Charities Create a New Effort to Bolster Confidence in Muslim Organizations

A watchdog group and a nonprofit legal organization last week announced a new effort designed to restore donor confidence in Muslim charities and protect them from unfair government scrutiny.

The voluntary accreditation program — run jointly by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance and Muslim Advocates — will vet aid groups, mosques, and other Muslim charities and help them meet the alliance’s standards of accountability.

Muslim Advocates, a legal and civic-education group in San Francisco, will examine a charity’s financial and legal records and offer advice to leaders of Muslim organizations in advance of review by the Better Business Bureau, in Arlington, Va.

Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, said she hoped the program would reassure donors that the charities are not engaged in funneling money to terrorists.

Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, “the government turned a microscope on American Muslim organizations and sowed confusion and fear among donors and volunteers,” she said.

“The Muslim Charities Accreditation Program is a smart, practical solution.”

Art Taylor, president of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, noted that charities do not typically volunteer for accreditation by his organization, so Muslim charities would send a strong message by participating in the effort.

“In this case, a group of organizations that are committed to transparency came to us,” he said. “This will give the American donor much more information about the operations of these organizations, their overall transparency, and their willingness to share information about their work.”

Seven nonprofit groups have signed up so far and Ms. Khera said she expected that a few would complete the accreditation process by the end of the year.

Muslim Advocates will be holding meetings in eight cities this fall to educate charity leaders about the program.

Ms. Khera said she has discussed the program with Treasury Department officials and was hopeful the effort could play a role in educating the government and the public about Muslim nonprofit groups.

“The indications we’ve gotten from the Treasury have been encouraging,” she said.