ON THE GROUND

Zakat Foundation of America has constructed a village of more than 900 tents in Adiyaman, Turkey — one of the hardest hit areas. These tents accommodate more than 1,500 people already, and we're working to help more. The village is equipped with water and irrigation facilities and electricity, giving its residents access to crucial necessities. 

We also have a health and mental health clinic to provide medical and psychological cares for those who have undergone intense trauma. We plan to add services that cater to rehabilitation, education, and restoring livelihoods.

Help us expand this village and its resources as these victims find their way back to self-sustainability.

$10 provides food for a family for one day.

$50 provides medical and mental health clinic services

$200 provides school for a child for a month

$300 provides food for a family for a month

Alternatively, $300 provides a tent for a family of seven

EFFECTS OF THE FIRST EARTHQUAKES

The impact from the Feb. 6 earthquakes (see below) has now been made exponentially worse.

A deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and Syria early Feb. 6 morning local time.

Buildings have collapsed, people evacuated their homes, and those who were able to survive spent the aftermath in their cars in extreme cold. 

Rescue teams are frantically looking for survivors. As time passes, the victims lost under the rubble have a lower chance of survival. At least 20 aftershocks have hit since, the strongest measuring 6.6 magnitude. 

This emergency has hit very close to home for Zakat Foundation of America, as the Executive Director's family had to evacuate their hometown, a city built below a dam. Some fear the aftershocks may cause the dam to break and cause further destruction.

• 7.8 magnitude earthquake
• 46,000+ people killed in Turkey and Syria, death toll expected to rise
• Strongest earthquake to hit in about 100 years
• 20+ aftershocks followed, one measuring a 6.6 magnitude

UPDATE: Another deadly earthquake, measuring a 6.3 magnitude, struck Feb. 20. Minutes later, another with a magnitude greater than 5.0 struck. Zakat Foundation of America has not stopped its relief efforts for the Feb. 6 earthquake and its aftershocks, and it is on the ground continuing aid after the most recent calamity has struck. But we need your support once again to help the survivors.

ABOUT ZAKAT FOUNDATION

What Makes Us Unique?​
Zakat Foundation of America is unique among humanitarian organizations in advancing zakat as a vehicle for social change. The third pillar of Islam, zakat is an obligatory claim on the wealth of the affluent to empower the indigent. Zakat Foundation channels this egalitarian spirit of zakat into a global vision of social development that transcends national boundaries, and stands as the foremost authority on interpreting zakat as a factor for positive change.

Zakat Foundation strives to be an exceptional relief and development organization, utilizing sustainable methods while modeling the spirit of cooperative internationalism that will be essential in an increasingly unstable world. As a direct result of its reputation for path-breaking humanitarianism with a global vision, Zakat Foundation is rapidly growing in reach and capacity. Every year brings new projects that expand the scope of our work and deepen its impact on the communities we serve.
 

Our Vision
We help generous and caring people reach out to those in need. Our goal is to address immediate needs and ensure the self-reliance of the poorest people around the world with zakat and sadaqa dollars of privileged Muslims and the support of other generous donors. We believe that those whom God has granted wealth need to cleanse that wealth through charity, and those whom God has tried with loss are accorded a rightful share from the resources of the affluent.

Our Mission
We foster charitable giving to alleviate the immediate needs of poor communities and to establish long-term development projects that ensure individual and community growth.

We accomplish this mission by:
-Bringing immediate relief during and after disasters, building and supporting schools, orphanages and health clinics, supporting community development programs and micro-credit, providing Ramadan Iftars and food distribution, and providing fresh meat for Udhiyah/Qurbani and Aqeeqah through the support of community-based initiatives
-Serving as a trusted zakat and sadaqah resource center for our Muslim donors
-Serving as a trusted charity option for all donors through financial transparency and strict standards of efficiency and accountability
-Minimizing expenses by maintaining a small administrative staff
-Maximizing donations by establishing strategic partnerships