About Us

The International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the Muslim world. It is an independent, multi-faceted charity that provides its humanitarian services to those in need in the world without discrimination or intolerance away from interference in politics or ethnic conflicts.

The founding of IICO dates back to 1984, when a number of Muslim scholars called for raising a billion dollars to invest and spend from revenues to combat the “triad of danger” (poverty, ignorance and disease) and face the increasing needs of poor communities, after the rise of disease, poverty, illiteracy and unemployment rates in most Muslim countries.

His Highness Late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may Allah have mercy on him, issued an Ameri Decree no. 64 of 1986 AD establishing the International Islamic Charity Organization. It states that IICO shall have a legal personality with headquarters based in Kuwait and may establish branches outside Kuwait. It may engage upon its activities in accordance with the provisions of its Statute issued on 4 Jumada II, 1407 AH corresponding to February 1987 AD.

The International Islamic Charity Organization was then presided over by Uncle Yousef Jassem Al-Hajji, who acted as Chairman of the Board of Directors for twenty-five years since its establishment. During this term, he managed to expand IICO activities to achieve its noble and ambitious goals and objectives in cooperation with and support of the Board of Directors, the General Assembly and its employees.

On 26 Jumada I, 1431 AH corresponding to May 10, 2010 AD, IICO General Assembly has chosen the Advisor to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Dr. Abdullah Maatouq Al-Maatouq as Chairman of IICO. Dr. Al-Maatouq has academic experience in the field of Islamic studies and has acted as Minister of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs for several consecutive terms.

Since Dr. Al-Maatouq presided over IICO in 2010 and until now, the activities of IICO have expanded through various committees and foreign offices.

Our Logo: Together the needy will no longer ask for help.

Vision: To be one of the ten leading global organizations in charitable development work.

Mission: A distinctive global charitable organization that contributes to the empowerment of targeted communities through development projects, strategic partnerships and specialized human competencies.

Action Values:

Development: Means contributing to the growth of communities and individuals through productive projects that lead to sustainable development. Development also means showing concern to the human element within IICO starting from selection, rehabilitation and development.

Institutional: Means working according to a well-thought-out strategy, regulated partnership, and decisions emanating from collective thinking.

Giving: through the formation of a second row of leaders.

Transparency: Means openness in goals, revelation of rights and duties, and providing an opportunity for communication between employees and officials in order to enhance institutional loyalty and participation in implementation.

Ihtesab: Means the commencement of performance starting from sincere intention seeking the reward of Allah Almighty in charity work reflected on the impartiality in giving, self-motivation for achievement, continuity in giving and promoting self-accountability when evaluating efforts and outcomes.

Communication: Means to be keen to find open and mutual channels of communication between the parties to the relationship among donors, beneficiaries, employees and officials in IICO.

Work Fields:

First Field: Communication and donor affairs, which means achieving the highest degree of communication with donors, individuals and institutions, urging them to donate, and attending to their expectations relevant to their contributions.

Second Field: Investment and resource development, which means developing the financial resources of IICO and investing them in order to achieve a profitable return that supports the requirements of development programs and projects for target communities.

Third Field: Development and Relief, which means spending on developmental, relief and construction projects through the implementation of development programs for targeted communities, enabling them to raise the level of productivity and rely on themselves according to the best technical, administrative and financial standards related to project management.

Fourth Field: Media and marketing, which means media efforts to disseminate and market IICO programs and projects locally and globally to individuals and institutions concerned with charity work development.

Fifth Field: Local and international relations, which means coordination with relevant institutions and bodies at the local and international levels to achieve the role of IICO as a global umbrella for charitable work.

Sixth Field: Human Development and Institutional Performance, which means developing the capabilities and skills of the staff of International Islamic Charity Organization, and providing everything to improve the work and efficiency of the performance in IICO as well.

Goals

• Innovating fundamental solutions to eradicate poverty in accordance with Islamic values and following the example of luminous charity models deeply rooted in Islamic history.
• Providing assistance to those in need wherever they are, through the relief of victims of wars, disasters, etc., providing shelter to the homeless, food and drink for the hungry, clothing for the needy, treatment and medicine for the sick and caring for the orphans and needy children.
• Eliminating illiteracy, ignorance and spreading knowledge through building educational institutes and training centers.
• Giving priority to development projects that would make available work opportunities to the needy and abstemious to become productive and rely on themselves so as not to be a burden to others.
• Enabling needy communities to invest their resources and to improve their situation and to transform them from consumer communities into productive communities.
• Spreading awareness about the Islamic world issues and introducing the Muslims conditions in different parts of the world.
• Supporting Islamic communities to help them preserve their Islamic identity and rights.
• Strengthening the bonds of unity and brotherhood between the Islamic peoples in light of the teachings of Islam and the practical application of Islamic principles in achieving coexistence and solidarity among human societies.

International Islamic Charitable Organization Humanitarian Initiatives:

Build a School to Revive a Nation Initiative: International Islamic Charity Organization has exerted good efforts in this regard. It raised the slogan (Build a School to Revive a Nation), and therefore, the Bilingual Ruayah School was established in Kuwait in 1417 HD corresponding to 1996 AD, in order to prepare and qualify students to meet the challenges of these times based on Islamic values and principles. It also works in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank to establish and supervise the establishment, management and direction of a number of schools in different regions of the world such as Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Uganda and India. It is also working with the Islamic Development Bank to establish joint projects and to promote fruitful cooperation. The activities of International Islamic Charity Organization were highlighted at the regional level as it activated the protocol of cooperation with ISESCO by organizing seminars, development programs and projects in Tunisia, Morocco and Iran, organizing meetings with heads of Islamic centers in Asia, and training sessions for imams, preachers and teachers to enlighten them on the nature of the challenges and how to confront them.

Shafie Project Initiative: This is an initiative aimed at excellence within the Islamic world through graduating distinguished hafez of the Book of Allah Almighty. The idea of the project emanated when a number of scholars and reciters concerned with memorizing and interpretation of the Holy Quran as they knew the importance of finding an educational center, which promotes the memorization of the Book of Allah and the teaching of the sciences of the Quran, taking advantage of modern means and modern technologies. Thus, the idea was adopted. Work began and the efforts were exerted until the Shafie Project emerged with the grace of Allah and support of the International Islamic Charity Organization. It became universal given its mission, so that the good will prevail, the light will shine, and the Quran will rise.

Pay Two Dinars initiative: This is a global educational youth project affiliated to the International Islamic Charity Organization. Its idea is to donate two dinars a month by students enrolled in educational institutions in Kuwait or any country, where the collected sums are used in educational programs and institutions in different countries of the world that do not provide education opportunities for their children because of poverty and need. The five-year vision of the project is to establish 5 educational centers in five different continents in the world within five years.

Community Development: The International Islamic Charity Organization has launched 32,000 development and production projects since the launch of the Small and Microenterprise Program in 1998 to date that are worth 30 million dollars in 27 countries around the world. International Islamic Charity Organization is moving ahead to expand development projects after the success of the community development program to improve the conditions of 260 thousand beneficiaries and help them to support 51 thousand families living, educational and health conditions under the slogan “Together the needy will no longer ask for help”. International Islamic Charity Organization implemented the program in 12 Arab countries, 9 African countries and 6 other countries in the Indian subcontinent by financing small and micro projects with soft loans. The average value of the project is 1306 dollars, in cooperation with local charities in these countries to ensure monitoring and follow-up and to ascertain the success of these projects.