Structure, governance and management

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation made up of many moving parts. We believe transparency about how the organisation is run is vital to our long-term success and that a better understanding of Islamic Relief’s governance can help us to build stronger ties with donors, banks, other humanitarian organisations, and authorities in the countries where we operate, enabling us to reach even more people in need. Here we explain how Islamic Relief’s governing bodies work together to make our work possible.

Based in Birmingham, UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide is the international office of the Islamic Relief federation. We oversee global standards, coordinate and monitor project implementation, identify new areas for fund development, oversee the response to emergencies and disasters by members of the Islamic Relief federation and support them as needed with marketing and media materials. We also coordinate engagement and ongoing relations with multi-lateral institutions, represent the federation in international forums and develop and coordinate the global strategy.

The International General Assembly

The highest body of the Islamic Relief Worldwide governance structure is our International General Assembly (IGA), which has been in operation since 2020. It was introduced to help address the changing needs of the Islamic Relief family, as well as the challenging environment in which we operate, and is made up of representatives from and elected by Islamic Relief member offices. Ultimately, we want up to one third of the IGA to be independent members from outside the Islamic Relief family who can contribute specialist skills and experience. Independent members will also increase the diversity and accountability of the IGA.

The IGA has five main responsibilities:

• Electing members of the IGA to Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Board of Trustees.
• Approving any changes to Islamic Relief Worldwide’s governing documents, member policies and mission strategy, as well as being the final arbitrator on issues of membership.
• Appointing the Chair and members of the Membership Accreditation Committee (MAC).
• Appointing the Chair of the Governance Committee, which is responsible for proposing best practices across the Islamic Relief family.
• Reporting on adherence to agreed standards, policies and procedures across all member offices.

The Governance Committee

The Governance Committee helps to identify best practice for all Islamic Relief entities and to ensure compliance with agreed standards, policies and systems throughout the organisation.

The Membership Accreditation Committee

The Membership Accreditation Committee (MAC) is a permanent committee of the IGA. It reports to the IGA and coordinates with the Board of Trustees. The main purpose of the MAC is making recommendations on the suitability of members (both entities and individuals) to the IGA. These recommendations can potentially include the initial nomination, membership levels, renewals and ending membership. The MAC ensures adherence to the rules governing membership of the IGA and the Board of Trustees.

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is elected by the IGA, with each trustee’s term lasting four years. The Board is diverse and made up of trustees – six men and three women – representing countries from five continents. Each trustee is a volunteer with different skills, knowledge and experience that, together, will help Islamic Relief to develop and respond to key challenges.

In practical terms, the Board’s main responsibilities are:

• overseeing the governance of Islamic Relief Worldwide in accordance with our statutory obligations and making sure we satisfy our regulatory requirements
• always acting in a manner most likely to support the charity in meeting our aims and objectives
• overseeing the development of the organisational strategy and the setting of priorities and objectives
• approving the executive management structure of the organisation together with delegated authorities
• evaluating performance and progress
• approving relevant new policies and procedures
• appointing the CEO, evaluating the performance of the executive management team and making appointments to, and dismissals from, this team
• approving the remuneration policy of the organisation and setting the remuneration for senior management.

We recognise that the responsibilities of trustees can be extremely challenging due to the scale and complexity of the organisation. To help them fulfil their duties to the best of their abilities each new trustee is assigned a mentor and receives a comprehensive induction. This includes a full overview of our strategic and operational functions, as well as a welcome pack, which includes a copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the financial statements, Board minutes, the Charity Commission guidance The Essential Trustee and recent publications.

Islamic Relief provides training for our trustees to inform them of the key areas they need to know about to carry out their duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently. We also train Board members and executives, drawing on their experience to strengthen their understanding and application of governance principles in line with best practice. Beyond this, we actively encourage trustees to identify any training they may need, and our CEO keeps them up to date with training opportunities and changes in regulatory standards.

The Board of Trustees receives regular performance reports, annual financial reports, plans and budgets. The Board’s effectiveness is continually evaluated, and it is committed to continuous improvement. It will soon put in place a periodic third-party review and assessment of its effectiveness and its way of working.

The Investment Committee

The Investment Committee is a body responsible for managing Islamic Relief Worldwide’s investment portfolio in order to best further our aims. During 2025, the Investment Committee continued its oversight of Islamic Relief’s investment portfolio, including reviewing proposals and decisions required to support the development of an updated investment framework. This work fed directly into the strengthened Investment Policy finalised in 2026. The enhanced policy now aligns with Islamic Relief’s Global Strategy and incorporates SORP 2026 requirements, reinforcing Shariah compliance, stricter negative screening and improved environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability standards. It also updates benchmarks and operational arrangements for implementation, monitoring and reporting, ensuring a responsible and resilient investment approach.

The Programmes Committee

The Programmes Committee is a subcommittee with oversight of programme strategy, risk, impact and continuous improvement.

The Audit and Finance Committee

The Audit and Finance Committee’s main responsibility is to provide oversight of the financial reporting process, the audit process (internal and external), our system of internal controls, risk management and compliance with laws and regulations.

The Remuneration and Appointments Committee

The Remuneration and Appointments Committee oversees executive recruitment and appointments, performance evaluations, salary structures, and succession planning.

The Islamic Relief Family Council

Alongside the IGA, we also have a global executive branch, which is known as the Islamic Relief Family Council. This is a forum that brings together the chief executives of Islamic Relief Worldwide and all Islamic Relief member entities to enhance communication, strengthen relationships and provide strategic insight to help improve processes within Islamic Relief Worldwide itself and the wider federation of members.

Key personnel

The CEO is accountable to the Board of Trustees and, along with other senior staff, is responsible for our day-to-day management. The CEO chairs the executive management team, which is made up of divisional directors. These divisional directors make sure that the policies and strategies agreed by the Board of Trustees are implemented, and they also support the work of other staff and volunteers. Our Delegation of Authority Policy authorises staff, according to our position and specialist knowledge, to be accountable and responsible for implementing Islamic Relief’s objectives. Every decision we make must adhere to all of our policies, processes, and guidelines. The Audit and Finance Committee periodically reviews the delegation of authority matrix. A full list of trustees and key personnel is given in the corporate directory.

Remuneration policy

We strive to attract and retain talented individuals based on their passion, commitment, values, knowledge, skills and experience. While the financial dimension is not the foremost basis for engagement, we are keen to pay our team appropriate salaries. As such, our remuneration principle is to be market relevant, not market driven – so we position ourselves in the median quartile of benchmarking exercises. Our remuneration model is designed to be cost effective and sustainable, and in line with our determination to be ‘lean’ to maximise the amount we spend on our programme work.

We recognise that attracting and retaining the best talent requires sufficient flexibility to allow for a case-by-case consideration for particularly exceptional talents, hard-to-fill roles and top performers. By using the steps within a set grade range, we can apply this flexibility while maintaining the integrity of the wider grading system. We also encourage and reward opportunities for acting up and secondments within the charity to allow colleagues to learn and develop valuable skills and experience.

Governing documents

Governing documents is an umbrella term for the documents that define what Islamic Relief is and what we do. When we are talking about ‘Islamic Relief’ or ‘Islamic Relief Worldwide’, we are referring to the charity incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales. Our governing documents, known as the Memorandum and Articles of Association, were originally dated 14 March 1989 and amended on 9 August 2010, with the Objects amended on 16 March 2020 to reflect the education, advocacy and broader work of Islamic Relief Worldwide, rather than just the original goal of ‘alleviation of poverty.’ Islamic Relief Worldwide is registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales and with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Other pertinent documents that are now in place with the implementation of the new governance structure and the establishment of the IGA are:

• Licence Agreement: the document that confirms that Islamic Relief members can use the Islamic Relief name and logo in their respective geographical areas.
• Members Agreement: a contractual agreement between Islamic Relief members and Islamic Relief Worldwide that cements and defines the terms of our mutually beneficial relationship.

Subsidiaries

Islamic Relief has two subsidiaries: TIC International Limited and the International Waqf Fund. TIC International Limited is a trading subsidiary of Islamic Relief Worldwide, which supports our fundraising activities by recycling clothes and running charity shops across the UK. Its registered address is: TIC International Limited, 19 Rea Street South, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6LB.

The International Waqf Fund is also a registered charity. It undertakes waqf (Islamic endowment) activities. Islamic Relief exercises control over the International Waqf Fund, having the right to appoint and remove its trustees. Its registered address is: International Waqf Fund, 22-24 Sampson Road North, Birmingham B11 1BL.

Islamic Relief Mauritius

Islamic Relief Mauritius is incorporated as a branch of Islamic Relief Worldwide with local directors appointed to oversee operations. The entity’s transactions and balances are included within the accounts of Islamic Relief Worldwide.