As an independent member of one of the largest Islamic NGOs in the world, Islamic Relief USA responds to natural disasters and conflict throughout the US and in dozens of countries worldwide, including in Palestine, Afghanistan, Kenya, Sudan, and Yemen. The nonprofit also provides longer-term development aid to alleviate poverty and improve living conditions for people in vulnerable communities. To that end, IRUSA has helped Americans following Hurricane Katrina, the Alabama tornado in 2011, and Hurricane Harvey in Texas. It has also helped to provide millions of people worldwide with hot meals, warm clothing, and greater access to healthcare, education, livelihood support, and other essential services. Recently, IRUSA announced a $10 million commitment to support vulnerable populations in Afghanistan. The organization is a Charity Navigator 4-star nonprofit.
While IRUSA receives grants from the government and organizations like the American Red Cross, it largely relies upon the kindness and generosity of its supporters. Interested donors can make one-time donations for specific humanitarian programs via country pages on the IRUSA website. Alternatively, there are several other creative ways to support the organization and its agenda.
Shopping with Giving Assistant
Giving Assistant is a great online resource that makes it easy to save money and support nonprofits, including IRUSA, when shopping online. The company offers online coupon codes for more than 3,000 brands, including FIGS, Ministry of Supply, KEH Camera, and Rhone. Users receive cash back earnings on purchases made through Giving Assistant and the company donates a portion of those proceeds to the user’s charity of choice.
Vehicle Donation
You can also donate an old car, motorcycle, or boat to IRUSA via Cars4Jannah, a College Park, Maryland-based nonprofit that handles the entire vehicle donation process and supports various local Islamic organizations, including IRUSA. For donors, the process is incredibly simple. Just fill out the online form or call 240-484-4300 to arrange a vehicle pick-up. A Cars4Jannah representative will then collect the vehicle, even if it is not running, and eventually deliver a tax receipt for the donation. Once Cars4Jannah sells the vehicle and/or its parts, it donates all of the proceeds to the beneficiary, i.e IRUSA, Al-Huda School, or other local Islamic organizations.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is a great form of charity for people with limited means. Rather than donating money that you may need for other reasons, consider pooling together funds from friends and family or co-workers via a crowdfunding campaign. You can do this at any time, but it might be more effective to ask for in-kind donations in favor of birthday or wedding presents. Alternatively, you can ask for legacy donations in memory of a loved one who recently passed.
IRUSA makes crowdfunding easy through its IRaise campaign. Interested donors simply sign up and select one of the many available projects, campaigns, causes, and/or emergencies available on the IRaise website. Then, you can create a fundraiser page and share it with friends, family, and social media followers to start collecting donations. Causes as of June 2024 included Qurbani, Palestine, Afghanistan flood emergency, Mali, Niger, and water wells in South Africa.
Stock Donations
Stock donation is another effective way to not only support IRUSA, but potentially increase your tax deduction. Stock donations are incredibly easy and help provide IRUSA with the necessary funding to support people in vulnerable communities worldwide.
Those interested in donating stock should email the IRUSA finance team at stocks@irusa.org and inform them of their plans, allowing the nonprofit’s broker to easily accept and properly record the gift for income tax returns. You will also need to fill out a stock donation form, listing the security description and number of shares you intend to donate.
Donor-Advised Funds
Because of their tax advantages, donor-advised funds are the fastest-growing method of donating to charities in the US, according to Fidelity Charitable. These funds generally have low fees—around 1 percent of the balance. Contributions, including non-cash assets like restricted stock, private equity, publicly traded securities, and cryptocurrencies, earn immediate tax deductions. In addition, you can receive more substantial tax deductions by donating cash or long-term appreciated securities. Your donation grows tax-free, and you choose which charities your funds will support, either on a one-time or ongoing basis.
Volunteering
Of course, you don’t have to give money to support IRUSA and its many important humanitarian causes. You can instead choose to volunteer for one of its many projects or programs in the US or apply to join the IRUSA Disaster Response Team (DRT). Prospective volunteers can find a variety of opportunities at https://irusa.org/volunteer/. This site lists all available upcoming projects, such as Qurbani Distribution events and Magnificent Quran Tours in New Mexico, Colorado, and California, along with the date and duration. You can learn more about the DRT by emailing disaster@irusa.org.
IRUSA also has an internship program for students looking to contribute to their local communities.