Our Organization
The success of our Friends of Nigeria organization is due primarily to the efforts of the members of the FON Board of Directors. In addition to serving as directors, Board members also serve on standing and ad hoc committees that evaluate and make recommendations on issues to be considered by the Board. Members of the Board are elected for two-year terms. Click on the links to the left to see the committees of the Board and their composition. Work of the Board is conducted in reference to the Friends of Nigeria mission statement.
Since it was founded in 1996, Friends of Nigeria has sought to maintain ties with grass-roots organizations in Nigeria. Our grants program began in 1998 with a donation of $500 to the Niger Wives Braille Project. The grants program has since grown in importance and by 2024 FON had raised and distributed almost $430,000 to grass-roots organizations in Nigeria. All membership dues not required for operational expenses, and 100% of donations, go to these development projects. Our priority is to fund projects that rely on local decision-making, address clear needs, and result in specific outcomes. In recent years our emphasis has been on infrastructure for computer training programs, health education in general, and on maternal health and fistula repair in particular. Friends of Nigeria has donated to EngenderHealth and DOVENET, organizations that specialize in addressing maternal health and fistula repair. In response to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the FON membership raised additional funds for our partners in Nigeria to help in the procurement and distribution of food in rural areas affected by the pandemic. We welcome donations that will support our grants program. FON is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization.
Please use the link to the left to contact us with questions, suggestions, or other information that would be of interest to members of Friends of Nigeria.