FRIENDS OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF AFGHANISTAN
1901 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW NO 207, WASHINGTON, DC 20006 www.friendsofauaf.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: FAUAF IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN.

FY2020 BEGAN POSITIVELY FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF AFGHANISTAN (FAUAF), AS A RESULT OF A VERY SUCCESSFUL ANNUAL BENEFIT DINNER HELD IN MAY 2019 THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE CROSS-SECTION OF STAKEHOLDERS DEDICATED TO ADVANCING HIGHER EDUCATION, WOMEN'S RIGHTS, AND A SAFE AND PROSPEROUS AFGHANISTAN THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF AFGHANISTAN (AUAF). THESE ANNUAL EVENTS ARE CRITICAL FOR FAUAF BECAUSE THEY EXPAND MISSION VISIBILITY AND SUPPORT BASE AND RAISE GENEROUS UNRESTRICTED FUNDING FOR AUAF DURING AN INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT IN AFGHANISTAN.FAUAF'S FY2020 GOALS WERE THREEFOLD: TO RAISE FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION TO ADVANCE HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN; TO INITIATE NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO MEET THE EDUCATION DEMANDS IN AFGHANISTAN AND FINALLY; TO DEVELOP PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT TO SCALE ONGOING PEDAGOGICAL ACTIVITIES AT AUAF THAT WILL HAVE IMPACT IN THE ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC SPHERE IN AFGHANISTAN. TO THAT END, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF COVID-19 IN THE UNITED STATES AND AFGHANISTAN, FAUAF MANAGED TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.ON JULY 30TH, 2019, FAUAF FORMALLY COMPLETED THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING OF A NEW $600,000 SINGLE-STORY CAFETERIA FUNDED BY USAID'S AMERICAN SCHOOLS AND HOSPITAL ABROAD (ASHA). THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. THE CAFETERIA IS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND AT AUAF AND HAS THE CAPACITY TO SERVICE 550 CUSTOMERS ON AVERAGE; PROVIDES A SAFE HUB FOR THE AUAF COMMUNITY TO SHARE IDEAS AND HOST EVENTS; AND PROMOTES A COMMUNAL ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS BEEN UTILIZED BY VISITING DIGNITARIES AND VIPS. THE PROJECT WAS WELL RECEIVED BY USAID AND AUAF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF. FAUAF IS ALSO IN DISCUSSION WITH SEVERAL LEADING FOOD SERVICE AND MULTINATIONAL FOOD AND DRINK PROCESSING COMPANIES TO SUPPORT PLANNED INITIATIVES ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS AT THE CAFETERIA.IN Q4 2019, FAUAF SIGNIFICANTLY GREW IT IS CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION SUPPORT BASE WITH NEW SPONSORS THAT WERE DEDICATED TO STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS) IN COUNTRIES IN WHICH THEY OPERATED, INCLUDING AFGHANISTAN. TO MEET THE MARKET AND ECONOMIC DEMAND FOR TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN AFGHANISTAN, FAUAF BEGAN A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT ON THE STEM LANDSCAPE IN AFGHANISTAN AND THE REGION TO MATCH IDENTIFIED FEASIBILITY GAPS WITH AUAF CAPACITY.IN Q1 2020, FAUAF BEGAN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION TO UNDERWRITE A STM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS) PROGRAM THAT SOUGHT TO ADDRESS SCIENCE ILLITERACY IN HIGH SCHOOLS IN AFGHANISTAN. THIS DISCUSSION SUCCESSFULLY LED TO THE CREATION OF A ONE-YEAR $286,000 PROGRAM TO "DEVELOP A FULL CYCLE STM EDUCATION PROGRAM" ON MARCH 11TH, 2020. THIS PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AUAF AND THE HEWLETT FOUNDATION WILL EXPAND AUAF'S CURRENT OUTREACH IN THE AREA OF STM, THERE IS A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT), TO STRENGTHEN THE DELIVERY OF STM-IT EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN TO HELP MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR IT PROFESSIONALS AT ALL LEVELS OF THE COUNTRY'S WORKFORCE. AUAF IS ESTABLISHING ITSELF AS A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN AFGHANISTAN FOR THE DELIVERY OF (STM) TRAINING. DRAWING UPON ITS EXISTING CORE STRENGTHS IN IT AND TEACHER TRAINING, AUAF WILL INITIATE A DATA-DRIVEN MULTI-VECTOR PROJECT NOT ONLY TO INTRODUCE TARGETED PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS, SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND NATION-WIDE IT PRACTITIONERS, BUT ALSO TO HELP ACADEMICS AND CORPORATE ENTITIES, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AFGHANISTAN'S NEEDS IN THE IT SECTOR. THIS PROGRAM IS THE FIRST OF KIND AND DELIVERED TANGIBLE RESULTS IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS. CONSISTENT WITH THE GOAL OF INITIATING NEW PARTNERSHIPS, FY2020 SAW FAUAF GROW ITS PARTNERSHIP BASE TO INCLUDE SEVERAL NATION STATES IN THE PERSIAN GULF AND CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES. FAUAF HAS MADE ADVANCEMENTS IN DEVELOPING STRONG RELATIONS WITH SEVERAL KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE REGION AS WELL AS INITIATING HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ARMS OF KEY COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION INITIATIVES AT AUAF. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO COVID, SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS WERE SUSPENDED, HOWEVER, THE POTENTIAL FOR NEW PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS REMAINS HIGH WITH FAUAF EARMARKING FY2021 AS THE PERIOD FOR FINALIZING IDENTIFIED PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT.FY2020 ALSO WITNESSED FAUAF RECEIVING 100% RATING ON CHARITY NAVIGATOR WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL CREDIBILITY WITH CURRENT AND FUTURE DONORS. THIS HAS ALSO LED TO MORE DONATIONS FROM NEW INSTITUTIONAL, PRIVATE, AND CORPORATE ENTITIES. WITH THE REALITIES OF COVID-19 RESTRICTING OUR LARGEST FORUM FOR DONATIONS- THE ANNUAL BENEFIT DINNER- FAUAF HAS BEEN CREATIVE IN USING WEBINARS AND MAILERS TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM IN THE FUNDRAISING SPACE. FAUAF PRODUCED 4 MAILERS AND 2 CAMPAIGNS- ALL WHICH WERE SUCCESSFUL AND RECEIVING MORE SUPPORT THAN EVER- AFTER ASSESSING OUR BENCHMARKS. FAUAF IN FY2020 AS WELL AS INITIATED THE PLANNING OF A WEBINAR TO TAKE PLACE IN FY2021. FAUAF HAS EMBRACED THE CHALLENGING COVID ENVIRONMENT AND HAS CONTINUED TO MEET ITS RESTRICTED FUNDING GOALS FOR FY2020 BY RAISING SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS (WITH EMPHASIS ON FEMALE SCHOLARSHIPS) AS WELL AS COVID RELATED RESTRICTED FUNDING TO TEST STAFF AND STUDENTS.FAUAF SUPPORT TO AUAF IN FY2020 ENABLED THE UNIVERSITY ATTAIN NEW MILESTONES- FROM NEW INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING, TO INCREASED VISIBILITY AND HISTORIC ADVANCEMENTS IN GENDER PARITY. AS A RESULT OF FAUAF'S WORK- FEMALE STUDENTS NOW CONSTITUTE 43% OF THE UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT AT AUAF, AND 59% OF THE ACADEMY ENROLLMENT. THIS IN UNPRECEDENTED IN AFGHANISTAN.ALTHOUGH FY2020 WAS A YEAR OF HISTORIC CHALLENGES, FAUAF HAS MANAGED TO CONTINUE ELEVATING ITS ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION. DESPITE OPERATING WITH ONLY A FULL-TIME STAFF OF TWO AND ONE UNPAID VOLUNTEER, FAUAF HAS MANAGED TO WEATHER THE COVID-19 CRISIS BY MEETING OUR YEARLY BENCHMARKS AND GOALS. DUE TO THE INABILITY TO HOST LUCRATIVE LIVE EVENTS, FAUAF HAS BEEN CREATIVE IN UTILIZING ONLINE MEDIUMS TO CREATE FORUMS THAT FOSTER SUPPORT. FY2021 PROMISES TO BUILD ON THESE SUCCESSES AND SCALE OUR FUNDRAISING AND PROGRAMMATIC BASE TO NEW HEIGHTS.

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