Nonprofit · Standards we look for

The shared bar.

We’re looking for all of these to help every Muslim nonprofit meet the highest standards together. This isn’t a gotcha. It’s a shared bar — published openly so any org can work toward it, and any donor can ask after it. (The business equivalent lives under the Businesses tab.)

We publish the markers, the detection method, and the ideal state for each. Where we detect a gap, we open an engagement-track conversation. We don’t publish a gotcha headline.

Financial transparency

#01

Form 990 linked from the website

Why it matters
Donors should not have to hunt ProPublica for the most basic disclosure document a nonprofit files. A direct link signals the org treats public filings as donor-facing material, not paperwork.
How we detect it
Static scan for `form 990`, `990-PF`, and Guidestar/ProPublica/ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer links on the homepage, /about, /financials, /transparency.
What we'd love every org to have
Direct PDF link to the most recent three years, plus a one-paragraph plain-English explanation of what changed year-over-year.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Upload the most recent 3 fiscal years of Form 990 PDFs to your site.
  2. Link them from /financials, /about, or /transparency — somewhere a donor will find them.
  3. Add a one-paragraph plain-English explanation of what changed YoY.
  4. Sign in and submit the financials-page URL — we'll re-index and lift the tag.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#02

Audited financials published

Why it matters
An independent audit is the single strongest signal that the financial story the org tells matches reality. Without it, donors are taking management's word for it.
How we detect it
Look for `audit`, `audited financial statements`, `independent auditor` on financial-disclosure pages.
What we'd love every org to have
Three most recent audited financials, alongside the auditor's name and how long they've served (long tenure is itself a flag).
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Engage an independent CPA to audit (or review) your financials.
  2. Publish the audit opinion letter + financial statements on your site, ideally 3 years deep.
  3. Name the auditor and disclose how long they've served you (rotate periodically).
  4. Sign in and submit the audit page URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#03

Stated reserves policy and months of operating reserve

Why it matters
Best-practice nonprofit governance: a published reserves policy with a target range and the current ratio against it. Tells donors the org is built to weather a bad year.
How we detect it
Text search of /about, /financials, /annual-report for `reserves policy`, `operating reserve`, `months of operating expense`.
What we'd love every org to have
Policy linked publicly, stating a target (often 3–12 months) and the current month-count.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Adopt a board-approved reserves policy with a target range (industry norm is 3–12 months).
  2. Publish the policy on your /financials or /about page.
  3. State the current months-of-reserve calculation against the target.
  4. Sign in and submit the URL once published — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

Zakat policy

#01

Published zakat policy page that's specific to this org

Why it matters
A `/zakat-policy` page that's org-specific (not a generic 'What is Zakat' explainer) signals the org has actually thought through the operational fiqh of zakat — and is willing to be held to its choices.
How we detect it
Automatic detection from public website data on `/zakat-policy`, `/zakat-methodology`, `/our-approach-to-zakat`, plus a heuristic distinguishing org-specific from encyclopedic language.
What we'd love every org to have
Plain-English page covering admin cap, segregation, scholar board, eight-category allocation, lunar-year timing, tamlīk position, fī sabīlillāh interpretation, geographic priority. Versioned with a changelog.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Publish a dedicated /zakat-policy page (URL slug matters — donors search for it).
  2. Cover at minimum: admin cap, fund segregation, scholar board, 8-category allocation, lunar-year timing, tamlīk and fī sabīlillāh positions.
  3. Write it in plain English, not boilerplate copied from another org.
  4. Version it — a changelog signals you stand behind your choices and revise as understanding evolves.
  5. Sign in and submit the policy URL — we'll re-index immediately.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#02

Named scholar advisory board

Why it matters
Naming the scholars who review an org's fiqh decisions supports peer accountability and makes those positions citable.
How we detect it
Regex for `Sheikh|Mufti|Dr.|Imam|Ustadh [Firstname] [Lastname]` in proximity to zakat / fatwa / advisory language.
What we'd love every org to have
At least two named scholars with credentials, institutional affiliations, and a one-sentence statement of their fiqh madhhab or methodological stance.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Name the scholars who review your zakat / fiqh decisions — at least two, ideally with diverse madhhabs.
  2. Publish each scholar's credentials and institutional affiliation.
  3. State each scholar's methodological stance in one sentence so donors can read it without inferring.
  4. Sign in and submit the URL of the page where scholars are named — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#03

Admin-cost cap on zakat funds

Why it matters
Zakat is restricted under classical fiqh — it cannot be spent on admin and overhead the way general donations can. An explicit cap (e.g. 12.5%) is the organizational discipline that proves the org understands this.
How we detect it
Pattern match for `admin/administrative/overhead [...] %` in proximity to `zakat` on policy pages.
What we'd love every org to have
Numeric cap stated publicly, with the methodology for how the cap is calculated and what it covers.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Set a numeric admin cap on zakat funds (the classical ʿāmilīna share is 12.5%).
  2. Publish what's included under 'admin' (staff, processing fees, allocation overhead — be explicit).
  3. Reconcile the cap to your annual audit so donors can verify.
  4. Sign in and submit the URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#04

Segregated zakat fund

Why it matters
Comingling zakat with general operations is the single most common fiqh failure across the sector. A separate bank account is the simplest proof of segregation.
How we detect it
Text search for `separate account`, `segregated`, `lock-box`, `restricted zakat fund`.
What we'd love every org to have
Public statement of a separate bank account, plus an external auditor's annual sign-off that the segregation held.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Open a separate bank account for zakat receipts (the simplest proof of segregation).
  2. Publicly state on your site that zakat is held and disbursed from this segregated account.
  3. Have your auditor confirm the segregation held year-to-date in the next audit.
  4. Sign in and submit the URL of the disclosure page — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#05

Lunar-year (hawl) distribution timeline

Why it matters
Classical fiqh requires zakat to be distributed within a hawl (one lunar year) of collection. An org that keeps zakat sitting in its endowment is technically out of compliance.
How we detect it
Pattern match for `lunar year`, `hijri year`, `hawl`, `within one year`.
What we'd love every org to have
Public commitment to lunar-year distribution, plus a published lag-time metric (e.g. average days from receipt to disbursement).
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Publicly commit on your zakat-policy page to distribution within one hawl (lunar year) of receipt.
  2. Track and publish the average days-to-disbursement metric annually.
  3. If your operations require holding zakat longer (rare and contested in fiqh), name the scholarly basis.
  4. Sign in and submit the URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

Religious products

#01

Qurbānī / Uḍḥiya offered with full timing disclosure

Why it matters
Qurbānī has a fiqh-window of three or four days. An org that takes orders past the window or distributes meat outside it is selling something that won't fulfill the donor's religious obligation.
How we detect it
Automatic extraction from qurbānī / udhiya / dhul-hijjah pages for cutoff date, slaughter window in days, geographic distribution, per-share price, proof-of-fulfillment language.
What we'd love every org to have
Pre-Eid order deadline, three- or four-day slaughter window stated with madhhab citation, photo or certificate per share, named distribution country.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. On your qurbānī page, publish the pre-Eid order cut-off date.
  2. State the slaughter window (3 or 4 days) and cite the madhhab basis for your timing choice.
  3. Commit to per-share proof of fulfillment: photo, GPS-tagged video, or named-animal certificate.
  4. Name the distribution country (and city if possible).
  5. Sign in and submit the qurbānī page URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#02

Proof-of-fulfillment commitment per donation

Why it matters
Per-donation tracking is the gold standard of donor experience in the Muslim sector. Without it, the donor has no way to know their qurbānī or sponsored orphan story is real.
How we detect it
Pattern match for `photo`, `video`, `certificate`, `proof of slaughter`, `name on the animal`.
What we'd love every org to have
Each donation has a unique receipt with media (photo / video / GPS-tagged report) accessible via donor portal.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Build a donor portal where each gift gets a unique tracking ID.
  2. Attach media to each ID: a photo, video, or GPS-tagged report tied to the actual program output.
  3. If you don't have the technical capacity, Ihsan Standard OS accounting (Phase 2) provides FIFO bucketing for orgs without per-donation tracking.
  4. Sign in to engage the engagement track — we'll help set this up.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

Zakat calculator

#01

On-site zakat calculator with current nisab

Why it matters
An org that publishes a stale nisab is misleading donors at the moment of intent. A calculator showing $3,000 nisab when the real number is $6,750 may make donors think they don't owe zakat when they actually do.
How we detect it
Automatic loading of /zakat-calculator and extraction of the displayed nisab USD value; compared to live gold (87.48g) and silver (612.36g) spot prices.
What we'd love every org to have
Both gold and silver thresholds shown, computed daily from a named spot-price feed, with all eight asset categories as inputs and an admin-cap reminder. See our Universal Zakat Calculator spec.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Add a /zakat-calculator page that pulls daily-updated nisab from a named spot-price feed.
  2. Display BOTH gold (87.48g) and silver (612.36g) thresholds — let the donor pick the conservative one.
  3. Cover all eight asset categories (cash, gold/silver, business inventory, investments, etc.) as inputs.
  4. Show an admin-cap reminder near the donate button.
  5. Sign in and submit the calculator URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

Vendor & supplier stack

#01

No flagged vendors detected in website stack

Why it matters
Muslim donors increasingly ask whether their donations route through vendors with documented ties to surveillance, content suppression, or political positions adverse to Muslim communities.
How we detect it
Static HTML scan + JS-rendered network-log scan for 14 vendor signatures across Wix, Stripe, Meta Pixel, Hotjar, Clarity, TikTok Pixel, and 8 others. See VENDOR-STANDARDS.md.
What we'd love every org to have
Conscientious-Pragmatic tier minimum: zero flagged vendors detected. Conscientious-Strict tier: full back-office stack disclosed during engagement.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Review the flagged vendors on your org's page (the public-website scan covers what's visible in HTML/JS).
  2. Engage the Ihsan Standard Supplier-Stack Audit — we go beyond public-website detection to inventory the full back-office stack.
  3. For each flagged vendor we surface an ethical alternative with a transition timeline that fits your staffing.
  4. Pair with the Taʿāwun Procurement Audit (Muslim-community vendor alternatives) and the Khulafāʾ al-Arḍ Stewardship Audit (environmental footprint).
  5. Sign in to schedule any of the three audits — Gold tiers are awarded on completion.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#02

Payment processor disclosed and chosen deliberately

Why it matters
Payment processors are an ethical infrastructure choice. The donor's 2.9%+30¢ flows somewhere; orgs should name the somewhere and explain why.
How we detect it
Static HTML + JS network log + donation-platform-to-processor inference (16 platforms mapped). See our Payment Processor Calculator tool.
What we'd love every org to have
Processor named publicly on the donate page or methodology section, with a one-paragraph rationale.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Name your payment processor publicly on the donate page (e.g. 'Donations processed by Helcim — chosen because …').
  2. Add a one-paragraph rationale: why this processor, what the fee structure looks like, why it aligns with your principles.
  3. If you're considering a switch, the Ihsan Standard engagement track can model fee impact across alternatives.
  4. Sign in and submit the donate-page URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#03

No surveillance-affiliated SSO on donor-facing pages

Why it matters
When an org puts 'Sign in with Google' or 'Login with Facebook' on its donate page, every Muslim donor who clicks it creates an authenticated linkage between their identity and a Muslim charity on the books of a company whose parent holds contracts with militaries and surveillance agencies — Google's Project Maven (Pentagon AI) and Project Nimbus ($1.2B with the Israeli government, joint with Amazon), Microsoft's $21.9B IVAS Army contract, all three major US clouds (Google, Microsoft, AWS) as announced Palantir host partners. Muslim Pro / X-Mode sold prayer-app location data to US Special Operations Command in 2020. The NYPD Demographics Unit surveilled Muslim communities for years. The risk is documented, not theoretical.
How we detect it
Static + JS-rendered scan of the org's /donate, /login, and homepage for the script signatures of Sign in with Google (accounts.google.com/gsi/client), Sign in with Apple (appleid.cdn-apple.com), Sign in with Microsoft (login.microsoftonline.com), Login with Facebook (connect.facebook.net), and Login with Amazon (assets.loginwithamazon.com).
What we'd love every org to have
Donor-facing pages do not embed mainstream surveillance-affiliated SSO buttons. Recommended replacements (any of these is a meaningful upgrade): UmmahPassport SSO (Muslim-owned, charter-locked against state funding and ad business, zero-admin-visibility architecture); or one of the open-source privacy-first alternatives — ZITADEL (Swiss-hosted, GDPR-respecting), Authentik (self-hostable), Keycloak (Red Hat open source, self-hostable), or Ory (open source identity primitives). Direct email signup is also fine if you don't need federated identity. See the UmmahPassport privacy-comparison page for the full research-grounded contrast.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Audit your donate page, login page, and any other donor-facing flow for embedded Sign in with Google/Apple/Microsoft/Facebook/Amazon buttons.
  2. Pick a replacement that fits your stack. Best for the Muslim ecosystem: UmmahPassport SSO (Muslim-owned, charter-locked privacy). Self-hostable alternatives: Authentik, Keycloak, Ory. Managed privacy-first: ZITADEL (Swiss). All are OIDC-compliant — wiring them in is one config block.
  3. If they're there because your donate platform vendor (Stripe Checkout, Donorbox, GiveLively) loads them by default, talk to the vendor about disabling those options. Most can be turned off in dashboard settings.
  4. For the remaining email-signup flow, point your registration backend at the UmmahPassport OIDC discovery endpoint or any of the alternatives above.
  5. Sign in and submit the donate-page URL — we'll re-index to confirm the surveillance-SSO is no longer detected.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

Tax-efficient giving

#01

Accepts appreciated stock, DAF grants, cryptocurrency, real estate

Why it matters
Modern major-donor giving moves through DAFs and appreciated assets, not credit cards. An org that only takes cash is leaving the largest donations on the table.
How we detect it
Text search for `donor-advised fund`, `DAF`, `appreciated stock`, `cryptocurrency`, `Bitcoin`, `real estate`, `bequest` across donate pages.
What we'd love every org to have
Each asset class has its own donate flow with the org's brokerage info, custody bank, and confirmation process documented.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Create a dedicated /ways-to-give page that breaks out each asset class with its own flow.
  2. For appreciated stock: name the brokerage and account number for the receiving party.
  3. For DAF: link to DAF Direct or list the major sponsors you accept grants from.
  4. For crypto: name the wallet provider (e.g. Engiven, The Giving Block).
  5. For real estate / vehicles: provide a contact for the gift acceptance committee.
  6. Sign in and submit the /ways-to-give URL — we'll re-index each tag separately.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#02

Corporate matching gifts enabled

Why it matters
Many large US employers will match employee charitable gifts dollar-for-dollar (some up to 3x). For Muslim donors who work at companies with a match program, every dollar given to an org without a match-platform integration is a dollar of free philanthropy left on the table. Orgs that surface a Benevity / Double the Donation / Millie / similar widget on the donate page consistently see 25–40% of donors initiate a match where the program exists.
How we detect it
Static scan for `benevity`, `double the donation`, `doublethedonation`, `millie`, `givewith`, `groundwork`, plus heuristic detection of phrases like 'employer match', 'matching gift program', 'double your donation'.
What we'd love every org to have
Donate-page integration with a corporate-match lookup widget (Double the Donation, Millie, Benevity Causes), plus a one-paragraph donor explainer of how to initiate the match through the employer's giving portal.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Add a Double the Donation, Millie, or Benevity Causes widget to your donate page.
  2. Write a short donor-facing explainer: how to look up your employer, submit the match, what happens next.
  3. If your nonprofit is not yet registered on the match platforms, register first (it's free).
  4. Sign in and submit the donate-page URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#03

Estate & wasiyya (planned giving)

Why it matters
Inheritance- and estate-based giving — sharia-compliant wills (wasiyya), bequests, charitable trusts, life-insurance beneficiary designations — is how Muslim institutions build multi-generational sustainability. A donor's wasiyya is often the largest single gift they will ever make; the org should be ready to receive it correctly and to help the donor write it cleanly per fiqh.
How we detect it
Detection looks for a dedicated estate / wasiyya / planned-giving page (URL or page title), named contact officer for legacy gifts, sample bequest language usable in a sharia-compliant will, and (ideally) referral to fiqh-aware estate-planning resources.
What we'd love every org to have
Dedicated wasiyya / legacy-giving page, named legacy contact officer, sample bequest language, fiqh-aware will-writing resources, life-insurance beneficiary instructions.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Publish a dedicated /wasiyya, /legacy, or /planned-giving page.
  2. Name a legacy-giving contact officer — donors writing their estate plan need a real human to talk to.
  3. Include sample bequest language usable in a sharia-compliant will (the 1/3 bequest provision).
  4. Link to fiqh-aware will-writing resources (Faraidh apps, scholar-reviewed templates).
  5. Cover life-insurance beneficiary designations as a separate sub-section.
  6. Sign in and submit the wasiyya page URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

Governance & scholarship

#01

Board members listed publicly

Why it matters
Board composition is governance transparency. Donors should know who holds fiduciary responsibility for the org.
How we detect it
Text search for board / trustee / directors pages.
What we'd love every org to have
Each board member named with bio, professional role, term length, and term-limit policy.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Publish a /board or /leadership page listing every member by name.
  2. Each entry: bio paragraph, professional role, term start date, term length, and term-limit policy.
  3. Note which members are independent (no employment / financial relationship with the org) vs. affiliated.
  4. Sign in and submit the page URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

#02

Scholar endorsement vs influencer endorsement, separately flagged

Why it matters
The Muslim sector has documented influencer-compensation disclosure issues in some fundraising campaigns — patterns where high-compensation spokespersons were not disclosed. Donors should be able to tell whether the endorsement of a campaign is from a credentialed scholar or a celebrity with a microphone.
How we detect it
Named-entity recognition pass over endorsement language; cross-check named individuals against scholar / influencer registries.
What we'd love every org to have
Endorsements segregated by category, with credentials shown alongside each endorser.
How to improve · concrete remediation
  1. Segregate endorsements on your site by category: scholar vs. influencer vs. community leader.
  2. Show the credentials of each endorser (their qualifications, the institution they speak for, the scope of their statement).
  3. If a campaign uses paid spokesperson(s), disclose the compensation arrangement.
  4. Sign in and submit the endorsements URL — we'll re-index.
Ask us to re-index

Once the change is live on the org website, sign in with UmmahPassport SSO and submit the supporting link. Ihsan Standard re-runs detection and lifts the tag on the next pass — typically within 5 business days.

UmmahPassport SSO live in Phase 2. Until then, the engagement-track contact form works the same way.

We work with you, not against you.

If you run an org and want to improve on any of these, the Ihsan Standard engagement track is free. Reach out, share what's in flight, and we'll work through it together. Publishing a gap is always a last resort — and never without right of reply.