Donating Without Buying: How to Send Money Directly to the United Palestinian Appeal
Not everyone who wants to support Palestinian communities wants a t-shirt first. FALASTIN gets this question often enough that it deserves a direct answer: yes, it is entirely possible to donate directly to the United Palestinian Appeal (UPA) without buying anything from FALASTIN's Palestinian Clothing collection at all. The donation model built into every order is one path to UPA. It was never meant to be the only one.
TL;DR
To donate directly to the United Palestinian Appeal without buying anything, go to upaconnect.org and use its donate page. UPA, founded in 1978, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that reports putting 98% of its spending into programs in health, education, emergency response, and community and economic development, with only 1% each going to management and fundraising. Donors can give once, set up a recurring monthly gift, or ask an employer about matching the donation. FALASTIN's own donation model, 100% of profits from every order, is a second way to reach the same organization, not a replacement for giving directly.
How to Donate Directly to the United Palestinian Appeal
The direct route is straightforward. UPA's own site, upaconnect.org, takes donations without routing through any partner brand or purchase. A donor picks an amount, chooses a one-time or recurring monthly gift, and completes the payment on UPA's own secure page. Many employers also match charitable donations dollar for dollar, so it is worth checking whether a workplace giving program applies before finishing the donation.
None of this requires knowing anyone at FALASTIN or buying a single product. The t-shirt is one funding channel into UPA. The donate button on UPA's own site is another, and for a donor who only wants the second one, that is the complete instruction.
What Is the United Palestinian Appeal?
United Palestinian Appeal is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian nonprofit founded in 1978, built around a plain mission: helping Palestinians improve their own lives and communities through programs they run themselves rather than aid designed elsewhere and shipped in. UPA organizes its work into several areas: emergency response across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon and Egypt; health and wellness, including primary care clinics and cleft palate care for children; community and economic development, including small business and agricultural support; and education, including the Mahmoud Darwish Scholarship Fund and a vocational training program for young people.
UPA states on its own site that 98% of what it spends goes directly into these programs, with only 1% going to management and 1% to fundraising, and that it holds formal 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. A donor who wants to verify where a gift actually goes before sending one has a short list of numbers to check, not a vague promise.
Why FALASTIN Still Points to Direct Giving
A brand that sends 100% of its profits to one organization has an obvious incentive to keep every donor inside its own funnel. FALASTIN's answer to that is to say the opposite out loud. The t-shirt is for someone who also wants heritage apparel, or a gift, or a specific symbol explained on the garment itself. For someone who just wants the money to arrive at UPA as fast and as directly as possible, buying a shirt first adds a shipping cost and a production cycle the direct route skips entirely.
This is not a hedge against the brand's own donation claim. 100% of profits from FALASTIN are donated to the United Palestinian Appeal, the same line that closes every FALASTIN blog post, stays true whether or not a reader ever sends UPA a separate dollar. The two paths run in parallel, not in competition.
Where a Direct Gift and an Order Both End Up
Whichever route a dollar takes, it lands inside the same four program areas. A direct gift of $50 and the profit margin on a t-shirt order are both, once they reach UPA, simply part of the pool that funds a scholarship, a primary care visit, or a season of agricultural training. FALASTIN has written separately about how a specific order becomes a UPA grant, tracing one product's margin all the way to the farmers UPA's agriculture program supports. The mechanism differs. The destination does not.
Lesser-Known Facts About Giving to UPA
- UPA was founded in 1978 and has run as a nonpartisan, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) nonprofit for nearly five decades.
- UPA reports that 98% of its spending goes directly into its programs, among the leanest overhead ratios a donor is likely to find in this space.
- UPA's education work includes the Mahmoud Darwish Scholarship Fund, named for the Palestinian national poet.
- A direct donation can be a one-time gift or a recurring monthly gift, and many employers will match either one.
- FALASTIN's donation model and a direct gift to UPA both fund the same four program areas: emergency response, health, education, and community and economic development.
Give Either Way, or Both
FALASTIN exists because a t-shirt and a donation can be the same transaction. That design choice does not mean it is the only correct one. A reader who wants to support Palestinian communities today, without waiting on shipping or picking a design, can do that in a few minutes on UPA's own site. A reader who wants a piece of Palestinian heritage apparel that also funds the same work can do that here. Either way, the same act of holding on to what matters is what both paths are built to support.
At FALASTIN, we aim to keep that heritage alive through our Palestinian Clothing collection.
100% of profits from FALASTIN are donated to the United Palestinian Appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I donate directly to the United Palestinian Appeal?
Go to upaconnect.org and use the donate page there. Donors can give a one-time gift or set up a recurring monthly gift, and many employers will match the donation through a workplace giving program.
Is UPA a real registered nonprofit?
Yes. UPA was founded in 1978 and holds 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. It reports on its own site that 98% of what it spends goes directly to its programs, with 1% each going to management and fundraising.
What does UPA actually fund?
UPA funds emergency response across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon and Egypt, health and wellness programs including primary care clinics, community and economic development including small business and agricultural support, and education including scholarships and vocational training.
Do I have to buy something from FALASTIN to support UPA?
No. A FALASTIN order sends 100% of its profit to UPA, but anyone can also give directly on UPA's own site without buying anything at all. Both routes fund the same programs.