About Us

American Charities for Palestine (ACP) was established as a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charitable organization by the founders of its sister organization, the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP), in June 2007 to help raise the standards of the Palestinian health and education sectors to American and western countries’ standards.
ACP is a non-political, non-partisan, humanitarian, secular and charitable organization. ACP funds will not be used for any political purposes and are raised primarily through U.S.-sanctioned donations from private foundations, institutional donors, high net worth families/individuals, and aid organizations.
ACP believes there is an intimate connection between improving living conditions and providing hope and the reality of a secure peace between Israel and Palestine and is therefore pioneering a new approach for distributing secure donations to worthy causes that will help build both peace and Palestine.
In August 2008, ACP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ensuring that all recipients of ACP donations in Palestine are fully vetted and approved by USAID. This is the first such agreement between USAID and any private organization, and it was described by USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore as a “historic step.” ACP donors are therefore assured that their generosity will be distributed in full compliance with US law as well as reaching truly deserving recipients.
ACP focuses primarily on the fields of health and education. These two sectors are not only central to the immediate improvement of the quality of life for Palestinians, but also indispensable for laying the foundations of a viable future Palestinian state to live alongside Israel. In targeting these two sectors, ACP hopes to advance the cause of peace based on two states – Israel and Palestine – and to support efforts by the United States government to realize this crucial policy goal. In its humanitarian projects, ACP works directly with Palestinian and international charities, as well as USAID and Palestinian Authority agencies.
Since signing the partnership agreement with USAID, ACP has successfully completed three charitable initiatives benefiting Palestinians in the West Bank, with amounts totaling greater than $600,000 in contributions.
- In November of 2008, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and USAID began the distribution of 1,000 laptop computers, donated by One Laptop per Child in partnership with ACP, to school children across 13 elementary schools managed by the PA, UNRWA and the private sector.
- The following year, ACP presented the Spafford Children’s Center of Jerusalem with a sizable contribution to support their invaluable contributions to the health and well being of disadvantaged children in the old city of Jerusalem and its surrounding areas.
- ACP also partnered with CHF International and the Sheikh Mohammed Shami Foundation to initiate a development project in the West Bank village of Beit Ur Al-Tahta. Together, we installed street lights along all village roads in an effort to make them safer and repaired and repaved roads leading to the new girls’ high school, donated by the Shami Foundation.
ACP is committed to making a strategic impact on the quality of education and health care delivery to Palestinians. ACP’s partnership with USAID has created a mechanism that reassures donors, vets recipients and provides accountability and transparency. This unique package of safeguards, partnerships and services is particularly suited to attract donors who have an interest in promoting peace and security.
"Groups like American Charities for Palestine… which attempts to create a safe giving alternative to help Palestinian peoples to build the institutions of the state in the West Bank but to do so in a way that isolates Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist actors and to do so in concert with the U.S. government, and in particular with USAID."
- Juan Zarate - Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism
- Juan Zarate - Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism









