40 years of serving communities in need

Islamic Relief marks its 40th anniversary! Founded in 1984, we have been serving vulnerable communities across the globe with life-changing support for four decades.

Our ability to create a positive impact in the communities we serve has earned the trust of our loyal donors, staff and volunteers.

Islamic Relief has an unwavering, faith-based approach to providing aid and a firm  commitment to robust policies, accountability and transparency. A leading charity, we have forged ground-breaking partnerships.

Find out more about our history here.

In order to create lasting and profound change over the next 10 years, Islamic Relief will continue to build long-term, innovative, and sustainable programmes, together with the rights holders we serve. We remain committed to tackling the root causes of poverty and constantly improving our approach.

Trusted to deliver since 1984

Islamic Relief’s faith-based identity is at the heart of everything we do. Since 1984, our Islamic faith and the teachings of the Qur’an have guided our approach to providing ground-breaking relief and development work.

Transparency has always been integral to Islamic Relief’s operations. Our independently audited annual reports provide a clear breakdown of how the generous support of our donors has benefitted the vulnerable people we serve.

Our transparency assures our donors and supporters that we are using their contributions for their intended purposes. We recognise our accountability, not only to those who support us but also to the communities we serve, and ultimately to Allah (SWT).

At Islamic Relief, we also work with a diverse group of scholars to ensure that our actions and the information we provide are consistent with Islamic law.

Islamic Relief has always strived towards a high standard of local engagement with the communities we serve. Over four decades, we’ve established relationships with communities and stakeholders in some of the world’s most impoverished, fragile, and remote regions.

Our partnerships with organisations such as  the influential Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and the UN have also played a vital role in providing humanitarian aid to some of the world’s most vulnerable and remote regions.

As one of the longest-serving faith-based charitable organisations in the sector, Islamic Relief has received awards and accolades for its transparency and excellence in reporting from reputable institutions like the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Imagine the future

At this moment in time, humanity is confronted by at least four major, unprecedented challenges; the climate crisis, erosion of rules-based international order, economic inequality, and the ongoing drivers for people experiencing poverty and vulnerability.

Islamic Relief’s 10-year strategy sets out a path as to how Islamic Relief can fulfil our mission and deliver the most significant impact for those that we serve.

Inspired by our Islamic faith and the teachings of the Qur’an, the strategy is guided by the Maqasid Framework. This denotes an Islamic legal doctrine which emphasises the sanctity of every individual’s life and dignity and their rights to security, health, a sustainable environment, food, shelter and clean water.

Over the next 10 years, we will continue our use of the Maqasid framework to tackle some of the unprecedented challenges our world is currently facing, with a stronger focus on the following main themes:

• Reducing vulnerability to humanitarian crises
• Empowering families and communities: food, health, education, and livelihoods
• Addressing global and local root causes
• Raising funds, resources and building the Islamic Relief Family
• Increasing our capacity as an organisation to deliver our purpose

We will also have a greater focus on advocacy. By increasing our advocacy efforts to a global scale and inspiring decision-makers to embrace effective measures that can kickstart real change, we aim to help achieve long-lasting, positive improvements for the communities we serve.