Friends of Nafda- the Alternative Approach to Effective Education
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
> The purposes for which this corporation is organized are exclusively educational, scientific, and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, as amended. In furtherance of these purposes, the corporation shall support the NAFDA Association for an Alternative Approach to Effective Education in the Republic of Lebanon and may carry on any other lawful activities consistent with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, as determined by the Board of Directors.
- Income
- $129,528
- Spending
- $132,235
- Reserves
- 2.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 92%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 17% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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)
- $3,235 spent. nafda worked with 130 schools across Lebanon in different capacities, directly engaging 808 educators and 22,850 students. 2025 reflects a year of significant scale and adaptability, where nafda not only expanded its reach and deepened its impact, but also responded to emerging needsensuring that schools continued to serve as spaces for learning, well-being, and active citizenship. 1. Capacity Building (Principals & Educators) Continued delivering structured training, coaching, and peer learning to strengthen school leadership, governance, and transformation practices Supported schools in applying nafdas model across key areas: learning, values integration, and community engagement Across a core group of schools: 85% showed overall improvement in school transformation 89% advanced in student-centered learning approaches 92% strengthened values-based education practices Result: stronger leadership, improved school culture, and increased ability to sustain change 2. Citizenship & Youth Civic Engagement (Aal Seha) Expanded implementation of nafdas citizenship tool (Aal Seha) to 90 schools and 3 scout groups, reaching 7,519 students and training 103 facilitators Enhanced delivery through improved tool design and a junior version for younger students Enabled students to apply learning through: Mock elections and student-led governance initiatives Environmental and community-based campaigns Engagement with local stakeholders Result: students demonstrated increased agency, participation, and civic responsibility 3. School Transformation Projects Supported 42 school-led transformation projects connecting education to real-world needs, including: Well-being and psychosocial support initiatives Agripreneurship and innovation projects STEAM and innovation-focused learning across multiple schools Projects emphasized student ownership, teacher capacity, and community involvement Result: schools translated learning into practical, community-connected change 4. Emergency Response & Adaptation Beyond its core programmatic work, nafda operated in a context of escalating conflict and displacement in Lebanon during this period. In response, the organization adapted its approach to meet urgent needs within its school network. Key emergency response activities included: Providing psychosocial support activities to 628 students Training 22 principals and teachers to sustain well-being practices within schools Delivering emergency-responsive teaching webinars to 425 educators Facilitating trust-building and social cohesion activities: 900 participants engaged during the war across five locations 12,500 students and 190 teachers reached post-war through classroom-based activities These efforts aimed to ensure that schools remained safe, supportive environments, while maintaining continuity of learning and reinforcing social cohesion during a period of crisis.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 2025.
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 January 2024.
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.