The Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund is proud to announce it is now officially a Not for Profit Charity Organization with tax-exempt nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) effective September 27, 2018. EDTF officially began collecting donations on October 22, 2018.
All donations that have been made to date and all future donations to the EDTF are fully tax-deductible.
As a tax-exempt organization, EDTF is now eligible to apply for government, and foundation and other grants, which will further broaden its access to resources and strengthen its ability to help address critical needs in Ethiopia. As some US corporations match employee donations to tax exempt organizations, EDTF donors are encouraged to contact their companies and seek matching contributions.
“Obtaining 501(c)(3) status was a challenge, but through the determined efforts of our Advisory Council members we were able to succeed,” remarked Chairperson of the EDTF Advisory Council, Professor Alemayehu (Al) G. Mariam. “This opens many doors for us to expand fundraising activities, broaden access to resources, and fully realize our goals of helping to meet the needs of our people back home.”
To date, EDTF has collected $USD 4.7 million in donations from donors in 77 countries. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has given EDTF a two-year grant to fund the cost of the EDTF Secretariat in Addis Ababa. One hundred percent of all donations are committed to projects, and no donations are used for administration or related purposes.
On July 25, 2019, EDTF announced the launch of its first round of ‘Call for Project Proposals’. Non-government organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector, government organizations and other institutions that meet the eligibility criteria are invited to submit proposals for funding consideration.