Are NGOs Returning to Iran?

- Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) began to thrive in Iran under the presidency of Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005). A plethora of organizations sprung up to work on a variety of issues, from the environment, to women's issues, to poverty, to protecting child laborers. However, with the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 NGOs took a big hit in Iran. - 7/15/14

HAND Foundation Awards Annual Scholarship to Kian Samaee

- We are delighted to announce that the 2014 HAND Foundation Scholarship has been made to Kian Samaee for his doctoral studies in economics at The University of Pennsylvania. - 6/28/14

The First Annual Pars Equality Center Autumn Gala in Los Angeles

- The 1st Annual Pars Equality Center Autumn Gala will raise funds for the Pars Equality Center, a non-profit organization that provides social and legal support for all members of the Iranian American community, including refugees, asylees and immigrants. - 6/25/14

Iranian artists come together to support World Food Programme

- 100 prominent Iranian artists have donated artworks to support the United Nations World Food Programme in its fight against hunger. The collection will be exhibited on World Food Day in October 2014 and will be displayed for a week before being sold to raise funds for WFP activities in Iran. - 6/19/14

Pembroke College Celebrates Official Openning Of Shahnama Centre for Persian Studies With $2M Endowment By Philanthropist Bita Daryabari

- On Saturday, May 24th, Global philanthropist Bita Daryabari and speakers from around the globe gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Shahnama Centre for Persian Studies at Pembroke College in Cambridge, England. - 6/12/14

Pars Youth Grant: The American Dream

- The Pars Youth Grant /The American Dream was initiated with the help and generosity of The Kordestani Family Fund, which has as one of its core principals, investing in the education of our youth.This new endeavor hopes to contribute to our younger generation's success. - 5/27/14

Persian Studies Program at San Jose State University

- In 2011, PARSA Community Foundation awarded San Jose State University (SJSU) with a $200,000 grant to start a Persian Studies Program. SJSU, a major public university in Silicon Valley, has built a program that offers countless opportunities for students and members of the community to encounter Persian language and culture. - 5/21/14

Iranian leading actress meets Dalai Lama in India

- Iranian award-winning actress Katayoun Riahi has recently met the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in India, it was reported on Saturday. Riahi, also founder of Iranˈs Komak (Help) Charity Foundation, paid a visit to India during the last days of the past Iranian calendar year which ended on March 20, the foundation reported today in a statement. - 4/5/14

Momeni Foundation is accepting applications for the year 2014 Academic Scholarships

- Momeni Foundation is dedicated to providing scholarships to graduating high school students and full time college students of Iranian descent anywhere in the world. Deadline for receiving the application material is June 30th, 2014. - 4/3/14

Photos: Iranian President visits nursery downtown Tehran on Nowrouz

- President Hassan Rouhani on Friday visited Shobeir Nursery downtown Tehran on the first day of Nowruz (Iranian New Year). -Shobeir Nursery cares for 100 U-6 infants and babies who are under the guardianship of the government, and it is staffed with 90 personnel. - 3/24/14

Shervin Pishevar Awards Cyrus Prize to Dropbox Co-Founder at Bita Daryabari's 4th Annual Pars Equality Center Nowruz Gala

- Pars Equality Center celebrated its 4th Annual Nowruz Gala in honor of the Persian New Year in San Francisco. The nearly $500K in funds raised at this popular yearly event will go towards the continued funding of the Center's social and legal programs in both the Bay area and Los Angeles, as well as helping PEC's expansion into additional U.S. markets. - 3/17/14

Congressman Keith Ellison Joined NIAC's Day of Service

- Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) joined NIAC volunteers on March 9 to spend the day working with Sharing and Caring Hands, an organization helping homeless families, in Minneapolis. NIAC's 4th Annual Day of Service engaged Iranian Americans in community service projects in 10 cities nationwide. - 3/15/14

Nowruz at the Midnight Mission in Los Angeles: "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds"

- On Friday March 14th the Midnight Mission and Southern California Iranians will reunite for the third annual Nowruz at the Midnight Mission event in Downtown's Skid Row sponsored by Skechers USA, Inc. The spirit of Nowruz is one of renewal and promises of a better, brighter start, a pursuit the Midnight Mission strives for every day. - 3/12/14

Report of "Medical Access for Iranians" Event in San Francisco

- On Sunday, February 22, over 140 members of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), Iranian American Bar Association (IABA), Havaar, and National Lawyers' Guild (NLG) attended a charity fundraiser in San Francisco to raise awareness about the impact of US sanctions on ordinary Iranians' medical access. - 3/6/14

PARSA Community Foundation Scholars at Tufts University Tackle Large Global Issues

- "Having been raised in a region where people are suffering from misguided economic policies," explains Maliheh Birjandi-Feriz, a first year PhD candidate in economics at Yale University, "I realized that development and economics are not about statistics and math, rather they are about people and their livelihood." - 3/4/14

First Annual Bita Prize for Young Persian Artists Awarded To Pianist Dena Taherianfar

- Dena Taherianfar was born in Tehran, in November of 1996. She began taking lessons in piano when she was six. Her first teacher was Mrs. Shohreh J. Ghajar. Dena gave her debut concert in the renowned Roudaki Concert Hall of Tehran in 2008. At her teacher's suggestion, Dena eventually moved to Vienna where she began to study piano with Prof. Stanislaw Tichonow at the Joseph Haydn Conservatory. - 2/28/14

Iranian Medical Access Project: Advocacy Event and Charity Fundraiser

- Please join us for an evening of cocktails, snacks, good company, and, most importantly, discussion on the impact current sanctions are having on ordinary Iranians' access to medicine and medical devices. All proceeds of this important advocacy event will benefit Moms Against Poverty's medical initiatives in Iran. - 2/20/14

Sign up for NIAC's Annual Norooz Day of Service!

- Join NIAC's Fourth Annual Day of Service on Saturday March 8, as Iranian Americans nationwide honor the Iranian New Year (Norooz) tradition of beginning a good year through acts of kindness. - 2/18/14

Report: Iranian President Donates $400,000 to Jewish Hospital

- Iranian news agencies report that President Hassan Rouhani has donated $400,000 to a Jewish hospital in Tehran. Rouhani was quoted as saying his government will pay more attention to Iran's minorities. - 2/7/14

Human rights award goes to singer Shahram Nazeri

- The Kermanshah and Ilam Bar Association has named Shahram Nazeri, the Iranian classical music singer and composer, as the winner of the Mehr Human Rights Award for his humanitarian efforts. - 1/26/14

IRAN: World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director wraps up two-day visit

- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director, Ms. Ertharin Cousin, wrapped up a two-day visit to the host country of second-largest population of refuges in the world, Islamic Republic of Iran, on Wednesday January 22, 2014. - 1/24/14

Omid Foundation USA holds fundraising events in DC, Los Angeles and Boston

- The Omid Foundations (Empowering disadvantaged young women in Iran ) consist of three registered charities, which were established by Marjaneh Halati, a London-based social psychologist and psychotherapist. Following is some of the recent fundraising activities by Omid Foundation USA. - 12/26/13

Oscar winning film maker visits OMID Center in Tehran

- It's not everyday that we see an Oscar winning film maker at the OMID Center's but on November 6th we were privileged to be joined by the great, and highly entertaining, Ashgar Farhadi as he spoke about his film making, his life and experiences to the young women and staff of both of our Tehran Center's. - 12/12/13

IASF HAND Foundation Scholarship Recipient Gives Back

- "I live by the philosophy that the energy you project to the universe is the energy you receive right back, so I strive to better my community in as many ways as possible." Lilygol Sedaghat, a political economy major at the University of California, Berkeley, is a recipient of a 2013 The HAND Foundation scholarship from the Iranian-American Scholarship Fund (IASF). - 12/9/13

Photos: AC Milan players visit orphans at Ameneh Nursery in Tehran

- AC Milan veteran soccer players visited Ameneh Nursery in Tehran on Thursday morning before their friendly benefit match with Persepolic FC. There they met the orphans of Ameneh Nursery and spent time with them. - 11/30/13

Photos: Persepolis FC and AC Milan veterans play benefit match in Tehran

- Persepolic FC veteran footballers played a friendly match against the seven-time European champion AC Milan at Tehran's famous Azadi Stadium. AC Milan played a better game and defeated Persepolis 3-1. - 11/30/13

Peace: The Foundation of Prosperity - HAND announces $150,000 matching fund for NIAC

- Long-time PARSA and HAND grantee, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has been a relentless advocate of engagement with Iran for the past decade. HAND is pleased to announce that we have created a $150,000 fund for NIAC to raise as much money as it can in the next 30 days. HAND will match your contributions, dollar for dollar, up to $150,000 between now and December 31. - 11/29/13

6th Annual Stanford University "Bita Prize" Awarded To Acclaimed Writer Mahshid Amirshahy

- In a ceremony held at Stanford University last Friday evening, November 15, 2013, global philanthropist and humanitarian Bita Daryabari awarded the 6th Annual Bita Prize in Persian Letters to acclaimed writer, essayist, and translator Mahshid Amirshahy. - 11/21/13

Photos: Barakat Foundation Builds Schools In The Underdeveloped Regions Of Iran

- The Iranian NGO Barakat Foundation Institute builds schools and creates jobs in the underdeveloped rural regions of Iran. According to the foundation's website, so far they have built 125 schools and created close to 20,000 direct jobs. These photos show some of the schools build by Barakat. - 11/17/13

Iranian Neurologist Professor Majid Samii Wins Leibniz Ring Prize

- Iranian neurologist has won the Leibniz Ring Prize in Germany. The prize is given to Personalities who have made contributions to human development. The founder of the International Institute of Neurosciences in Hannover, Professor Samii has helped train many neurologists in Iran, Europe and on the African continent. - 11/17/13

MODERNITY OF TRADITION: Photography exhibition in London in support of the Omid Foundations

- An exhibition of photographs by Omid Salehi in support the Omid Foundations. The exhibition includes over 40 limited edition photographs by the artist. This is a truly unique opportunity to purchase photographs of exceptional importance at very attractive prices and at the same time supporting the work of the Omid Foundations. - 10/24/13

Twenty Iranian celebs named World Food Program partners

- A group of 20 Iranian popular figures were selected as celebrity partners of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) during a ceremony in Tehran on Sunday. The director of the WFP Country Office in Iran, Negar Gerami, awarded the celebs certificates during the ceremony, which was held at the National Library and Archives of Iran. - 10/18/13

OMID Foundation's Angel Program

- The Omid Foundations (Empowering disadvantaged young women in Iran ) consist of three registered charities, which were established by Marjaneh Halati, a London-based social psychologist and psychotherapist. It is her unique vision and passion that is the driving force behind their growth. - 9/16/13

First UN humanitarian aid team formed in Iran

- The first UN humanitarian aid team was officially established in Iran following signing an agreement between the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and Iran. - 9/16/13

U.S. Treasury Issues Two New General Licenses For Iran

- We are pleased to announce that on September 10, 2013, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees the sanctions on Iran, said in a statement that it had eased sanctions on Iran that will enable U.S. nongovernmental organizations to perform humanitarian work in the country. -Child Foundation, Portland, Oregon - 9/12/13

NIAC Applauds Easing of Humanitarian Sanctions

- NIAC applauds the Treasury Department's decision to ease sanctions to enable humanitarian activities by nongovernmental organizations in Iran and athletic exchanges between the U.S. and Iran. This long sought action will help ensure that sanctions do not prevent humanitarian organizations from providing disaster relief and other services to meet basic human needs. - 9/11/13

Momeni Foundation announces 2013 scholarship recipients

- It is a great pleasure to introduce the Momeni Foundation's Year 2013 scholarship award recipients to you. This year we are awarding $10,000 dollars to 17 well deserving students. The following students have demonstrated outstanding achievements in both academics and social/civic causes. - 9/10/13

Moms Against Poverty: Building Schools and an Education & Cultural Center in Iran

- The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) has extended Moms Against Poverty's (MAP) special permit to build schools and an Education & Cultural Center in Bushehr. Bushehr, one of Iran's poorest regions, was devastated by an earthquake earlier this year. The OFAC permit also allows MAP to continue their work in building the The Asheglou High School in Azerbaijan. - 9/6/13

Programmers: Rock Stars of the Future

- Twin Iranian American brothers Hadi and Ali Partovi launched Code.org and donated $1 million each to the organization. Code.org advocates that "every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn to code." Since its launch, 3.5 million students have participated in Code.org's online courses - 9/5/13

Iranian charity provides medical care to refugee children

- MAHAK is a non-profit, non-political, and non-governmental charity focused on treating children with cancer. It uses the most up-to-date diagnostic, treatment and prevention methods, with both outpatient and in-patient services. It provides chemotherapy, medication, lab tests, radiation therapy, CT scan, transportation and family counseling - all without regard to religion, race or nationality of patients. -Sharareh Jalali - 8/19/13

Noosheen Hashemi among top 50 philanthropists in Bay Area

- Recognizing her work as the President of The HAND Foundation, Noosheen Hashemi, is named one of Gentry Magazine's top 50 philanthropists in their annual list of leading philanthropists in San Francisco, the Peninsula and Silicon Valley. - 8/6/13

Pars Equality Center: June 2013 Newsletter

- This past month we participated in World Refugee Day events in Santa Clara, Oakland and the Los Angeles area. Pars staff and volunteers operated booths and communicated with attendees who were interested in services provided by Pars. The Pars Los Angeles office grand opening is set for Thursday, September 26! - 7/19/13

Photos: Footballer Nekounam receives captaincy armband from children fighting cancer

- Iran football captain Javad Nekounam was given a symbolic captaincy armband from children fighting cancer on Wednesday. Esteghlal player Nekounam along with Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi played football for a few minutes with the children of the Mahak Charity. - 7/18/13

Photos: Operation Golestan!

- The Iranian Red Crescent Society's relief and rescue teams participated in a preparedness program by hiking and climbing in the forest and mountain areas of the Golestan province in northern Iran. - 7/1/13

Tar virtuoso Saket to give benefit concert for child workers in Tehran

- Iranian musician and tar virtuoso Keyvan Saket will give a benefit concert for child workers at Andisheh Hall of Tehran's Art Bureau on June 27 and 28. The concert has been organized by the Association of Protection of Child Laborers (APCL), and Saket will be performing a selection from two of his recent albums "East of Sorrow" and "A Night with Sun" - 6/25/13

Immigrant's Success in US Creates Great Opportunities for Many

- During its 2012 fiscal year, the Greenville Goodwill helped find jobs for nearly 7,300 people - people who otherwise might have depended on taxpayer-funded assistance programs. Instead, they collectively earned more than $75 million. All because of help from one man (Ali Saifi) who came to the United States chasing his own dream. - 6/23/13

HOPE Concert for the Iranian People To Be Held in Berlin

- On June 7, Iranian-American journalist and peace activist Roxana Saberi, who was arrested in Iran in 2009 and freed after international outcry, will present the HOPE Concert at the Velodrom in Berlin in worldwide support for the Iranian people. - 5/29/13

Professor Parvaneh Vosough, angel of Iran's Cancer Children, passes away

- Everyone in Mozaffar Street loved Mrs. Professor's Green Volkswagen bug; a symbol which would appear in the vicinity of Ali Asghar Hospital, making evident the presence of a woman who had dedicated her life to cancer-suffering children; who abandoned her residence in Europe to live beside cancer-suffering children in Iran and to help them. - 5/21/13

Iranian firefighter saves lives, even after his death

- According to Jalal Maleki, the spokesman of Iran's Firefighters Organization, body parts of firefighter Amir Abbasi will be offered to patients in need of transplants. Abbasi died during a mission in north Tehran after saving a girl from a fire in a residential complex. - 5/17/13

The privilege of giving

- Atherton philanthropist Bita Daryabari supports range of causes not only with funding, but with time, effort and intensity of purpose -Renee Batti, The Almanac - 4/29/13

Child Foundation, a nonprofit located in Portland Oregon, seeks an Executive Manager

- Child Foundation's mission is to help high-achieving children who are in needy circumstances stay in school. We serve children living in Iran, Afghanistan and Indonesia. - 4/22/13

More Than 300 Iranian Students In US Really Need Your Help!

- Several weeks ago, PAAIA announced a partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE) to provide emergency grants of $2,000 each to Iranian students in the US who are facing financial difficulties due to the recent currency devaluation in Iran. Since then, PAAIA has been collecting donations from generous Iranian Americans for these students. - 4/11/13

Painting exhibit to raise funds for child cancer victims in Iran

- A group of children has teamed up to hold a painting exhibition in Tehran to raise funds for children suffering from cancer. Paintings by 54 children will go on display on April 11 and 12 in a showcase entitled "Future Is Mine", Mahak Charity Society, which is the organizer of the event, announced on Monday. - 4/9/13

Momeni Foundation is accepting applications for the year 2013 Academic Scholarships

- Momeni Foundation is dedicated to providing scholarships to graduating high school students and full time college students of Iranian descent anywhere in the world. Deadline for receiving the application material is June 30th, 2013. - 4/4/13

Photos: Nowruz Gifts For Arasbaran Quake Victims

- Life in the Arasbaran region hasn't returned to normal yet, and the quake-stricken people are still in need of help. With the arrival of the Iranian new year, the most festive time of the year in Iran, group of volunteers visited the region on Wednesday and delivered donated gifts to the people so they could enjoy the occasion as well. -Masoume Fariborzi - 3/29/13

Persian Studies at the University of Maryland

- Aspiring to be the premier center for the study and appreciation of Persian culture in the United States, the Roshan Institute for Persian Studies was established at UMD's School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in Fall 2004. - 3/28/13

Photos: Volunteers cook 220 Kilograms of Samanoo for Norouz!

- Every year, two weeks before the arrival of the Iranian New Year Norouz, a group of devoted people gather at the Alroghieh Mosque in the southern city of Shiraz and cook a large amount of samanoo for distribution among the needy in the city. This year the volunteers cooked 220 kilograms of samanoo! - 3/9/13

Southern California Iranian-Americans, 670 AM KIRN Radio Iran and The Midnight Mission Give Back to Skid Row Residents in Honor of Iranian New Year Nowruz

- The Midnight Mission proudly announces that its second annual Nowruz at the Midnight Mission event-a special street celebration to toast life and revive and renew the spirit during this festive time of renewal-will take place on Friday, March 15th from 3pm to 6pm at The Midnight Mission on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles. - 3/5/13

Child Foundation 12th Annual Nowruz Bazaar in Irvine, California

- Join Child Foundation at the 12th annual Nowruz Bazaar on March 17th, 2013 from 11 am to 6 pm at the Hilton Irvine. There will be children's activities, live music, Haji Firooz, DJ Maha, and much more! Meet Irvine's Mayor Dr. Steven Choi and receive a free medical checkup from the Hoag Medical Doctors. - 3/3/13

Southern California - Celebrate Nowruz 2013 with the homeless

- Steeped in history, Nowruz is an annual celebration that marks the beginning of the Iranian New Year for people of all faiths. It is also a time of deep spirituality when light symbolically conquers darkness, and people open their hearts to help those less fortunate than themselves step into the light. - 3/1/13

Southern California - International Society for Children with Cancer Nowruz Bazaar

- Please join ISCC in celebrating the arrival of Persian New Year by attending our Nowruz Bazaar supporting underprivileged children suffering from cancer. The Nowruz Bazaar features a variety of delicious homemade torshis, jams, pastries, haft-seen items and entertainment for children and adults. - 3/1/13

NIAC Annual National Day of Service: Saturday, March 9

- Join Iranian Americans nationwide in honoring the Iranian New Year (Norooz) tradition of beginning a good year through acts of kindness. During NIAC's Third Annual Day of Service on Saturday, March 9, we look forward to reigning in a wonderful new year by cleaning parks and beaches, serving food to those less fortunate than ourselves, and caring for the ill and elderly. - 2/22/13

Securing the Future of Persian Immersion Language Education in the US

- Golestan Kids is a nonprofit Persian language immersion school for children in Northern California. Our mission is to promote a strong sense of cultural identity through daily immersion in the Persian language, arts, and traditions. Speaking exclusively in Persian, Golestan's teachers employ a hybrid, progressive curriculum to nurture and promote good citizenship to children... Now we find ourselves at a major crossroads. -Yalda Modabber - 2/21/13

Bita Daryabari's Pars Equality Center Plans for Expansion in Los Angeles

- Philanthropist and entrepreneur Bita Daryabari's Pars Equality Center (a Bay Area non-profit organization, and the first of its kind, providing social and legal support for all members of the Iranian American community, including refugees, asylees and immigrants) opened its second office in San Jose, California in April 2012, and is currently planning expansion into the Los Angeles market. - 2/13/13

Popli Khalatbari Charitable Foundation provides update on the Eastern Azerbaijan earthquake appeal

- We are delighted to report that as a direct consequence of your generous response to our Eastern Azerbaijan Earthquake Appeal we have exceeded the target sums and pledged assistance to even greater numbers than initially promised. - 2/11/13

Iran: Detained earthquake relief workers sentenced

- A group of volunteer relief workers who were arrested at an independent relief camp following last summer's earthquake in northwest Azerbaijan have been handed jail sentences ranging from six months to two years. - 1/15/13

32 Iranian artists to raise funds for World Food Program

- Thirty-two Iranian artists have donated some of their works to the United Nations World Food Program to raise funds to fight hunger. The works were unveiled during a ceremony in an exhibit at the Diplomatic Gallery of the ECO Cultural Institute in Tehran on Wednesday evening. - 12/29/12

Pars Equality Center's Christmas Appeal

- One of the things that Pars Equality Center does is to bring this same kind of joy to the lives of the kids and new comer familes in our care, with the backing of supporters like you. A joy that most of them have never experienced before in their lives, before coming to the USA. - 12/12/12

Photos: Artists take puppet show to quake-stricken children

- A group of Azerbaijani artists visited the quake-stricken areas in Arasbaran region on Friday and held puppet shows to help create a lively and fun atmosphere for the children. The artists also distributed gifts among the children. - 12/8/12

Iranian NGO receives Red Ribbon Award for AIDS work

- The 2012 Red Ribbon Award prize of dlrs 10,000 was handed over to Afraye Sabz Association for its outstanding work in response to HIV at the community level. - 12/6/12

Iranian stage and screen stars to raise money for quake victims

- A number of celebrated stage and screen stars will perform play readings to raise funds for earthquake victims in East Azarbaijan Province. - 11/29/12

New York Still Needs Our Help: IAAB Lends a Hand

- In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, IAAB organized a team of volunteers, along with a coalition of organizations, to work on Sandy relief efforts. What we found were communities extremely devastated three weeks after the storm hit. There is a dire need for all of those in New York and New Jersey to volunteer in relief efforts before the extreme winter weather hits. - 11/19/12

Iranian-Americans giving back this Thanksgiving

- In the spirit of Thanksgiving, several Iranian-American organizations are joining forces to offer opportunities to give back to Houstonians in need. -KTRK - 11/19/12

$10 million gift establishes Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University

- Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, a member of the Class of 1980, and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, a member of the Class of 1974, have created the center to provide a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to understanding Iran and the Persian Gulf, with special attention to the region's significance for the contemporary world. - 11/17/12

Iranian-Americans to participate in Sandy Relief in NYC

- In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, IAAB, who's headquarters are in New York City, is spearheading the Iranian Americans For Sandy Relief Initiative. - 11/13/12