Middle East Institute Gift Acceptance Policy
At the Middle East Institute (MEI), we are dedicated to maintaining our intellectual independence, scholarly integrity, and transparency in everything we do. We raise funds from individuals, corporations, foundations, and governments to support our work, and we greatly value the support of our donors. It is important to us that our research, programming, and publications remain free from outside influence, ensuring that we can continue our mission with full autonomy.
Intellectual Independence
Our team, including staff, fellows, and board members, creates ideas and programming that aligns with MEI’s mission and our collective expertise. MEI does not take institutional positions on specific policy issues, and all of our publications reflect the views of the individual authors rather than MEI as a whole.
Donors to MEI must agree to respect the Institute’s exclusive authority over the content and conclusions of any work we produce. To keep things transparent, we publish an annual list of donors and disclose funding sources on our website.
Government and Foreign Funding
We are open to support from both U.S. and foreign governments as long as it does not come with conditions that could impact MEI’s independence in research, programming, or any of our work. We also welcome fellows or contributors who may be salaried by U.S. or foreign governments, provided that MEI retains full editorial and programmatic control. Foreign funders are required to acknowledge and agree to MEI’s intellectual independence principles, including its policy that bars the institution or its personnel from engaging in activities that would require registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Conflict of Interest and Disclosures
MEI requires all staff, scholars, and non-resident scholars to abide by its conflict of interest policies. These policies provide guidelines for disclosing, addressing, and resolving any real or potential conflicts of interest.
Read more about MEI’s conflict of interest policy.
Donor Review Process
Every contribution we receive goes through a careful internal review process. We evaluate each gift to make sure it aligns with MEI’s mission, poses no potential reputational or legal risks, and upholds our values. We reserve the right to decline any contribution that does not meet these guidelines.
Designated and Restricted Support
We accept restricted gifts that are earmarked for specific programs or initiatives, but it is important to us that donors understand these gifts do not affect the intellectual direction or conclusions of the work. Donors will receive updates on the impact of their contributions, but MEI remains in charge of all programming, content, and deliverables.
We deeply appreciate the generous support of donors who share our commitment to integrity, independence, and public understanding.