Islamic Relief Chosen One of Best Charities Helping in Harvey

TEXAS – A leading American Islamic charity has been chosen as one of the best charities assisting in rebuilding from hurricane Harvey’s aftermath, which devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana, leaving countless residents homeless.

The Islamic Relief USA’s nomination was made by Charity Navigator, a nonprofit that has independently rated over 8,000 charities.

“Local organizations will continue to work in the community long after the disaster has happened, as they have an established presence in the community,” Sara Nason, a Charity Navigator spokesperson, told Business Insider.

“National and international organizations deal with disasters at a large scale, with an established infrastructure and coordinated teams that specifically hold a skill-set for responding to crises,” she said in an email.

The Charity Navigator compiled a list of some of the best organizations to donate to in the wake of Harvey, considering several factors when giving a charity a score out of 100.

These factors include program expenses (e.g. how much of the donations go straight to victims) and transparency (e.g. audited financials prepared by an independent accountant).

While Islamic Relief scored 92.92 on the score of 100, local charities have all received scores between 85 and 100.

“Islamic Relief USA aims to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy, and diseases worldwide,” the Charity Navigator said in its list of nominations.

“Launched in California in 1993, the nonprofit works on a variety of projects, including education and training, water and sanitation, income generation, orphan support, health and nutrition, and emergency relief.”

Immediately after the flooding, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) launched a new relief campaign to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey, urging US Muslims to assist their fellow Americans in this time of need and distress.

Islamic Relief also sent out a Hurricane Harvey appeal on Sunday.

Muslims from other parts of Texas have shifted into gear as well. In Dallas, more than 300 volunteers answered the call from Islamic Relief when the nonprofit organization offered volunteer training.

Also, several Houston-area mosques reported fellow Muslims from areas like San Antonio and Austin have landed in Houston to help, soliciting, collecting and transporting the donations themselves.