Islamic Relief Canada is a 4-star charity with Average Demonstrated Impact. It has a B+ Results Reporting grade, which is above average. Both overhead costs and reserve funds are within Ci's reasonable range. 

Founded in 2006, Islamic Relief Canada (IRC) is a Muslim charity that aims to create a more compassionate and just world where no one is left behind. It runs emergency response and development programs both domestically and internationally. It also runs programs to help Muslims fulfill their religious obligation to charity. Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) comprises a network of national offices and field partners across over 40 countries.

IRC runs five main groups of programs: Emergency Response, Development, Orphan Sponsorship, Seasonal Projects, and Domestic Projects. IRC historically provided a breakdown of program spending in its annual report, but while it has released its 2024 financial information, it hasn’t yet updated its program spending breakdown. Program spending represents 2023 data. In 2024, IRC spent $84.7m on its programs and reached 4.3 million people.

Emergency Response represented 33% of program costs in 2023. IRC provides people with access to food, clean water, shelter, education, sanitation, and healthcare in areas affected by natural disasters and conflict. In 2024, IRC reached 2,011,745 people across 18 countries. The largest area of spending was Gaza, where IRC reached 600,000 people, provided 2.2 million medical supplies, 51 million hot meals, and 63,919 hygiene kits. The charity also highlighted its Emergency Response in Sudan, where it reached 182,080 people; Lebanon, where it reached 75,800 people; Afghanistan, where it reached 8,050 people; and Bangladesh, where it reached 3,818 people.  

Development Projects represented 26% of program costs in 2023. IRC works in poor countries to improve food security, education, health systems, WASH, youth and women protection, and general livelihoods. In 2024, IRC ran 59 projects across 23 countries and reached 1,691,225 people. The countries where it reached the most people in 2024 were Syria (359,215 people), Yemen (270,875), Albania (191,195), Pakistan (178,954), and Somalia (148,683).

Orphan Sponsorship represented 21% of program costs in 2023. IRC pairs a donor with an orphan in need. Donors pay IRC monthly, which the charity transfers to field offices. Field offices send the money to orphans quarterly. 80% of sponsorship money goes to the orphan in the form of cash transfers and 20% supports operating costs. In 2024, 28,470 orphans were sponsored, of which 11,187 were female and 13,302 were male. 381 orphans had disabilities. The countries with the most sponsored orphans in 2024 were Palestine (8,056 orphans), Yemen (2,051), Mali (1,987), Pakistan (1,671), and Bangladesh (1,576).  

Help at Home represented 10% of program costs in 2023. IRC runs programs across Canada to build healthy communities and help resettle refugees. In 2024 IRC ran 27 projects and helped 8,233 people across Canada. The charity facilitated the arrival of over 1,154 people from Gaza to Canada. The charity also hosted nine events for Gazan evacuees, including camps for 40 children. IRC’s hardship grant provides $250 per family member once a month for up to six months. This reached 200 families in 2024.

Seasonal Projects represented 10% of program costs in 2023. IRC distributes food packs in poor communities to provide relief during Ramadan. The charity also distributes Zakat al Fitr, Fidya, and Kaffara (religious giving) in the form of food supplies to the poor. IRC’s Ramadan program reached 132,436 people across 15 countries, of which 40,942 were in Palestine/Gaza, and 18,838 were in Canada. Its Qurbani program reached 329,371 people across 23 countries, with the main recipients being Mali (123,644 people) and Niger (57,414). The Aqiqah program reached 14,949 people and the Eid Gift Distribution program reached 18,044 people through Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha gifts.

Islamic Relief Canada’s audited financial statements use activity-based costing, which is a best practice. The charity does not disclose how much it spent or received internationally. Ci used the charity’s T3010 to report this information.

Islamic Relief Canada received $85.8m in Canadian donations and $19.4m in international donations in 2024. The charity also received $18.4m in donated goods. IRC spent $84.7m on its programs, which is 67% of revenue. The charity recorded a surplus of $5.8m and spent $1.4m on capital expenditures (software).

IRC spent $12.4m on fundraising, which is 14% of donations, and $4.6m on administration, which is 4% of revenue (excluding investment income). Total overhead spending is 18%. For every dollar donated, 82 cents are available to go to the cause, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

IRC has $27.2m in reserve funds (cash and investments). Of its reserve funds, $946k is donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity’s reserves can cover four months of its annual program costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Islamic Relief Canada’s audited financial statements disclose commitments. IRC has $76.2m committed over the next five years: $57.1m in 2025, $13.4m in 2026, $4.7m in 2027, $579k in 2028, and $530k in 2029.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Islamic Relief Canada.

Updated on July 8, 2025 by Liam Chapleau.