Frequently asked questions on where your donation-goes

Why does Islamic Relief ask for donations?

Donations fund the work we do around the world, supporting vulnerable people in times of crisis and helping to lift them out of poverty. With your generous support we have reached over 120 million people since 1984, working in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places.

How much money do you raise from donors?

Most of our work is funded by individual donors. In 2019 Islamic Relief Worldwide raised £130 million that allowed us to support over 8 million people. £100 million of this came from the public and the rest came from various sources including income from our charity shops; funds from the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC); institutional donors such as the European Commission and the UN; and charitable foundations and trusts.

What is my donation spent on?

For every £1 you donate, 87p is spent on helping people in need. 9p goes towards raising more funds and 4p is spent on admin costs. Admin and fundraising costs are sometimes bracketed together and described as ‘support costs.’ This is the breakdown but really all of your donation is used either directly or indirectly to help people in need because admin and fundraising are a necessary part of delivering aid.

Why do you have admin costs?

Admin allows us to deliver aid effectively as a professional charity running large-scale programmes across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It ensures the right aid gets to the right people at the right time. We aim to keep our admin costs to a minimum without cutting corners in the quality, efficiency and transparency of our work.

What do admin costs cover?

The 4% we take from your donations for admin is used to invest in the equipment, infrastructure and processes we need to operate professionally and efficiently and keep people safe. Admin includes overhead expenses like rent for offices, equipment like computers and phones, admin staff salaries and volunteer expenses. It also covers expenses like safeguarding vulnerable people, providing first-class training to staff, auditing our accounts, ensuring cyber security and complying with all our legal obligations as a charity.

Why do you spend 9% on raising funds?

The 9% we spend on fundraising covers all the different ways we invest in generating an income. These include online appeals, fundraising events and activities, placing adverts, printing leaflets, coordinating volunteers, etc. We believe this is money well spent because for every £1 we spend on fundraising, we make £10 back so that we can support even more people in need. We also invest in communicating with our donors not just to ask for donations but to inform and engage them on the humanitarian issues they care about as well as report on the impact of the work they have funded. Islamic Relief is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, and strives for best practice in fundraising by adhering to the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Are people aware of Islamic Relief’s admin costs?

We believe in transparency and accountability, so we regard it as an important responsibility to make people aware that we have admin and fundraising costs and that they are necessary expenditure for a global charity committed to the highest international humanitarian standards. Information on our admin costs and annual financial accounts are published in our Annual Report, which is independently audited and lodged with the Charity Commission. Our Annual Report and Financial Statements are published on our website, distributed to key stakeholders, promoted on social media and available from the Charity Commission website.

Why does Islamic Relief not have a 100% donation policy?

Islamic Relief would not be able to operate on the scale it does without spending money on admin. It is very unlikely that any charity can operate a 100% donation policy – in other words, guaranteeing that 100% of donations go exclusively and directly to people in need. We believe in being open and clear about our admin costs, which are part and parcel of our seriousness about complying with all our legal obligations and our commitment to meeting high standards in effective aid delivery. The recognition we have received under the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard offers donors independent reassurance about the thoroughness and professionalism of our approach.

Some charities claim that their admin costs are covered in other ways, e.g. by institutional donations or profit from their charity shops. Islamic Relief could make a similar claim; we too have income from charity shops and institutional donors including Gift Aid from the UK government. However we choose not to make such claims because we prefer to be transparent about the fact that admin costs are a necessary part of what we do.

Who ensures that admin costs are not misused?

While admin costs are necessary, all charities have a responsibility to ensure money is not misspent. Islamic Relief, in line with our Islamic values of ihsan (excellence) and amanah (custodianship), is committed to ensuring donations are used in the most efficient and effective way. We are accountable to Allah, to our donors and to all those we have the honour to serve. It is a heavy responsibility to safeguard donations and especially those that fulfil a religious duty such as zakat and qurbani. We bear this responsibility willingly but not lightly.

We have stringent financial and governance processes that ensure donations are spent with transparency, accountability and in line with donors’ wishes. We have an internal audit function, which ensures that controls on expenditure are in place and procedures are followed. Our Board of Trustees have oversight of our accounts through an independent Audit Committee and take personal responsibility for the operations of the organisation. The Audit Committee is comprised of experienced specialists who give their time free of charge – as do our trustees.

In addition Islamic Relief presents its independently audited accounts annually to the Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales to ensure that the public can support charities with confidence. If the Charity Commission has any concerns about the way a charity is operating or presenting its information, it can hold the charity to account.

Why can’t Islamic Relief use volunteers instead of paid staff?

We use both, believing sincerely that the best approach to being effective and also cost-effective is to have an appropriate balance between a core of paid staff and a large body of volunteers, working together in a coordinated way.

The complexity of the work we do around the world – and in some of the world’s most challenging contexts – requires expertise, specialist knowledge and long-term commitment. Our staff would not be able to make this commitment on a voluntary basis without a salary. Over 95% of our staff are local people who come from the communities they serve; by investing in them we are ensuring not only that Islamic Relief has the best possible workforce, attuned to the needs of their own communities, but also that they are able to support their families and the local economy.

The scope of our humanitarian interventions, international development and campaigning is vast, and so we use volunteers wherever possible to boost our reach and our impact at a very modest cost. In the UK alone we engage around 3,000 volunteers every year, asking them to give up their time to help with events, fundraising and other areas of work that are suited to volunteering. Their contribution is invaluable and highly appreciated.

How much do you pay your staff and CEO?

We have a structured salary scale in place to ensure we are able to attract professional staff and that they are paid a fair wage for their expertise, in line with the local cost of living. Our salary bill relative to others in the international charity sector is comparatively low, and this fact speaks volumes for the commitment and passion of the people who work for Islamic Relief. In fact, some of our staff regularly work beyond their contracted hours and spend long periods away from home, especially during an emergency crisis.

In 2021 the CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide earned £97,982 – as declared in our latest Annual Report. We consider this to be appropriate for the CEO of an international organisation that has an income of £183m, a worldwide network of almost 40 offices in some of the world’s most troubled countries and a global workforce approaching 4,000 people. Last year the CEO oversaw projects that helped more than 11 million people around the world.

Do you spend money on anything else?

Yes, around 1% of our income is spent on campaigning on social justice issues like gender justice, support for refugees and tackling climate change. We believe it is important to raise awareness of issues that affect the most vulnerable people in the world. By campaigning, lobbying governments, going on marches, running petitions and putting pressure on decision-makers, we can help make the world a kinder, fairer place.

new director

Director of Network and Resource Development

Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.

Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.

Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.

Nadeem Azhar

General Counsel

Nadeem joined Islamic Relief Worldwide in September 2022. He has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade.

He studied Modern History and Politics at Manchester University, and at the University of Law in London before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.

Nadeem is an experienced corporate, commercial and governance lawyer, having worked with various faith-based and grant making charities as well those in health and education settings. He was a partner at a law firm in London before moving in-house where he focused on setting up and restructuring charities and social enterprises.

Most recently, Nadeem was Lead Counsel at Mind, a leading mental health charity, where he co-authored a new federation agreement, revamped legal processes, and played a major role in developing its strategic and fundraising partnerships.

Nadeem has been a charity trustee for the Seafarers Charity, as well as many grant-making bodies and theatre companies.

Adnan Hafiz

Director of Network and Resource Development

Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.

Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.

Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.

Board of Directors
Javed Akhtar

Director of Finance

Javed Akhtar has more than a decade of experience at Islamic Relief, having worked in a similar role between 2003-2014. In that role he strove to implement wide-ranging financial and accounting processes which aided in the transparent nature in which Islamic Relief now operates.

Javed also has diverse experience across the private sector, having worked at American chemicals and pharmaceutical giant DuPont, shipping firm FedEX and technology consultancy company Accenture. In all his roles, he prioritises using the latest technologies to improve monitoring and reporting at every level. Javed’s commitment to embracing digital end-to-end technology, enhancing accountability to our stakeholders and promoting financial transparency is ensuring that we remain at the forefront of financial developments in the sector.

By training, Javed is a chartered accountant with a Master’s degree in NGO Management with Charity Accounting and Financial Management from Cass Business School.
Board of Directors
Affan Cheema  

Director of International Programmes

Affan Cheema is an experienced leader who has spent 25 years working in the international aid sector on poverty eradication in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He has worked in fast onset emergencies, protracted crisis and development environments whilst working for Islamic Relief Worldwide and Care International. He is also a trustee of South West International Development Network (SWIDN).

Through his career Affan has held numerous roles including institutional fundraising, programme and grant management, and programme quality assurance.  Affan’s leadership has helped Islamic Relief Worldwide secure the highly coveted Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), seen as the sector’s premier benchmark for operational excellence.

Affan completed his BA in Economics and Geography from University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) and his MSc in Development Administration and Planning from the University of Bristol. He is PRINCE2 qualified, is a keen sportsman and recently co-edited a book entitled -Islam and International Development: Insights for working with Muslim Communities-.
Board of Directors
Dr Hossam Said

Managing Director, Humanitarian Academy for Development (HAD)

For nearly three decades Dr Hossam has provided the strategic vision to manage, lead and develop a range of international humanitarian interventions around the world.

At the start of his career, Dr Hossam served on the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, before moving to Islamic Relief Worldwide to manage the core global business activities as International Programmes Director.

During this time the organisation increased its global reach, gaining both domestic and international repute and credibility. Dr Hossam has also served on the Islamic Relief Worldwide Board of Management and Executive Committee for the past 15 years; sharing responsibility for strategic organisational development and the change management process, whilst forging strong relationships with many other charities.

Dr Hossam gained an MBA from Aston Business School in 2004 and graduated as a Medical Doctor from Cairo University in 1981.
Board of Directors
Martin Cottingham  

Director of External Relations and Advocacy

Martin Cottingham joined Islamic Relief in 2012 as IRUK Media Relations Manager, and was appointed Head of Communications in 2015 before taking up his current position as Director of External Relations and Advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide.

Martin has helped Islamic Relief to increase its mainstream media profile and expand its campaigning work, producing hard-hitting advocacy reports on floods in Pakistan (2011) famine in Somalia (2012) disaster risk reduction (2013) and aid to Afghanistan (2014). He has over 20 years’ experience working in media, communications and marketing roles for international development and environmental charities.

Martin graduated from the University of London with a degree in English and Drama (1982-85) then trained as a journalist with a postgraduate diploma at City University (1986-87). He has previously worked for Christian Aid as Editor of Christian Aid News and Media Relations Manager (1988-97) for Oxfam as Regional Campaigns Manager (1997-2000) and at the Soil Association as Marketing Director (2001-2006), as well as working for a wide range of organisations as a freelance writer, researcher and communications consultant.

Tufail Hussain

Director of Islamic Relief UK

Tufail Hussain has 17 years’ experience in the humanitarian and development sector, leading on marketing and fundraising campaigns for several organisations before joining Islamic Relief UK in 2016 as Deputy Director. Tufail was appointed Director of Islamic Relief UK in 2019 and in 2021 provided valuable leadership as interim CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide.

Tufail is driven by a passion for empowering disadvantaged youth and mentors a number of young people. He also works to strengthen engagement between British Muslims and wider society. Under his leadership, Islamic Relief UK has significantly increased its income and developed successful partnerships with communities across the country. He has travelled around the world to raise awareness of major emergencies such as the Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan crises and the floods in Pakistan and Sudan.

A father to 5 daughters and a son, Tufail is also a sports enthusiast and passionate Liverpool FC supporter. Tufail has run the London Marathon twice, raising over £35,000 for humanitarian causes.

Before joining Islamic Relief he was CEO of Orphans in Need, where he oversaw a new strategy that increased income from £2 million to £9 million in 3 years and opened up new UK and international offices. Tufail is also a trustee of the Muslim Charities Forum and a Director of TIC International (Islamic Relief Worldwide’s clothes recycling and trading arm).
Waseem Ahmad

Chief Executive Officer

Waseem Ahmad joined the Islamic Relief family over 24 years ago, serving as Programme Officer in the Balochistan province of south-western Pakistan before becoming Head of Programmes in Pakistan. Waseem then moved to Oxfam and Tearfund before returning to Islamic Relief to establish our mission in Malawi. Later serving as Head of Programme Funding and Partnerships, Waseem led the response to major crises across the globe, including the East Africa drought, Pakistan earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Waseem then served for nearly 6 years as our Director of International Programmes, during which time the charity secured and retained the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard certification in recognition of the quality of our programming. He was appointed CEO of Islamic Relief in May 2021.

With a special interest in community mobilisation and infrastructure, Waseem received an MSc in Project Planning and Management from the University of Bradford, as well as an MSc in Economics from Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Waseem has also worked for Lepra Health in Action and is a member of the International Civil Society Centre’s Board of Trustees. The father-of-3 enjoys walking and playing football, and is a keen birdwatcher.