For every $1 we spend: 

• 86c goes directly towards helping people in need 
• 11c is invested in raising more funds 
• 3c goes towards administrative costs 

How much of my donation will go directly to people in need? 

For every $1 donated to Islamic Relief Australia, 86c goes directly towards programs and initiatives that help people in need. 

We spend 3p on administrative costs and invest 11p into raising more funds. 

For every $1 we spend on fundraising, it makes $11 back. Alhamdulillah! 

All of our income we use to help people in need. Because admin and fundraising costs are an essential expenditure in helping us to achieve our aims. 

We believe in transparency and accountability. Information on admin costs and annual financial accounts is readily available on the Islamic Relief Australia website.

We also have the information included in our Annual Report. This is independently audited and lodged with ACFID (Australian Council for International Development).

We also distribute our Annual Reporto key stakeholders, feature it on our website and promote it on social media. In turn, our financial statement is also available on the ACNC website. 

We are making every effort to make people aware that Islamic Relief has admin costs. As well as why admin costs are a necessary expenditure for a high-performing and transparent charity. 

Islamic Relief must submit its independently audited accounts annually to the ACNC. This the main body that registers and regulates charities in Australia to ensure that the public can support charities with confidence. 

The ACNC is an independent, non-ministerial government department accountable to Parliament. If the ACNC has any concerns about the way a charity is running itself or presenting its information, it can hold the charity to account. 

Islamic Relief is also a member of ACFID. Being a member of ACFID ensures adherence to high ethical and operational standards through the ACFID Code of Conduct. It provides credibility, compliance support, and access to resources. It also helps organisations strengthen policies, meet regulatory requirements, and improve accountability and transparency. All while offering training, networking, and advocacy opportunities to enhance impact and trust with donors and stakeholders.

It costs money to deliver aid and to do it well. Because of admin costs, we can ensure the people who need it most receive the best possible support, and not towards the wrong places. 

Admin costs can cover a range of necessary expenses. This includes governance costs (e.g. audits), monitoring and evaluation (to ensure the delivery of this project and its planned impact). As well as rent for buildings, insurance, appropriate staff salaries, volunteer expenses, and equipment (e.g. laptops, phones) etc. 

Islamic Relief ensures that it gets the best value for money to help deliver aid on the ground, and raise more funds for the people who need it the most. 

The majority of staff at Islamic Relief work on a full-time basis. This ensures our donors’ money is spent in the most effective and impactful way. They are professionals who bring specialist skills and knowledge in order for us to deliver our work to high standards. This is how we can ensure that more people affected by conflict and natural disasters as well as those living in poverty can get the best help they need and deserve. 

Islamic Relief is also working to help communities build their future with long-term projects. This can take a huge amount of work, commitment, and time for staff. 

Staff would not be able to do this voluntarily on a full-time basis without a salary. They themselves need to support themselves and their families. Without staff, the work could not continue. 

Those working for Islamic Relief are also an investment to raise more money, awareness, and funds, which ultimately means we can reach and help more people. 

The scope of international development, campaigning, advocacy and working to raise awareness of those suffering across the work is a mammoth task and even full-time staff cannot cover everything. This is why we also ask volunteers to help by giving their time to help with events, fundraising, advocacy and campaigning. We engage with over 200 volunteers in Australia – their contribution is invaluable and highly appreciated. 

Nearly all of Islamic Relief’s overseas staff and volunteers are local people who come from the communities they serve. 

Yes – Islamic Relief utilises a small percentage of Zakat donations towards admin and fundraising costs. When you make a Zakat donation, we take a fixed amount of 12.5% in admin fees. 

In the Qur’an, Allah tells us that zakat is for eight categories of people, including: “…those employed to administer the funds…” (9:60).  

We have sought the opinion of well-respected scholars, who have informed us that since there are eight deserving categories, each is entitled to a proportion of 12.5%. This means whatever we spend on administrative costs and raising more funds are Zakat-eligible as per the Shariah.  

Admin costs help us to deliver aid and to do it well. Thus, this ensures the people who need it most receive the best possible support and the money goes to where it is needed. It can cover governance costs (e.g. audits to comply with legal obligations and Charity Commission rules), rent for buildings, insurance, admin staff salaries, volunteer expenses, equipment (e.g. IT equipment) etc. 

However, fundraising costs are an investment to generate more income which means we are able to help even more people. 

Together we refer to these as ‘support costs’ and both are essential expenditure in helping us to achieve our aims.