As protests in Iran continue, should American philanthropists support opposition groups fighting the country’s repressive government?

On the Huffington Post, Trevor Neilson, president of the Global Philanthropy Group, a company that advises donors, gives five reasons why wealthy donors should find ways to back students and others taking to the streets.

Helping the opposition movement would bolster Israeli and American security interests and it’s the responsibility of the United States to support efforts to build democracy, he says.

“The opposition desperately needs support, and wealthy individuals in the United States are well positioned to provide it,” he writes.

But several obstacles make it tricky for philanthropy to play such a role.

Aside from the Iranian government’s scrutiny, U.S. economic sanctions prevent donations to Iranian charities. According to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, food, medical supplies, and other product donations are allowed into Iran for humanitarian disasters, but cash gifts require special permission from the office.

To be sure, several foundations have advocated that the White House rewrite these rules and grant makers like the Rockefeller Brothers Fund are trying other ways to build ties between Iran and America.

During the 2008 meeting of the Global Philanthropy Forum, Stephen B. Heintz, president of the fund, and experts in international affairs suggested ideas. (Watch a video of the panel.)

For example, philanthropists can support think tank studies to improve America’s understanding of Iran and provide money to international exchanges of scholars, sports teams, and artists.

What do you think? What role can philanthropy play in Iran?