BuildPalestine Launches $1.2M Fundraising Drive
After nearly a decade of working alongside Palestinian social entrepreneurs, BuildPalestine, our partner in the EU-funded Impact Together-project, has announced a $1.2 million fundraising campaign aimed at scaling its support for impact-driven businesses across historic Palestine.
Since 2016, BuildPalestine has been the backbone for Palestinian changemakers—those resisting occupation and aid dependency by creating sustainable, community-centered solutions. From education hubs in Gaza to women-led artisan cooperatives in the West Bank, BuildPalestine has cultivated a portfolio of social enterprises tackling challenges in healthcare, agriculture, heritage preservation, art, and economic empowerment.
Crucially, they aim to guide their portfolio enterprises towards autonomous sustainability, reducing their dependence on external funding. “International aid has sustained the crisis rather than solved it,” said Lama Amr, Executive Director of BuildPalestine. “We’re here to reclaim models rooted in sumud (steadfastness) and al-awneh (collective action) - concepts that powered Palestinian resilience long before aid dependency took hold.”
An Ecosystem Under Strain
According to BuildPalestine’s research, the country is home to more than 300 social enterprises, yet most are struggling: 80% operate at a deficit and 71% cannot secure stable funding. Movement restrictions, political instability, and an aid-dominated support system make survival an uphill battle. For entrepreneurs in Gaza and the West Bank, running a business rarely resembles normalcy.
The consequences are stark. Over one-third of enterprises report zero trading income. Two-thirds lack the tools to measure impact, limiting their growth. Yet, despite these barriers, social enterprises deliver outsized benefits—creating jobs, preserving heritage, and offering hope where traditional businesses have long disappeared. Support isn’t just welcome; it’s vital.
Building a New Funding Model
BuildPalestine tackles these challenges with a threefold model: upskilling entrepreneurs, connecting them with allies, and unlocking values-aligned capital. Through its Fellowship Programme, social enterprises work with portfolio managers and communications experts to strengthen business models and become investment-ready. By tailoring capacity-building and mobilizing values-aligned capital, the organization seeks to break free from donor-driven agendas and prioritize the real needs of Palestinian entrepreneurs.
The results speak for themselves. In just nine years, BuildPalestine has mobilized $1.2 million, supported more than 30 enterprises, and built a global network of 35,000 members.
Now, they are scaling up. The new $1.2M fundraising campaign aims to expand the team and to almost triple the number of enterprises supported. BuildPalestine’s goal is to grow its portfolio from 25 to 65 enterprises by 2028, creating a ripple effect of resilient, community-rooted businesses that can withstand political and economic instability.
Membership contributions—ranging from $2,000 to $25,000 annually—are tax-deductible in the U.S. and EU, and come with benefits such as periodic field updates, direct connections with fellows, and personalized impact tours in Palestine. For BuildPalestine, the membership model not only provides financial stability and sustainability for their programmes, but crucially, it is a part of strategy that is aimed towards community building and management.
Why Impact Europe Stands with BuildPalestine
At Impact Europe, we have witnessed firsthand the dedication, clarity, and courage of the BuildPalestine team. They have combined professionalism with a deep commitment to community values. Their ability to mobilize resources, build networks, and stand firm in a difficult context makes BuildPalestine one of the most inspiring actors in our EU-funded market building project Impact Together, and indeed, the global impact ecosystem.
Supporting BuildPalestine is not only about solidarity—it is about investing in a proven team that has the vision and capacity to drive lasting change. As such, we are happy to help promote this fundraising drive and to encourage our network to explore their options in supporting it.
“This is about investing in Palestinian-led change,” says Executive Director Lama Amr. “Every dollar brings us closer to the Palestine we believe in.”