If you are interested in applying for one of our grants or seasonal program opportunities, please review of the following eligibility criteria:
1. The organization is an IRS registered 501(c)(3) public charity in good standing.
2. The organization has been active for 3 full calendar years in the United States.
3. The organization’s proposed project’s activities and funds must be distributed exclusively within the US.
4. The organization has an annual cash budget of under $1 million. (strongly desired, but not a disqualifier)
5. The organization is not seeking funding to conduct direct religious activities or services.
PLEASE NOTE: You will need to create a free Submittable account in order to apply for an IRUSA grant. Here is a quick guide on how to get started.
PLEASE NOTE: You will need to create a free Submittable account in order to apply for an IRUSA grant. Here is a quick guide on how to get started.
2023 Domestic Grant Application
Islamic Relief USA is pleased to announce that the US Grants 2023 cycle will be open from Monday, January 16th, 2023 until Monday, March 13th, 2023. This is your opportunity to submit a project for consideration that focuses on Food Security, Healthcare, or Refugee Services, as detailed below this announcment. We will also consider a select amount of Community Development projects. Please make sure to review the eligibility criteria above (under APPLYING FOR GRANTS) to determine if your organization can apply for a grant and please keep in mind that you will be asked for the following documents in the application for your project to be considered:
Please note that the grant consideration process may take up to 5 or 6 months to complete. There will be an initial stage that includes the submission of the project, coordinator, regional coordinator and manager reviews. We will also conduct documentation screenings and have a feedback period with the applicant, if necessary. The intermediate stage will have the grants team create project summaries to be presented to the Project Approval Committee (PAC) for approval or denial, legal review and a final internal feedback period. The final stage consists of final legal clearance, approval communication to the applicant, project package signatures and first payments. Updates will be provided to applicants after each stage as to whether or not their application is continuing on to the next stage, so please wait for the grants team to reach out to you regarding your application’s status. Grants are typically awarded in the range of $20,000 to $75,000 and for a duration of 6 months to 1 year, but these parameters are flexible.
Please remember that this is a highly competitive process and grants that are approved will be considered to have the strongest fit with IRUSA’s mission and values. We look forward to considering your application. We thank you for all the work you do in your community and are very pleased and eager to support you along the way. If you have any questions, please reach out to usgrants@irusa.org.
Refugee and Immigrant Services
Refugee and Immigrant Services grants address and meet the various needs of refugees and immigrants in the United States. Grants partners should implement programs that promote self-sufficiency and resilience within these specific communities. Programs can range from English translation services to workforce development classes. The grant-funded programs should dignify newcomers as they adjust and integrate into their new lives in the United States.
Healthcare clinics
Healthcare clinic grants bridge the gaps in healthcare services and address various health disparities in the United States. Grant partners offer primary and/or specialty care to patients who are often under-represented and under-served. Partners may be operating mobile or permanent clinic facilities, bringing health and wellness services to those in need while addressing social determinants of health. Services should be provided with the goal of improving the health and wellness of local communities.
Food Security
Food security grants tackle irregular availability and irregular access to food across the United States. These grant-funded programs should create solutions to problems ranging from the high cost of healthy foods to limited understanding of personal nutrition needs. Grant partners may operate food pantries, food banks, soup kitchens, and/or feeding programs. The programs recognize and address the detrimental social, economic, and health effects of food insecurity on local communities.
Here is more information about our seasonal programs. Please note: Of grant funds used, 85% should be allocated to direct services that would benefit the target audience while a maximum of 15% may be allocated for administrative/ operational costs.
The Ramadan Food Box Project provides food to families in need during the month of Ramadan. IRUSA facilitates the procurement and creation of food boxes. Each food box contains a sufficient amount of food for a family of five for two weeks and consists of basic food staples such as flour, sugar, and pasta. The food boxes are distributed nationwide via service partnerships with community-based non-profit organizations. Partner organizations enter a service agreement with IRUSA to accept the delivery of an agreed-upon quantity of boxes that will serve a local community during the month of Ramadan.
The Ramadan Food Pantry Grant provides food to individuals and families in need during the month of Ramadan. This program is implemented through grant partnerships with community-based non-profit organizations that operate food pantries in the United States. IRUSA provides grant funding to approved applicants that must be used during the month of Ramadan to serve communities facing food insecurity.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), created and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), currently provides organizations with limited funding opportunities to purchase and provide meals to their local communities in the form of reimbursements. Starting in 2011, IRUSA began to supplement and support the USDA in this effort. As an SFSP grant recipient, organizations are able to start a USDA-approved site, increase the capacity of their current USDA-approved site(s) or develop their role as the meal-providing sponsor to subgrantees. Grants are provided to further enable and encourage wider participation in this program as well as increase food access and support to food-insecure children
throughout the summer months. For more information on how to find or become a USDA site in your state, please click here.
Qurbani, or sacrifice, is the tradition of sharing meat with the needy at the end of the Hajj Pilgrimage season in time for the celebration of Eid al-Adha. It provides an opportunity for people who cannot afford to purchase meat to receive the nutritional benefits of fresh, chilled, or frozen halal meat. IRUSA provides Qurbani meat to individuals and families in need across the globe, including in the United States. Through Qurbani Distribution, US partner organizations implement the distribution of fresh-cut halal meat parcels to their local communities. IRUSA offers two models of partnership for this seasonal event:
Day of Dignity creates an opportunity for caring individuals from diverse communities to provide services to their neighbors in need. The Day of Dignity mission is to promote volunteerism, build relationships, and encourage local organizations to have a transformative impact on their unique community. Bookbags, school kits, jackets, and hygiene kits are some of the in-kind items provided by IRUSA to be distributed during Day of Dignity events. A grant is also given to help support the costs of food, entertainment, venue, etc. Free medical care, screenings, and even barber services can be offered out by the host organization at the event. The host organization is
responsible for accommodating their community’s needs and reaching out to different services and vendors. The day is an effort to provide basic living essentials, medical care, and connect those in need to support services available to them in the long term.
IRUSA facilitates annual Turkey Distributions in cities across the United States during Thanksgiving. IRUSA will procure and deliver turkeys to partners that will deliver them onto people in need. Along with turkeys, partner organizations may distribute other Thanksgiving goods to assist individuals and families who may not have access to these food items. The distribution may occur with regular food pantry distribution dates or as its own event. The goal of this event is to not only address food insecurity in local communities but to also embody the season of giving by bringing the holiday festivities to those who would otherwise not be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving
meal in their homes.
For IRUSA, MLK Day in January is a day on, not a day off. IRUSA Program’s department works with partners across the US to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. A legacy of giving, giving of our time for the underserved across the US. Providing hot meals, PPE, hats/ gloves (depending on region), school supplies, and basic essentials. This day is an effort to provide services to underserved communities who might have overlooked needs after the new year.
So, who are you working with? Here is a list of our U.S. Programs staff. More information is coming soon.
Adnan Suleman
US Grants & Network Manager
asuleman@irusa.org
Gihan Ahmed
US Programs Manager
gahmed@irusa.org
Donia Abdalla
Partner Services Specialist
dabdalla@irusa.org
Vacant
Northeast Regional US Program Coordinator
Hamza Abdalla
West Regional US Programs Coordinator
habdalla@irusa.org
Vacant
Midwest Regional US Program Coordinator
Kesha Abdul-Mateen
Mid-Atlantic Regional US Program Coordinator
kabdulmateen@irusa.org
Yasmine Noubani
Southeast Regional US Program Coordinator
ynoubani@irusa.org
Saja Awad
Refugee Manager
sawad@irusa.org
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