Frequently Asked Questions - Dates & Costs

Yes. There are several ways to do this. Your friends and family, of course, can give you money directly to use toward the cost of your program participation. These gifts, because they are given to you and not to a 501(C)(3) nonprofit, are likely NOT tax deductible. We encourage you to thank your friends and family for their support in person or in writing and then make your payment in full for the program.

If your donors would like to make a tax deductible donation to the generalized scholarship fund for Palestine Summer Encounter participants they are free to do so. Checks can be made out to "Middle East Fellowship." Please also have donors write "Palestine Summer Encounter" in the memo of the check. In a letter or e-mail included with the check or payment, the donor should indicate that they want their donation to be designated for the Palestine Summer Encounter Scholarship Fund. Additionally, they can recommend that the funds be used on behalf of a specific participant whom they would like to support. Although the dispersement of these funds is under the prerogative of Middle East Fellowship, we will carefully track these donations and give full consideration to all donor requests and specifications. Please understand that, by handling donations in this manner, we are merely adhering to IRS rules and regulations. If you have additional questions about how this process works, please contact us.

If a parent, guardian or other friend or relative is making a direct payment for your program, and the tax deductibility of their gift is not an issue, they should just make clear that their payment is being made to cover your program fees. They need not (and should not) designate their payment as a gift toward the scholarship fund.

We strongly encourage donors on your behalf to consult with a tax advisor as laws are subject to change.

Please refer to the Dates and Costs section of the website.

This is a question best asked in consultation with a financial or tax advisor. We encourage you to save all of your receipts, including correspondence and receipting from us and receipts from your purchase of airline tickets, expenses on the ground, etc. Bring a manilla envelope to safely store receipts in during your trip–and don't lose it!

It is possible for U.S. participants that at least a portion of your trip would be tax deductible because this is a volunteer program. Laws on tax deductions can change. It is ultimately the responsibility of each participant to determine for themselves to what extent their experience is tax deductible. We should be able to offer an itemized breakdown of how your payments were used at the end of the program upon request. Again we recommend: a) keeping all of your receipts and b) when tax season comes up, consult a tax advisor.

Palestine Summer Encounter is a relatively inexpensive program. Unfortunately, it simply is not possible to offer the program at no charge (otherwise we would!) Some of the many expenses include: salaries of the Arabic instructors; weekend excursions (tour guides, buses, hotels, etc.); compensation for host family expenses (room and board); and staff time (to set up volunteer opportunities, lead the orientation, help participants prepare for their trip, etc.) In spite of the many necessary expenses incurred, we make every effort to keep the program as affordable as possible.

For your time in Israel and Palestine you will be responsible for exchanging your own money. To save hassle and time, we encourage you to exchange all the money you anticipate needing at the beginning of your time there. This can be done in the airport or bank or even in the occupied territories. The exchange rate is approximately 4 NIS (New Israeli Shekels) to $1. Palestinians in the Occupied Territories occasionally often accept U.S. dollars and Jordanian Dinars.

Previous delegates have found that $10-20 per day is sufficient to cover the cost of daily expenses including lunch and transportation. You should probably bring some additional money for tips and if you plan to buy souvenirs and gifts. Cash and your credit card (Visa is the most accepted at ATM machines) usually work best. Please bring small bills (5s and 1s). It is very difficult to cash travelers checks in most of the places we will go.

Yes. There is some flexibility. However we STRONGLY encourage participants to work within the dates already provided, which are already highly flexible (with five different packages to choose from). We can't offer any discounts for those who choose to stay for less than one month (our expenses will mostly be the same). If you miss the orientation session at the beginning of each session, you may have a harder time adjusting to the culture as well as your volunteer placement and Arabic class. Any special travel arrangements, including early or late start dates, must be communicated to the Middle East Fellowship at least two months in advance of your departure.

Yes. Through a generous grant from the Foundation for Middle East Peace we do now have a few needs-based fellowships available for Palestine Summer Encounter participants. If you are unable to afford the full cost of the program but feel yourself to be a qualified candidate, please apply online.

There are also fellowships available for alumni of the program who want to return in a leadership position.

Not everyone will be able to join the program on a fellowship. We do, however, strongly encourage all of our participants to fundraise for their trip- especially if they are having difficulty finding the money to cover their costs. Your friends and family can send in money on your behalf and, in most cases, it will be counted as a tax-deductible donation to Middle East Fellowship (please consult a tax advisor). We have had a number of participants who, through appeal letters and fundraising events, have been able to raise enough money to cover the entire cost of the program (including flight!). Please feel free to contact us if you want to brainstorm strategies for raising your own support.