Our mission is to bring shelter, safety, education, health, and opportunity to people in the Himalaya who have no one else.

Who We Are

Making positive, tangible change happen

The American Himalayan Foundation was founded in 1981 by a small group of climbers who were drawn to Nepal for the mountains, but returned again and again for the people. They wanted to respond to the pressing problems of this magnificent but very poor part of the world, where many still struggle without healthcare or education, thousands of young girls live in danger of being trafficked, and traditional ways of life are fast disappearing. AHF exists to bring positive, tangible change to people’s lives.

I don’t believe any nongovernmental organization could possibly do as much, with as little contribution as the American Himalayan Foundation. They are extremely efficient. There is no bureaucracy. There is no waste. And the most important thing is they know the people there and have known them for decades, so there is an absolute perfect efficiency in making the most out of every dollar contributed.” – President Jimmy Carter

Our founder and Chairman Richard Blum with residents of Upper Mustang.

How we do it

Bet on people. We find local partners who have the vision and determination to help their communities and we help them grow—with financial, strategic, and technical support.
Find the leverage. We know the territory and intervene where we can make the greatest impact for the least cost. In the Himalaya, the difference between what exists and what is possible can be enormous, and often costs very little.
Respect. We respect the priorities, concerns and knowledge of our local partners, and all of our work has community participation.
Take the long view. We stay committed. Real, sustainable change takes time, effort and trust.

We invite you to be a part of making change happen.

Help you can trust.

AHF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
Our EIN / tax ID number is 94-2951480.

We have a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Gold rating from GuideStar.

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