Rabat – Leaders, experts, and nonprofit actors from across the Arab world and Africa gathered at INSEA (National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics) in Rabat for the first-ever Arab-African Summit on Non-Profit Financing (NPF).
The event was organized by Epik Leaders, in collaboration with national and international partners, and aimed to rethink how nonprofit organizations can secure funding in a rapidly changing global environment.
The summit focused on the future of NPF in the context of global geostrategic shifts. It brought together key stakeholders to discuss modern financing mechanisms, moving beyond traditional government subsidies. The program included opening speeches, three thematic panels, and a closing networking session.
Mahmoud Cherkaoui, President of Epik Leaders association, explained that the summit was designed to unite Arab and African stakeholders and create a space to think collectively about new ways to finance nonprofit work.
He emphasized that this was the first event of its kind in Africa, hosted at INSEA, and aimed at developing a new roadmap for the coming years.
According to him, the goal is to “move beyond the classic subsidy model” and explore innovative approaches that nonprofits can use in 2026 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Nizar Chaari, the Founder of Epik Leaders, discussed the financial challenges faced by nonprofits in many African countries. He noted that the summit offers a unique opportunity for participants from different regions to decide together how to build stronger and more diverse funding systems.
He mentioned several promising tools, such as crowdfunding, zakat, waqf, and other modern financing methods that can support sustainable nonprofit work. He also shared that one of the goals of the day is to produce a “white book” on nonprofit financing, summarizing recommendations and ideas from the summit.
Idrissi Ziyad, President of the Epic Leaders Club at INSEA, said that hosting this summit reflects the institute’s commitment to supporting development and cooperation. He explained that the event brings together a highly selected group of experts to discuss new financing opportunities for associations and foundations.
He also connected the summit to Morocco’s policy of South-South cooperation, encouraged by King Mohammed VI, and expressed hope that the event would become an annual meeting.
For him, the objective is to find practical, realistic solutions to challenges faced by communities in Morocco and in neighboring Arab and African countries.
The summit’s agenda covered three major areas, including new geopolitical context and its impact on traditional financing, the rise of Islamic finance and social impact investment, as well as governance, transparency, and cooperation in the nonprofit ecosystem.
Speakers and participants exchanged ideas on sustainability, youth empowerment, inclusion, strategic communication, and building trust within the nonprofit sector.
The first Arab-African Summit on Non-Profit Financing marks an important step in building new funding pathways for organizations working to improve lives across two continents.
Through shared dialogue and innovative proposals, the summit aims to inspire long-term solutions and stronger cooperation between Arab and African nonprofit actors.
