| About the IICO The IICO Mission
Ensuring Continuity
The Capital of the IICO Status and Pioneering Work The Motto of the IICO
Ways of Empowering and Methods of Expenditure
Productive Projects
International Coordination and Cooperation
Specialization
Outreach
Priorities of the Present Plan
Centre for Philanthropic Studies
The Culture of a Moderate Nation
Endowment
Our Endowments Build a School: Revive a Nation
About the IICO
In the morning of 17th Ramadan 1404 A.H. (corresponding to 17th June 1984 A.C.), the deep convictions and sincere feelings of a group of sincere and leading thinkers of the Muslim nation came to realize the pressing need to found and set up an international Islamic charitable organization with the aim of raising 1000,000,000 dollars. This fund was planned to be invested and only its revenue would be dedicated to the alleviation of the ramifications of poverty, distress and deprivation of people inside and outside the Islamic world. 
The IICO was founded as the first non-governmental Islamic humanitarian organization, with participants from different parts of the world. It is fully independent and does not carry any political agenda or belong to any intellectual movement or stream. Its sole aim is to respond to the needs of those stricken by poverty all over the world.
The IICO Mission
Finally, the universal mission of the IICO is to relieve human communities, provide development programs and coordinate charitable efforts according to a wide-ranging scheme to achieve the best investment of the available financial and human resources. 
Ensuring Continuity
From its very outset, the IICO adopted a policy of investing the unassigned donations it receives and spending only their revenue on its activities, programs and projects. This ensures the continuance and preservation of adequate resources required for the maintenance of its charitable tasks. Thence, the received donations, no matter how much or little, have become a kind of regenerated, prolonged charity that deserves incessant divine reward.
The Motto of the IICO
Our gracious religion, Islam, values and promotes hard work and productivity, and it discourages indolence and dependence on others. Hence, the IICO formulated the motto "Together, the beggar will never ask again", which consolidates the value of work and corroborates the spirit of creativity, endeavor and the significance of earning one's livelihood through self-dependence and hard work.
This motto is emphasized as one of the aspects of the concept of empowerment, which the IICO adopts and which provides necessary training programs in a particular profession that empowers people in need and enables them to face the misfortunes of life. Having been equipped with the basic skills, they shall become - with Allah's Aid - self-dependent and shall be able to relieve themselves from the humiliation of being dependent on others.
The IICO has evolved its working policies and has developed another motto: "People for people", which reflects its intention to direct its efforts to assist the needy and which substantiates the principle of fraternity and self-denial.
The Capital of the IICO
The founders of the IICO have set a target of raising a sum of 1000,000,000 dollars. This fund is to be invested and its revenue to cover its activities, away from the fluctuations the incoming donations.
Despite the fact that so far many of the IICO's projects and programs have been achieved, the targeted sum of donations has not yet been reached. The accomplishments of the IICO up to the end of the year 1428 A.H. (corresponding to 2007 A.C.) amounted to the value of 483,000,000 dollars. The funds that covered them came mainly from assigned donations, Zakah funds and limited investment revenues.
The collection of the target sum of donations as the IICO had initially planned has become an even more urgent in order to meet the rising demands and consequences of the escalating afflictions that are paralyzing the basic life of the less-privileged people of the Muslim nation. Maintaining the influx of the necessary funds coming from the revenue of the invested capital will enable the IICO to keep carrying out its mission.
The IICO believes that meeting the target of raising the planned funds - with Allah's Aid - can be achieved by the generous donations of a number of affluent donors, in addition to donations coming from other people who wish to seek Allah's Pleasure and fulfill their moral obligation towards the needy people from among the Muslim nation.
Status and Pioneering Work 
The International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO), with its desire to implement the message of Islamic brotherhood as referred to in the Prophet's hadith, "The relationship of the believer with another believer is like (the bricks of) a building, each strengthens the other", has managed to alleviate many problems related to poverty, hunger, illiteracy, ignorance and deprivation in many impoverished Muslim countries and communities. 
It has also been able to empower people to contribute to these collaborated efforts focusing on national and international development. Its activities are a practical way to implement the charitable teachings of Islam that encourage solidarity, compassion, providing care for the poor, the destitute and the needy in their countries, and alleviating the impact of calamities and misfortunes.
Ways of Empowering and Methods of Expenditure
The IICO is the first Islamic humanitarian and charitable organization in modern times that aims to uphold social development, empowering people and providing job opportunities to the underprivileged and the unemployed. It also seeks to provide the necessary funds for the establishment of educational and vocational training and development projects, which are at the top of its priorities.
The IICO believes that such activities would effectively achieve long-standing prosperity for the underprivileged people in the community, based on the principle: A small (income) that is constant is better than a large income that is inconsistent. Therefore, it adopts and highly values the motto: "Together, the beggar will never ask again". 
It is now evident that the most efficient use of funds is to train and empower the needy to enjoy better opportunities in life.
Productive Projects
The IICO gives priority to productive projects that provide job opportunities for people, such as factories, farms, training institutes and other similar projects. In doing so, it empowers people, by the Grace of Allah, to work and earn their livelihood, away from the shame of begging or the humiliation of asking people for help. Our noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! It is better for one of you to take a rope and carry firewood on his back than for him to go to a man to beg from him, who may give him something or turn him down."
Following this example, the values of self-pride and independence, by the Grace of Allah, are inculcated and developed in one's mind and soul. Thus, the IICO seeks to achieve two goals: first, to provide a long-lasting source of livelihood for the needy; second, to encourage donors to be generous so that they earn, by the Will of Allah, a meritorious and long-
lasting reward.
International Coordination and Cooperation
The IICO sincerely believes in the importance of coordination between charitable institutions; thus, it employs a wide-scale policy that helps to collate various charitable efforts so as to prevent inconsistency or unnecessary effort, such as building two mosques in the same area or setting up two similar projects that serve the same section of the community.
 The IICO painstakingly seeks to build close relations with other relevant national, regional, continental and international bodies.
It effectively contributes to the International Islamic Council for Da`wah and Relief. In addition, its distinguished contributions and efforts are widely recognized by international bodies, such as: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); International Labor Organization (ILO); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO); UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA); International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD); and Economic and Social Council (Eco-Soc).
 Cooperation and coordination between the IICO and various charitable and humanitarian bodies has facilitated the exchange of expertise and the augmentation of a mutual benefit between the different parties.
Specialization
The IICO is convinced of the importance of specialization and this has led to the formation of specialized committees with each one functioning within and concerned with a specific geographical area or field of interest. Examples of this are the Committee of Asian Muslims, the Committee of Palestine and the Committee of Help Your Brother.
Among the IICO's outstanding activities is the due attention given to educational and edification programs for women. Thus, it has established the woman's Committee, Ash-Shuruq Committee for Youth and the Pioneers Center for Rehabilitating Leaders, which is meant to enhance the behavioral, vocational and religious aspects of the society.
Outreach
The IICO does not confine itself to geographical boundaries in the course of fulfilling its tasks and undertakes many programs worldwide. 
It also actively participates in various projects and deals with essential humanitarian needs, including those concerned with economical, health, social and religious needs.
Priorities of the Present Plan
1) Empowerment
2) Education
3) Communication
The IICO, guided by the priorities of its present plan, undertakes the following activities: 1) It aims to empower the poor and provide them with all necessary means in order to be able to support themselves, their families and their societies.
2) It provides the necessary funds to support various projects in the field of education, the most prominent of which is the project "Build a School: Revive a Nation", which seeks to build model schools that attract and educate students from the upper class for high fees and distinguished students from the less-privileged members of Muslim communities for free, especially in Africa and Asia, and instill noble virtues in them. These projects will help produce efficient and trustworthy cadres and leaders who can participate in various activities in the society, and who can also preserve its great values and maintain its identity.
3) It pays special attention to the means of communication that help introduce Islam to others and spread the culture of a "middle nation", through programs broadcasted on the radio and TV stations. In addition, the IICO has significant activities and roles in the field of the electronic means of communication, such as the internet.
Centre for Philanthropic Studies
The IICO pays considerable attention to needed, relevant research and the provision of necessary philanthropic, humanitarian and other associate and supportive studies in the field of charitable work. With sincere belief in this principle, the IICO established a centre for philanthropic studies to consolidate charitable efforts through supporting research, relevant studies, symposiums, sessions, conferences, designing and setting up a curriculum in charity-related and issuing pamphlets and specialized periodicals. This makes it possible to bring about a change in the quality of charitable work by benefiting from the extremely advanced technology and methods of the international charitable field.
Al-`Aalamiyyah Magazine and the Website of the IICO
The IICO has dedicated much attention to boosting its profile in the world media. Therefore, it has issued a magazine under the name of Al-`Aalamiyyah, through which it exposes itself to a wide-range of intellectuals and seeks to promote collective introduce humanitarian and relief efforts and to the Islamic culture.
The bulletin attracts a large number of earnest, concerned readers. It includes relevant, impartial literature away from any extremism or fanaticism, an exposure of the true image of Islam and an expression of the concerns of Muslims.
All these efforts aim to assist in strengthening and preserving the Muslim identity, which values and promotes peace and the welfare of people. The IICO also reaches people via the internet through its high-profile website: www.iico.org. It provides a chance for people to get an insight into current issues of concern and proposes their solutions, and also it participates in promoting the culture of moderation.
The Culture of a Moderate Nation
The emergence of extremism and fanaticism in recent times and the threat they form in undermining the stability of many countries awakened the IICO's attentiveness to stand up and confront such destructive, alien ideologies. The IICO has taken up its responsibilities towards presenting a rational and effective perspective that deals with this issue in accordance with the Islamic values, which promote moderation and balance.
The IICO has striven hard through this project to underpin the virtue of moderation in Islam and the great historical position of the intellectuals of the Muslim nation; to firmly emphasize the principles of pluralism and coexistence in Islam; to enrich the thought of moderate thinkers with the great merits of this religion and its civilizational manifestations, which honors man and the human soul and discredits those who violate human rights.
The IICO inaugurated this cultural project by organizing seminars and conferences with many Muslim thinkers and intellectuals attending them. These conferences and seminars were convened in different countries, such as Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, the South America and some other countries in Africa.
The main objective of holding them was to convey the truly peaceful picture of the religion of Islam.
Now, the IICO is in the course of developing this project so as to become a comprehensive, informatory discourse that addresses all sectors of the community and promulgates the culture of moderation and the middle course. The discourse is also devised to explain the menace of extremism and fanaticism and the need to shun them; to promote and establish constructive dialogues and open discourses with the holders of other views in order to introduce the true magnanimous image of Islam and its pioneering civilization; and to raise the consciousness of people about the magnificence of the true Islam.
Endowment
The IICO was the first to evolve and broaden the concept of endowment (Waqf); thus, every Muslim is able to join easily. A certificate of shares of nominal value of a $1000 (circa 300 Kuwaiti Dinars) is issued in the name of individuals or their kin. In this way, the Muslim community encourages the revival of a noble tradition, which incurs an unremitting spiritual reward. This share can be paid immediately or in installments.
Our Endowments
The IICO established a chain of endowments; each endowment aims at serving a specific purpose and its revenue is channeled to the purpose that is determined by the donor. For instance, "A Dwelling in Paradise" is an endowment in which the revenue is dedicated to the upkeep of mosques and the related services. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever built a mosque, even if it be like a nest of a sand-grouse, Allah will build him a house in Paradise." 1- The "Give Him an Axe to Cut Logs" is another endowment in which revenue is spent on programs focusing on vocational training projects as well as agricultural, farming and other productive projects, whose profits are solely directed to empower the poor. 2- "The Orphan" endowment program has been set up to support orphans and to build orphanages and related services, such as schools and medical centers to provide proper housing, and educational and medical care. 3- The "Care and Compassion" endowment demonstrates and emphasizes the importance of children being dutiful toward their parents. It is based on the idea that the child dedicates the spiritual reward of an endowment to one or both of his parents, so that they can benefit from it in their life and after their death. 4- The "Unnoticed Needy Families" endowment program seeks to eliminate poverty in families who are too proud to beg from people or to let anyone know about their misery. 5- The "Fast Breaking and Sacrifice" endowment program provides meals during the month of Ramadan, and meat during Eidul-Ad-ha (Qurbany) for the poor, so reviving the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and seeking a long-lasting reward from Allah, the Almighty. 6- The "Water Drop" endowment program aims at alleviating the impact of desertification and the shortage of water resources, through establishing dams, water pumps and wells that help invigorate life. 7- The "Holy Qur'an" endowment program is dedicated to bolstering the memorization of the Holy Qur'an, building schools, offering the religious teaching, promoting the culture of the 'Middle Nation' and other principles of moderation. 8- The "Light on Earth" endowment program is a common and wide-ranging endowment whose revenues are channeled to various projects. This gives the IICO flexibility so they can spend on various needs taking into account any pressing circumstances or ventures that have a high priority. Each endowment of the IICO represents a long-lasting and active charitable project that entails for both the giver and the endower a genuine opportunity to enter Paradise, by the Grace of Allah, through the door allocated for the ones who give alms.
Build a School: Revive a Nation
Based on its deep conviction of the importance of education, the IICO has given special attention to the provision of required funds for the building and running of model schools for the affluent sectors of the community.   This will help provide high-standard educational services to a generation who, hopefully, will be the future leaders of the community and to be able to deal with the different aspects of modernity as well as to maintain the fundamental values of Islam and the Muslim nation.  Hence the project "Build a School: Revive a Nation" is a feasible Islamic substitute, which can effectively interact with and respond to the requisites of the present technology and modernity. The curricula of the school that the IICO introduces combine the subjects that are taught in other formal schools as well as important, basic Islamic subjects in order to build a balanced Muslim character. In addition, it provides special training programs and skills in other disciplines, such as languages, high-technology, brain-development and other vocational skills.
The IICO's schools are supervised by a specialized board. In addition, the consultation of other international organizations and bodies, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and other Islamic educational federations all over the world, as well as research bodies working in education, are sought and benefited from.  The IICO has been very successful in this regard in countries like Kuwait, Nigeria, Sudan, and Niger, and more schools are under construction in other places. We have great confidence in Allah that we shall be able to found more of them in the near future.
Meanwhile, the IICO, in line with its efforts of promoting the culture of the moderate nation, offers any necessary assistance to other schools which aim to prepare intellectual, religious and behavioral models.
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