The Zakat Foundation

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = The Zakat Foundation of America
Non-profit_logo =
Non-profit_type =
founded_date = | founded_date = 2001
founder = Halil Demir
location = Chicago, Illinois
origins = Chicago, Illinois, US|
area_served = 29 countries
focus = Healthcare, education
method =
revenue = $1,377,230 (2007) [ [http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10986 Zakat Foundation Annual Reports & Reviews] ]
endowment =
num_volunteers =
num_employees =
num_members =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan = "Fostering Charitable Giving for Those in Need"
homepage = [http://www.thezakat.org/ www.thezakat.org]
tax_exempt =
dissolved =
footnotes =

The Zakat Foundation of America is a Chicago based, Muslim non-profit dedicated to alleviating the immediate needs of the poorest communities, as well as providing emergency relief, post-disaster rehabilitation, development, education, healthcare, orphan sponsorship, and seasonal programs such as Ramadan Iftars and Udhiya/Qurbani. The Zakat Foundation of America is recognized and registered under 501(c)(3) as a non-profit charity organization; therefore all donations are tax exempt.

Mission Statement

Zakat Foundation is an international charity which aims to foster charitable giving and help generous and caring people reach out to those in need with direct aid. We strive to bridge the gap between our financially privileged donors and our beneficiaries in financial need, as we believe that the first group has responsibilities towards the second.

Zakat Foundation is dedicated to alleviating the immediate needs of the poorest communities by providing food, shelter, health care and by delivering relief in emergencies. Zakat Foundation also provides education and training in order to equip people with the skills to help themselves.

Zakat Foundation pursues this mission with compassion and strict standards of efficiency and accountability. [cite news | date = 2008-09-23 | title = Mission | url = http://www.thezakat.org/about-us.aspx | publisher = Zakat Foundation | accessdate = 2008-09-23]

Programs

Emergency Relief – When tragedy strikes people anywhere in the world, The Zakat Foundation strives to be quick with relief activities to provide victims with supplies and services to not only survive; but recover in the aftermath.

Education – As a humanitarian aid organization, The Zakat Foundation recognize that education is a human right and asserts that the best opportunities for learning to children and adults must be provided worldwide.

Development – It is not only enough to alleviate the immediate needs of a community, The Zakat Foundation strives to provide a people with the tools to change their lives.

Health Care – Among the basic human rights is the right to live healthy and happy, therefore The Zakat Foundation strives to help people who cannot afford medicines or who do not have access to currently available clinics.

Orphan Sponsorship – Orphan care ensures that these children are not alone in the world and have a new chance at a happy life.

Ramadan Iftars – Throughout Ramadan, The Zakat Foundation provides hot meals to Muslims in various countries around the world in order to give them wonderful food to break their daily fast. This obligation of every Muslim is handled with great care every year during Ramadan.

Udhiya / Qurbani – Acting in remembrance of the sacrifice of Abraham (AS) we provide the Udhiya/Qurbani meats to the poor in countries all around the world.

Zakat Ul-Mal – Once every year a Muslim who has attained wealth is compelled by faith to give of what Allah has provided to him in order that the rest of the Ummah may prosper equally.

Sadaqa Jariyah – Provide donors with the chance to establish work that goes on beyond this life.

Akika – To commemorate onerous joy in the birth of a child it is the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) to sacrifice and share the blessing with others.

Food Package Distribution – Throughout Ramadan and during both Eid celebrations The Zakat Foundation food packages are passed out to literally thousands of people each year.

Countries Served

The Zakat Foundation of America implements and operates in 29 countries through its offices in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Multi-column numbered list|lst=disc|125|Afghanistan

Burkina Faso

China

Georgia

Indonesia

Kosovo

Mauritania

Palestine

Sudan

Turkey

|10|

Azerbaijan

Burma

Egypt

Ghana

Iran

Lebanon

Niger

Somalia

Syria

United States
10|

Bangladesh

Chechnya

Ethiopia

Haiti

Iraq

Mali

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Tajikistan

|9|

Awards

In 2008, The Zakat Foundation of America was awarded Charity Navigator's highest four star rating. [ [http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10986 Zakat Foundation Annual Reports & Reviews] ] The Zakat Foundation has demonstrated exceptional financial health, outperforming most of its peers in its efforts to manage and grow its finances in the most fiscally responsible way possible.

Publications

Since it's establishment in 2001, The Zakat Foundation has produced two documentary videos and a Zakat handbook. The first documentary provides an update about the situation in Pakistan after the 2005 Great Pakistan earthquake and Zakat Foundation's involvement in helping bridging the gap for those in need across the world. The movie offers glimpses of the Aashiana and Rumi International School.

In 2008, world-renowned war journalist and Zakat Foundation volunteer Kevin McKiernan produced and filmed a documentary about Fu-Xing school, bringing to attention the Muslim community in the Gansu province. Through interviews with students of Fu-Xing and their parents, McKiernan aptly captures the struggles and prejudices faced by Muslims in China, as well as the dreams of the youth and their hopes for education to change the future.

Published in 2007, The Zakat Handbook: A Practical Guide for Muslims in the West is comprehensive guide to the obligatory pillar of Islam has been compiled and presented so that Muslims can better understand the concepts and principles of Zakat and to aid in its calculation so that the needy may obtain their rights of wealth from those whom Allah has financially blessed.

References

External links

*The Zakat Foundation [http://www.thezakat.org/ www.thezakat.org]