You Deserve to Know Who You're Giving To

August 2026 marked four years since we formally launched our US operations. In that time, we have reached 7.3 million people across 30 countries, opened our doors to tens of thousands of US donors, and — in year one — earned a 90% Four-Star “Give with Confidence” rating from Charity Navigator and the Gold Seal of Transparency from Candid. We are not sharing this to impress you. We are sharing it because you deserve to know exactly who you are giving to before you give.

Who We Are — and How Long We Have Been Doing This

Human Appeal has been delivering humanitarian and development programmes for over three decades. The work spans emergency food distribution, clean water infrastructure, medical care, orphan sponsorship and livelihoods support — across crisis zones and long-term recovery settings in 30 countries. In 2025 alone, our programmes reached 7.3 million people.

The US chapter — Human Appeal Inc. — is four years old. It was established specifically to serve the millions of American Muslims and philanthropists who want their giving to reach people in genuine need, with the full accountability and legal standing of a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 87-2410117). The global experience came with us. The local accountability we had to build from scratch — and we chose to build it to the highest standard available from day one.

What the Ratings Mean — a Four-Year Milestone

Charity Navigator — 90%, Four Stars, all four Beacons completed. Charity Navigator evaluates US nonprofits across four independent areas: Accountability & Finance, Impact & Measurement, Leadership & Planning, and Culture & Compensation. Completing all four requires sustained transparency across governance, strategy, people and programme evidence. Fewer than a quarter of evaluated charities reach Four Stars. We have held it across four years of US operations.

Candid Gold Seal of Transparency. Candid — formerly GuideStar — is the primary database for US nonprofit data. Their Gold Seal means we have voluntarily disclosed our financial data, leadership profiles, strategic plans and equity information above and beyond what US law requires. It is a self-reported standard, which is exactly why it matters: no one made us do it.

These ratings are calculated independently, from public records and filed documents. They are not paid for, lobbied for, or negotiated. The full profiles are publicly searchable: our Charity Navigator profile and our Candid profile, using EIN: 87-2410117.

For a detailed explanation of what each rating system measures and how to use them to evaluate any charity, see our guide: How to Tell If a Charity Is Legitimate Before You Donate.

Five Questions to Ask Any Charity Before You Give

These apply to us as much as to anyone else. Use them every time.

■ Is the organisation a registered US 501(c)(3)?
This means the IRS has verified it as a tax-exempt nonprofit. Donations are deductible, and the charity must file public annual reports. If a charity cannot give you an EIN, that is a problem.

■ What is their Charity Navigator score?
Search charitynavigator.org by name or EIN. Four stars means the charity is in the top tier. Check how many of the four Beacons are completed — a missing Beacon means a gap in transparency.

■ What is their Candid Seal level?
Search candid.org. Gold or Platinum means active voluntary disclosure. Bronze from a large, well-funded organisation is a warning sign.

■ Can you find their Form 990?
This is a public document showing how money was raised and spent. Both Charity Navigator and Candid link to it. If the charity makes it hard to find, ask why.

■ Do they publish a clear policy on how donations are used?
For Islamic giving specifically: does the charity publish a Zakat policy? Is it scholar-reviewed? A reputable organisation makes this easy to find. Ours is at humanappealusa.org/zakat-policy.

Four years in. Thirty countries. 7.3 million people reached. Four stars. Gold seal. Every number is verifiable, every document is public. That is what trust looks like when it is earned rather than claimed.

SOURCES
Charity Navigator — Human Appeal Inc. profile: charitynavigator.org/ein/872410117
Candid — Human Appeal Inc. Gold Seal: app.candid.org/profile/14629233
Human Appeal programme data — 2025 annual reach: 7.3 million people across 30 countries.
IRS Form 990, Human Appeal Inc. — publicly available via Candid and ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

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