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How We Work

How a need becomes a funded program: what we check, who we build it with, and what we publish after.

  1. 01

    Ask What Is Needed

    We start by asking the people in a place what they need, so a program answers a real need rather than a guess.

    • Sit down with community leaders
    • Listen to the people who will use it
    • Look at the data on where need is greatest
  2. 02

    Build Something That Lasts

    We look for the answer that helps now and keeps helping: a kitchen that keeps cooking, a farm that keeps producing.

    • Programs built to run for years, not weeks
    • Experts brought in where the work needs them
    • The money and people to keep it going, planned from the start
  3. 03

    Work With Local Partners

    We work with local organizations, public bodies and the people who live there, so the work reaches further than we could alone.

    • Local partners who are already trusted
    • Local people trained to run the work
    • Relationships kept up long after the launch
  4. 04

    Do the Work on the Ground

    We put people and supplies where they are needed and get on with it.

    • Trained teams doing hands-on work
    • Logistics arranged so aid arrives where it should
    • Plans that change when the situation does
  5. 05

    Measure It and Report Back

    We count what a program did, follow how it is going, and tell the people who paid for it.

    • Results collected for every program
    • Reports shared with donors and partners
    • Lessons carried into the next program

Don't Take Our Word for It

Every claim here links to where you can check it, most of them at the IRS.

Common Questions

Email hello@ummafoundation.org and a person answers.

  • Is UMMA Foundation a registered nonprofit?

    Yes. UMMA Foundation Inc is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 86-3883211, with an IRS determination dated 2022. You can confirm that on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search without taking our word for it.

  • Are my donations tax deductible?

    Yes, to the extent allowed by law. You receive a receipt for every donation, and all of them are in My Donations, in the UMMA app or your dashboard on the web.

  • Can I give my Zakat to UMMA?

    Yes, and only to campaigns marked Zakat eligible. Zakat is restricted to the categories in Surah At Tawbah (9:60), so UMMA will not let it be applied anywhere else. If no eligible campaign is open, we say so rather than route it elsewhere.

  • How do you decide where donations go?

    Donations go to the campaign you choose, and that campaign shows its own progress. If you donate without choosing one, funds go where the need is greatest at that moment.

  • How many programs does UMMA run?

    6 programs have a page on this site, and each one is a real community or business you can join inside the UMMA app, not just a heading on a website.

  • Where does UMMA work?

    Our base is in New York. We publish field reporting from 7 countries: Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, United States, Egypt, Jamaica. We only name a country here once there is a campaign or a field update behind it.

  • How can I volunteer?

    Go to the volunteer page and tell us where you are and how much time you have. A person replies. In New York City, the easiest place to start is the Hope Bus.

  • How is UMMA different from other nonprofits?

    We build businesses that pay for the relief. UMMA Farm and Yala Restaurants earn money that funds humanitarian relief, so the work depends less on the next donation.

  • Do you publish your finances?

    Yes. Every Form 990 we have filed is linked from our financial disclosure page, with the revenue and expense figures reproduced so you can compare them to the filing.

  • Is my donation secure?

    Card details go to Stripe and never reach our servers. We see the amount, the campaign and the receipt address, nothing else.

  • Can I cancel a recurring donation?

    Yes, at any time, in My Donations in the UMMA app or on the web. No email and no phone call. Gave without an account? The link in your receipt email cancels it.

  • Something went wrong with my donation. Who do I tell?

    Email hello@ummafoundation.org with the receipt number and a person replies. Refunds follow the refund policy on this site.

Build With Us

Help a family through a crisis today, and keep that help going for years after.

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