The Zakat Foundation of America
The Zakat Foundation of America is a public charity based in Bridgeview, Illinois. Founded in 2001, it supports humanitarian aid and relief, including emergency response and longer-term development projects in the United States and internationally.
The Zakat Foundation of America at a glance
In short: The Zakat Foundation of America gave $4.4M across 85 grants in 2025 (avg $52K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,399,078
- +127.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 85
- +107.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $51,754
- +9.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $19,668
- Total assets
- $37,099,545
- -4.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (68% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Zakat Foundation of America
- Contact
Mailing address: 7421 W 100Th Place, Bridgeview, IL 60455
Phone: (708) 233-0555
Website: https://zakat.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Zakat Foundation of America funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Zakat Foundation Institute Inc ($520K). Together the top 10 received $2.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
223 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 175 grants of 223 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as domestic and international, and its website states that it has programs in 50 countries. In 2025, 68% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 9% to California, 7% to New York, 6% to Texas, and 1% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 85 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Zakat Foundation of America gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $913K (2020) to $4.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 85 grants totaling $4.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Zakat Foundation Institute Inc Hickory Hills, IL | Education | $520,118 |
| Amanah Security Group Villa Park, IL | Refugee Assistance | $490,530 |
| Bonys LLC (Supermercado Martins) Chicago, IL | Refugee Assistance/ Food Security | $397,345 |
| Khalil Foundation Lombard, IL | Mental Health | $343,083 |
| Uc Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | Development/Education | $222,250 |
| Afghan Cultural Center Inc Chicago, IL | Community Development | $182,510 |
| Rohingya Cultural Center Chicago, IL | Community Development | $162,750 |
| Neo Philanthropy New York, NY | Community Development | $150,000 |
| Nataly Moreno Cid Reim Houston, TX | Refugee Assistance | $115,090 |
| Juan Montiel Falcon Chicago, IL | Refugee Assistance | $106,713 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,099,545 | $34,923,926 | $36,818,000 | $4,399,078 | 85 | $12,629 |
| 2024 | $38,916,126 | $37,778,597 | $28,577,163 | $1,932,910 | 41 | $4,150 |
| 2023 | $29,298,844 | $29,498,054 | $19,207,320 | $1,756,066 | 38 | $-6,226 |
| 2022 | $18,383,837 | $19,208,557 | $15,054,708 | $1,443,271 | 28 | $1,548 |
| 2021 | $14,113,673 | $20,921,666 | $16,699,500 | $1,146,062 | 31 | — |
| 2020 | $10,176,762 | $13,348,196 | $11,467,343 | $913,240 | 19 | — |
| 2019 | $7,796,614 | $9,809,318 | $10,058,880 | $1,340,480 | 42 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to foster charitable giving that alleviates the immediate needs of destitute communities and establishes long-term development projects supporting individual and community growth, while responding quickly to emergencies and disasters.
Its program descriptions include food distribution and nutrition, orphan care, agriculture and vocational training, water projects, community centers and shelters, emergency supplies, healthcare and mental health services, schools, vocational training, and scholarships. The foundation also describes refugee resettlement and community development work.
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in education, refugee assistance, food security, mental health, and community development. For example, the Khalil Foundation describes its mission as providing counseling, mental health services, and research on mental health issues within the American Muslim community. The Rohingya Culture Center says it promotes Rohingya culture in Chicago and seeks philanthropic support for the city’s multicultural community. Upwardly Global describes its work as removing employment barriers for immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals. These are the grantees’ stated missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 85 grants totaling $4,399,078. Grant amounts ranged from $5,011 to $520,118, with a median of $19,668.
Among the largest reported grants to organizations were $520,118 to Zakat Foundation Institute Inc. for education; $490,530 to Amanah Security Group for refugee assistance; $397,345 to Bonys LLC (Supermercado Martins) for refugee assistance and food security; $343,083 to the Khalil Foundation for mental health; and $222,250 to the UC Berkeley Foundation for development and education. Other reported grants included $182,510 to the Afghan Cultural Center for community development, $162,750 to the Rohingya Cultural Center for community development, and $150,000 to Neo Philanthropy for community development.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dr Hasan Arslan as president, Dr Mehmet Tarhan as vice president, Fuat Yazar as treasurer, and Saoussen Habali as secretary. It also lists Fatima Tuncer and Raza Farrukh as directors, Halil Demir as executive director, Nasreen Amira as CFO, Amina Demir as COO, and Lena Tleib as regional development Chicago.
The Zakat Foundation of America is led by Halil Demir, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 9 of 14 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Halil Demir
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$129K (2019) → $274K (2025)
Hasan Arslan
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raza Farrukh
Director of Development
Director of Development & Planning → Director of Development, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$140K (2022) → $168K (2025)
Majeda Nabhan
Director, Hr & International Hr
Director & Int'l Human Resources → Director & International Hr, 2024
Director & International Hr → Director, Hr & International Hr, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$111K (2023) → $139K (2025)
Bernard Dodge III
Marketing & Communication Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$126K (2025)
Fatima Tuncer
Director
Board Member → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Duniya Stanikzai
Legal Advisor
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$127K (2024) → $124K (2025)
Ibrahim Aldardasawi
Religious Affairs Advisor
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$108K (2024) → $128K (2025)
Nasreen Amira
CFO
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$89K (2024) → $106K (2025)
Amina Demir
COO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$119K (2025)
Lena Tleib
Regional Development Chicago
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$122K (2025)
Mehmet Tarhan
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Saoussen Habali
Secretary
Treasurer → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fuat Yazar
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Duran Jones (2024) — It Manager
- Former: Syed Yousuf (2024) — Senior Regional Development Specialist & South Region
- Former: Amna Mirza (2022–2023) — Chief Marketing Officer
- Former: Minara El-Rahman (2022–2023) — Director & Digital Marketing
- Former: Aidah Abdallah (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Fatima Khalil (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Lara Kalwinski (2019) — General Counsel
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $274K, to Halil Demir (Executive Director). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Zakat Foundation of America
How much does The Zakat Foundation of America give each year?
The Zakat Foundation of America gave $4.4M across 85 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.9M across 41 grants.
What is The Zakat Foundation of America's typical grant size?
The Zakat Foundation of America's median grant in 2025 was $19,668, and its average grant was $51,754, across 85 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does The Zakat Foundation of America give grants?
The Zakat Foundation of America gives mostly in Illinois: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (9%) and New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (19 grants), Houston, TX (3 grants), Bridgeview, IL (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Zakat Foundation of America give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 85 grants with a stated purpose on The Zakat Foundation of America's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Food Security" (19 grants), "Refugee Assistance" (17 grants) and "Sponsorship" (16 grants).
Who are The Zakat Foundation of America's largest grantees?
The Zakat Foundation of America's largest 2025 grantees include Zakat Foundation Institute Inc ($520,118), Amanah Security Group ($490,530) and Bonys LLC (Supermercado Martins) ($397,345), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Zakat Foundation of America?
The Zakat Foundation of America reported $37.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $34.9M.
What does The Zakat Foundation of America fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to foster charitable giving that alleviates the immediate needs of destitute communities and establishes long-term development projects supporting individual and community growth, while responding quickly to emergencies and disasters. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Zakat Foundation of America?
The Zakat Foundation of America has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check zakat.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Zakat Foundation of America's EIN?
The Zakat Foundation of America's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4476244. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Zakat Foundation of America's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Zakat Foundation of America funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-zakat-foundation-of-america-morg_56e87253ba954d26b01e3ac55346e875
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364476244_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Zakat Foundation of America funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-zakat-foundation-of-america-morg_56e87253ba954d26b01e3ac55346e875},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Zakat Foundation of America's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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