Tunisian-American Enterprise Fund
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 46% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE PURPOSE OF THE TUNISIAN-AMERICAN ENTERPRISE FUND (THE FUND) IS TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TUNISIAN PRIVATE SECTOR THROUGH LOANS, MICROLOANS, EQUITY INVESTMENTS, INSURANCE, GUARANTEES, GRANTS, FEASIBILITY STUDIES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING FOR BUSINESSES, RECEIVING INVESTMENT CAPITAL, AND OTHER MEASURES.
- Income
- $-215,168
- Spending
- $1.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 46%
- Reserves
- Over 10 years of spending
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 8
- Highest pay
- $592,318, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (international, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover more than ten years of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 107% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1546% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (international, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $697,165 spent. IN 2024, TAEF CONTINUED OUR WORK OF FINDING AND INVESTING IN TUNISIA'S MOST PROMISING SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTREPRENEURS. WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH EXISTING INVESTEES WHILE SEEKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH. TAEF INVESTMENT STRATEGY TAEF'S TAILORS PROVEN, INNOVATIVE FINANCING MECHANISMS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF TUNISIAN ENTREPRENEURS AND TO ADDRESS GAPS IN THE COUNTRY'S SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES (SME) FINANCING ENVIRONMENT. TAEF SEEKS TALENTED ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE AS PARTNERS WHO BRING STRONG EXPERIENCE, COMMITMENT AND VISION FOR GROWTH TO THEIR COMPANIES. TAEF INVESTS IN SMES THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE CYCLE FROM START-UP TO EARLY GROWTH AND MATURITY UP TO SUCCESSION. WE INVEST: - DIRECTLY IN SMES THROUGH TWO PLATFORMS: OUR OWN DEDICATED FUND FOR SMES IN GROWTH STAGE (TASME), AND OUR SEARCH FUND FOR SMES IN SUCCESSION STAGE (TASF) - IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TUNISIAN INVESTMENT FIRMS AS A COMPLEMENT TO TASME'S WORK AND A WAY TO PROVIDE EQUITY OR PRIVATE DEBT INFUSIONS TO BUSINESSES - IN MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS THAT REACH THE SMALLEST OF TUNISIA'S BUSINESS OWNERS - IN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE-BASED START-UPS THROUGH AN INTEGRATED PLATFORM: AN ACCELERATOR FLAT6 LABS AND VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT VEHICLE ANAVA SEED FUND. TASME: MEZZANINE & ROYALTY BASED FINANCING FOR TUNISIAN SMES TASME OFFERS UNIQUE FINANCING TO TUNISIAN SMES WITH A COMBINATION OF DEBT AND EQUITY TAILORED TO THEIR NEEDS. TASME SEEKS WELL RUN COMPANIES IN VALUE-ADDING SECTORS EXPECTED TO HAVE STRONG GROWTH. THROUGH TASME, TAEF HAS CREATED A UNIQUE FINANCING PLATFORM, BUILT A TALENTED TEAM, AND EXPANDED TUNISIA'S DOMESTIC SME FINANCING. AT THE END OF 2024, TASME HAD INVESTED IN 21 COMPANIES IN A LARGE VARIETY OF SECTORS WITH INVESTMENT TICKETS AVERAGING $1.1M. THE TEAM ALSO CONTINUED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH EXISTING PORTFOLIO COMPANIES AS THEY NAVIGATE CHALLENGES AND PREPARE FOR EXITS. TASF: TUNISIA'S FIRST SEARCH FUND TAEF ADAPTED THE US SEARCH FUND MODEL TO TUNISIA TO MATCH THE NEEDS OF MATURE BUSINESS OWNERS LOOKING FOR SUCCESSION PLANS FOR THEIR COMPANIES WITH SEASONED MANAGERS WHO HAVE THE SKILLS TO GROW THE BUSINESS. TASF CATALYZES ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH ACQUISITION. OUR FIRST SEARCHER COMPLETED THE ACQUISITION OF PROPANN, A COMPANY THAT PRODUCES MANUFACTURED BOARD FOR FURNITURE AND INTERIOR FINISHING IN 2019. SINCE ACQUISITION, HE HAS UPGRADED AND OPTIMIZED OPERATIONS, REFINED THE COMPANY'S STRATEGY WITH ATTENTION TO PRODUCT MIX, DEVELOPED NEW SOURCES FOR RAW MATERIALS, AND WORKED ON CREATING NEW MARKETS LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. IN 2024, PROPANN AND ITS STRONG MANAGEMENT CONTINUED TO PERFORM WELL IN A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT.FUND OF FUNDS INVESTMENTS: STRENGTHENING TUNISIA'S INVESTMENT ECOSYSTEM TAEF BELIEVES THAT A STRONG SME FINANCING ECOSYSTEM MADE UP OF DIVERSIFIED INVESTMENT VEHICLES WITH TALENTED MANAGEMENT TEAMS IS ESSENTIAL TO DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND GENERATE IMPACT. BY INVESTING ALONGSIDE OTHERS, TAEF HAS LEVERAGED OUR FUNDS TO ACHIEVE GREATER IMPACT AND TO EXPAND FINANCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO TALENTED ENTREPRENEURS INVESTING IN GROWTH. TUNINVEST CROISSANCE (TC), A SINGLE COUNTRY FUND CREATED IN 2013, PROVIDED GROWTH CAPITAL TO 10 TUNISIAN SMES. FULLY INVESTED SINCE 2016, TC WORKS ACTIVELY WITH INVESTEES AS THEY MOVE TOWARDS EXIT. AT THE END OF 2024, FIVE EXITS HAD BEEN FINALIZED, THREE ARE PLANNED FOR EXIT IN 2025, AND ONE FOR LATER IN 2026. INMA HOLDING, A NEW FUND, WAS SEEDED BY TAEF IN 2017 TO EXPAND SME INVESTMENT OPTIONS IN TUNISIA. BY THE END OF 2024, INMA HOLDING HAD INVESTED IN 5 COMPANIES AND SUCCESSFULLY EXITED FROM ONE, GENERATING A 13.9% IRR. TAEF EXPECTS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE FUND INVESTMENTS AS THEY EXIT INITIAL INVESTMENTS, MANAGE ONGOING ACTIVE INVESTMENTS, AND DEVELOP MANAGERIAL TALENT. INMA FINANCE: TUNISIA'S FIRST PRIVATE DEBT FUND TAEF CO-CREATED INMA FINANCE, THE FIRST PRIVATE DEBT VEHICLE IN TUNISIA. THIS FUND WAS CREATED IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO SME'S EXPRESSED NEEDS FOR AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE TRADITIONAL BANKING SYSTEM. INMA FINANCE SEEKS INVESTMENTS IN STABLE AND GROWING COMPANIES THAT ARE CREATING VALUE IN TUNISIA IN 2024 INMA FINANCE HAD LOANS TO THREE COMPANIES: TWO MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS AND A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, WHICH NEGOTIATED A SECOND REVOLVING LOAN UPON TERMINATION OF THE FIRST. INMA FINANCE ALSO CONTINUED TO SOURCE NEW INVESTMENTS.MICROFINANCE: EXPANDING ACCESS TO FINANCE FOR MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS AAN EARLY SUPPORTER OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN TUNISIA, TAEF VIEWS SUPPORT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO FILL A CRITICAL GAP IN ACCESS TO FINANCE FOR MICRO ENTERPRISES. OUR GOAL IS TO SUPPORT STRONG AND RESILIENT INSTITUTIONS THAT PROVIDE NATION-WIDE ACCESS TO FINANCE TO TUNISIAN MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS. TAEF DELIBERATELY INVESTED IN MFIS SERVING DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE MICROENTERPRISE ECOSYSTEM WITH AVERAGE LOANS RANGING FROM TND 3,000 (ENDA) TO TND 3,000 - 40,000 (DAAM). IN 2024, TAEF CONTINUED ITS ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT WITH DAAM AND HAD BEGUN EXIT NEGOTIATIONS WITH OTHER SHAREHOLDERS. FLAT6LABS & ANAVA SEED FUND: INTEGRATED VC PLATFORM DEDICATED TO STARTUPS TAEF WAS AN ANCHOR INVESTOR IN BRINGING THIS INNOVATIVE AND PROVEN START-UP ACCELERATOR AND EARLY-STAGE INVESTOR MODEL TO TUNISIA. SINCE INCEPTION, TEN CYCLES OF DIGITAL COMPANIES, A TOTAL OF 75 STARTUPS, HAVE BEEN SELECTED FROM HUNDREDS OF APPLICANTS TO COMPLETE THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM AND PRESENT THEIR COMPANIES TO INVESTORS AT A DEMO DAY. AT THE END OF 2024, 44% OF THE START-UPS HAD RAISED ADDITIONAL FOLLOW-ON FUNDING, THUS LEVERAGING ANAVA SEED CAPITAL'S INVESTMENT BY TND 68 M. IN ADDITION TO FINANCIAL RESOURCES, FLAT6LABS LEVERAGES ONE OF TUNISIA'S GREATEST ASSETS, ITS TALENTED AND RESOURCEFUL YOUTH.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.