Eurasia Partnership Foundation

Eurasia Partnership Foundation’s (EPF) mission is to empower people to effect change for social justice and economic prosperity through hands-on programs, helping them to improve their communities and their own lives. With locally registered office in Azerbaijan, EPF is the legacy institution of Eurasia Foundation (EF), a privately managed non-profit organization established in 1992 to deliver seed capital to emerging civil society organizations in the former Soviet countries. Supported by the United States Agency for International Development and other public and private donors, EF has invested nearly $18 million in Azerbaijan through grants and technical assistance since 1993.

Activity of Eurasia Partnership Foundation’s

EPF is both a grant-maker and a program-implementer and is guided by the following program mandates and approaches: Civic Participation and Monitoring, Research and Policy Capacity Building, Youth Engagement and Empowerment, Cross Border Cooperation and Open Door Grant Making. Each EPF office sets its program priorities annually based on consultations with local and international stakeholders and the Board. EPF is a member of the EF Network: five local foundations supporting civil society are based in Russia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe and Washington, DC.

EPF’s work is guided by the following program mandates and approaches (or tools). The mandates and approaches are flexible and demand-driven. On occasion, activities may not fall directly within any of these areas, or they may fall into several categories at once. EPF does not attempt to maintain strict adherence to this framework – rather, the following areas are meant as general guidelines to direct decision-making and guide our partners and grantees.The Foundation seeks to increase citizen action in monitoring the activities of businesses, government and the donor community. Policy formation and implementation, public and social service delivery and public work all have significant impact on society and the economic development of the South Caucasus.

The Foundation encourages NGOs to pursue work on setting and maintaining public accountability to international project and audit standards through civil sector involvement in infrastructure and legislative monitoring, as well as project evaluation. Direct citizen engagement constitutes a key component of all activities funded. Promoting transparency and international best practices in the private sector also contributes towards increased economic participation and opportunities. EPF encourages public-private partnerships through the engagement of small and medium sized companies in policy dialogue with the government, and also promotes the institutional development of business and vocational education programs.