shaping its work,
philanthropic fundraising. (Poster by Douglas Volt, 1918)
to action, a group of civic, business and
including the Dodge, Morgenthau, Kerr,
religious leaders, led by Cleveland Dodge and offer assistance, among them the Dodge, Heinz, Wilson and Hoover families); foreign diplomats;
James Barton, formed a committee to lead the Pillsbury, Morgenthau, Roosevelt, Rockefeller NEF partners and supporters to reflect on the
response to the tragedy. By the end of their first and du Pont families.
strides made over the years and toast the next
meeting, attendees had pledged $100,000 to
“It was unique and unprecedented because hundred years of life-saving initiatives. Proceeds
send to the region. Between 1915 and 1930, people from every sector of society — business, from the gala will go towards NEF’s work
they would raise more than $116 million (over clergy, academia, government, philanthropy — with Syrian and Iraqi refugees and their host
$2 billion in today’s dollars) for emergency relief collaborated to lead the effort together,” NEF’s communities, honoring NEF’s legacy through
and services, providing aid to refugees both President Charles Benjamin says. “Under the action to address the crises of our day.
during and after the collapse of the Ottoman leadershi p of James Barton and Cleveland Dodge,
“With humanitarian aid decreasing and
Empire. The extraordinarily successful rescue whose great-grandson represents the family on the crisis worsening,” Benjamin says, “there is a
mission included the creation of orphanages NEF’s board today, the relief effort saved more greater need than ever for long-term solutions
to care for thousands of children. Prominent than a million lives.”
to reinforce self-sufficiency, protection and
American families stepped up to the plate to
It was also the first time in American economic resilience.”
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