Grantmaking and Embargoed Countries

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposes a variety of sanctions on certain countries and its nationals to further U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives. In most cases these sanctions apply broadly and impose restrictions on all charitable activities connected with a targeted country.  Depending on the country, however, exceptions or licenses may be available that permit charitable activities. Because the legal requirements vary from embargo to embargo, some exceptions and licenses may permit broad charitable activity while others may permit only very specific activities.  NGO's that wish to undertake charitable activities in sanctioned countries must familiarize themselves with the specific limitations applicable to each country and apply for registration or licensing with OFAC if applicable.

Sanctions programs currently exist for the following countries: Balkans, Cuba, Burma, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe. For a complete and up-to-date list of sanctions programs, visit  http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/.

• Visit OFAC's website to learn about the country sanction programs.
• Read OFAC's Guidelines for Registration and Licensing (in PDF) for NGO's working in Sudan, Cuba, Burma, and Iran.
• Read the Legal Dimensions of International Grantmaking article, “Grantmaking and Embargoed Countries: an Overview Using Kosovo as a Case Study,” By Timothy S. Burgett, World Vision International and Timothy R. Lyman, Day Berry & Howard Foundation. Summer 1999. Note: Sanctions are no longer imposed by the U.S. on Kosovo.