Islamic Relief Worldwide

The Board of Trustees is chaired by Dr. Ihab Mohammad Hamdy Saad, one of the original co-founders. Day-to-day executive leadership sits with CEO Waseem Ahmad. The board oversees both the humanitarian programmatic work and the management of the UK property portfolio, ensuring the charity's dual mandate — relief operations and asset stewardship — remains aligned.

Islamic Relief holds a substantial UK property portfolio that functions as a quasi-endowment. Holdings include commercial buildings on Rea Street South and Sampson Road North in Birmingham, a London office, and a mixed-use investment property in Bradford. These assets generate unrestricted income to cover overhead, reducing dependence on earmarked program donations. The organization also holds a cryptocurrency donation portfolio, though the scale is not publicly disclosed.

The vast majority of capital is deployed as direct programmatic grants for emergency relief and long-term development in over 40 countries. Core sectors include food security, WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), health, and orphan sponsorship. There is no public evidence of market-rate impact investing or balance-sheet venture allocation; the investment function is centered on managing the UK real estate and crypto-donation portfolios for operational sustainability.

Funding comes almost entirely from retail donations by the global Muslim community, institutional grants from governments and multilateral bodies, and the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) — where IRW is the only Muslim-majority member. Unlike a family office, there is no single underlying wealth creator or family fortune. Capital formation is broad-based and episodic, peaking during high-profile humanitarian emergencies, with a property portfolio providing partial income smoothing.

Islamic Relief Canada and Islamic Relief USA are independent legal entities within the global Islamic Relief federation. Each raises funds domestically and executes its own programs while adhering to shared brand standards and strategic priorities set by the worldwide secretariat in Birmingham. This structure allows local regulatory compliance — particularly relevant in jurisdictions like the U.S. — while maintaining global coordination.

It operates as a federation. The Birmingham headquarters serves as the worldwide secretariat, setting policy and coordinating major emergency responses, while roughly 13 national affiliates function autonomously for local fundraising and program management. This is distinct from a unitary foundation with a single global balance sheet; each affiliate maintains its own assets, board, and compliance obligations.

IRW is a full member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), the only Muslim-majority charity in that consortium. This requires passing rigorous audit and capability assessments. The organization is also a member of the CHS Alliance, aligning with the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability, and Bond, the UK network for international development organizations — collectively signaling compliance with norms an institutional donor from the multilateral or sovereign space would expect.