Diaspora Trust Fund Receives Tax-Exempt Status

Addis Ababa 27/2019 The Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund has received tax-exempt status from Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit charity organization effective September 27, 2018.

According to a press release sent to ENA, as a tax-exempt organization now the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund (EDTF) is eligible to apply for government and foundation and other grants, which will further broaden its access to resources and strengthen its ability to help address critical needs in Ethiopia.

EDTF Advisory Council Chairperson, Professor Alemayehu (Al) G. Mariam said, “Obtaining 501(c)(3) status was a challenge, but through the determined efforts of our Advisory Council members we were able to succeed.”

He further elaborated that “this opens many doors for us to expand fundraising activities, broaden access to resources, and fully realize our goals of helping to meet the needs of our people back home.”

EDTF officially began collecting donations on October 22, 2018, it was learned.

To date, EDTF has collected 4.7 million USD in donations from donors in 77 countries, the release stated, adding that the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has given EDTF a two-year grant to fund the cost of its secretariat in Addis Ababa.

One hundred percent of all donations are committed to projects, and no donations are used for administration or related purposes.

The call to donate a dollar-a-day by all Ethiopians in the Diaspora came from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on July 08, 2019.