ABOUT

Palms for Life Fund (PFL) is a New York City-based family nonprofit with an extensive track record of ongoing international projects to break the cycle of poverty and marginalization, in Africa, Latin America and Asia via promoting access to education, food, water and sanitation. 

Since its inception in 2006, Palms for Life has impacted the lives of thousands of people around the world. Today, Palms for Life is a thriving nonprofit with multi-million dollar grant-programs. We operate in a select number of countries in Africa and Latin America.

Palms for Life was founded in 2006 by Hannah Laufer-Rottman and co-founded by Maayan Laufer. Ms. Laufer-Rottman has spent her entire career helping people living in poverty improve their livelihoods.

Palms for Life’s headquarters are based in New York City; three local Palms for Life organisations have been established in Botswana, Eswatini and Namibia. 

MISSION

Palms for Life Fund’s mission is to advocate for and support the creation of infrastructure that provides access to education, food, water and sanitation for vulnerable communities worldwide. We operate from a basic human rights perspective – because access to safe and sustainable food, water, sanitation and education is a right not just a humanitarian issue.

An important part of Palms for Life’s mission is to raise awareness about hunger and poverty. In 2009, Palms for Life launched the Faces of Hunger Film Festival inviting young documentary filmmakers to present their films about food, hunger, environment, sustainable food production, local food solutions, etc. The films are meant to educate, inform, inspire open discussions and promote actions. Today, FOH – rebranded CERES - has become an annual event. We have partnered with New York University as well as with Universities Fighting World Hunger. 

“Palms for Life’s mission is to bring the needs of the poor and hungry onto everyone’s radar screen because it’s everyone’s business if any child in this world goes to bed on a hungry stomach. We can make sure that no girl misses school when she has her period because of inadequate sanitation. We can bring water to schools so kids can drink during the day and wash their hands with soap and water. Together we have the power to give voice to the children about these issues.” – Palms for Life’s Founder, Hannah Laufer-Rottman 

EXPERTISE

Palms for Life brings to the table more than 40 years of expertise in:

  • Establishing reliable local partnerships

  • Designing program interventions that are effective forces for change

  • Developing implementation strategies

  • Establishing Monitoring and Evaluation systems

  • Providing financial management, oversight and support

  • Mobilizing support for the most vulnerable in our global community.

PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA:

All projects supported by Palms for Life must address the following:

  • Participatory (inclusive)

  • Empowering (creates jobs)

  • Responsive to actual needs (proper baseline research & local engagement)

  • Cost-Efficient (easily maintained locally)

  • Replicable (potential to scale)

  • Environmentally Conscious (utilizes local resources & improves natural environment)

  • Gender Sensitive (systematically considering the needs of women and girls in program architecture to ensure implementation)

IMPACT

  • We build sustainable local capacity.

  • We ensure that our projects generate changes of attitudes and behaviors and long lasting results.

  • We raise awareness and understanding about hunger and poverty from a human rights perspective.

What We Offer

 

To Grantmakers:

where your dreams and our mission meet.

 

We offer to:

  1. Research needs and opportunities in local marginalized communities

  2. Engage reliable local implementing partners (NGO)

  3. Negotiate partnership agreements

  4. Design a project, and assess its technical, environmental and financial feasibility

  5. Establish ongoing oversight of all aspects of a project implementation

  6. Present comprehensive reports and to document our impact.

 

Boutique Management: 

where your smaller dreams and our mission meet.

 

A duration of 6 to 12 months

  1. A budget under $50k

  2. Two main activities

  3. Two reports - mid and final

 

Fiscal Sponsorship

 

We operate these under strict guidelines by the IRS, and only for US-bases organizations that seek to obtain their 501 (c 3) status.

  • Applicants must be (a) approved by our Board of Directors and (b) have goals in line with our mission (addressing food, water and sanitation, and education).

  • The Fiscal Sponsorship is formalized via an agreement and Palms for Life applies a 10% management fee for the funds that we administer. We also charge a one time fee of $500 to review and advise on a proposal.

  • The modality we use is where all funds are received and managed by Palms for Life Fund, meaning the recipient organization that manages the project on the ground will receive funds directly from Palms for Life based on an approved budget and a schedule of expenses, ongoing oversight and periodic requests for funds.

 

Note: Fiscally sponsored organizations create their own, independent relationships with their donors and engage with them separately and directly. Fiscally sponsored organizations are responsible for their own fundraising efforts.

GIVING TO PALMS FOR LIFE: A SMART INVESTMENT

  • Cost-efficient: ensuring minimum 90% of project costs are spent on the ground

  • Innovative: designs project models that are sustainable, replicable and responsive to local realities

  • Generates diversified impact: small and large scale change, from the individual to the community

  • Experienced and trusted: US-based NGO that oversees local partner activities

  • Boutique management structure: led by dynamic leadership and expertise of Hannah Laufer-Rottman

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