First American Muslim Charities Accredited through Groundbreaking National Program

With growing demand for assurance about the integrity of American Muslim charities, Muslim Advocates -- a national legal educational and advocacy organization -- unveiled the first three American Muslim charities to receive accreditation through a recently-launched program. Islamic Networks Group (ING), UMMA Community Clinic, and Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) are the first three non-profit organizations to successfully complete the Muslim Charities Accreditation Program (MCAP), just in time for Ramadan, a holy month when Muslims focus on charitable giving.

Launched in August 2008, Muslim Advocates' charities accreditation program is the first and only program to provide Muslim charities with legal guidance and one-on-one technical assistance to promote best practices in charity management and compliance with federal laws. Charities have completed a rigorous review by lawyers at Muslim Advocates and received accreditation by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.

Read the full press release.

Accredited Muslim Charities:

Islamic Networks Group

Founded in 1993, ING promotes cross religious and cultural understanding, respect and harmony through increasing religious and cultural literacy and facilitating inter-religious and cultural engagement and dialogue. ING engages students to learn a variety of Islamic-related subjects, from the history of Muslims during the Middle Ages, nation building in predominantly Muslim countries and the Atlantic Slave Trade to American immigration policies and the fundamental values and principles of civil society and the historical role of religion and religious diversity.

Receiving the certification from the BBB ensures our donors that their money is being used effectively to increase religious literacy in the Bay Area and build mutual respect between Muslims and people of other faiths."

--Maha El-Genaidi, President and CEO, Islamic Networks Group

Click here for more information about ING.

Click here for the Better Business Bureau's report on ING.

UMMA Comunity Clinic

Opened in 1996, The UMMA Community Clinic is the first independent Muslim Free Clinic in America. UMMA serves the underserved community in LA, providing free/low-cost primary care medical services such as immunizations, physical examinations, gynecology and HIV/AIDS testing. Beyond medical care, the clinic sponsors health fairs, food and clothing distributions, public health seminars, and in the future, tutoring for area children. To date, UMMA Community Clinic has served over 20,000 patients, with an average of 170 patients filing into the clinic each week.

Click here for more information about UMMA Clinic.

Inner-City Muslim Action Network

The Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) is a community-based nonprofit that works for social justice, delivers a range of social services, and cultivates the arts in urban communities. Formed in 1995 and incorporated in 1997 by Muslim students, community residents and leaders responding to the pervasive symptoms of inner-city poverty and abandonment, IMAN seeks to create a community organization driven by the spiritual ideals of community service, social justice and human compassion.

Click here for more information about IMAN.

Muslim Advocates

Muslim Advocates envisions a world in which equality, liberty, and justice are guaranteed for all, regardless of faith, and in which the Muslim American legal community is vital to promoting and protecting these values. In pursuit of this vision, Muslim Advocates' mission is to promote equality, liberty, and justice for all by providing leadership through legal advocacy, policy engagement, and civic education, and by serving as a legal resource to promote the full and meaningful participation of Muslims in American public life.

Click here to check a charity on the Better Business Bureau's site.

For Donors
For those interested in giving zakat to community charities this Ramadan, Muslim Advocates provides the following Guidance on Charitable Giving to Muslim American Donors.

For Charities
For non-profit charitable organizations, read more about best management practices required by MCAP accreditation, sign up for an upcoming free educational seminar in your region, and/or participate in the Muslim Charities Accreditation Program.