Council on American-Islamic Relations

What Council on American-Islamic Relations does

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a U.S. nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization operating through a network of regional chapters, with a national headquarters in Washington, D.C. and the New York chapter (CAIR-NY) headquartered at 233 Broadway, Suite 820, New York City. Its core activities center on legal advocacy for American Muslims facing discrimination, hate crime response, constitutional rights defense, and policy advocacy at federal, state, and local levels. The organization runs a portfolio of specialized programs including Know Your Rights education, Banking While Muslim, the Muslim Voter Project, Anti-Bullying initiatives, an Anti-Surveillance Project, and Palestine Solidarity Rapid Response, alongside annual civil rights reports and incident tracking data. CAIR's revenue model is multi-stream but mission-driven, comprising individual donations and Zakat contributions, state-administered funding (approximately $40 million routed through CAIR-California for refugee resettlement and community services), and federal government grants (notably $30 million from HHS for Afghan refugee resettlement serving over 1,800 Afghan nationals). Services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, with no transactional pricing model.

CAIR sits at the center of a broad interfaith and community coalition network, including the New York Coalition for Safety, Protection, Equity & Accountability, which spans more than 15 Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, and allied organizations. The organization tracks a record-high 8,683 anti-Muslim and anti-Arab complaints in 2025, the highest since it began tracking in 1996 (up from 8,658 in 2024), underscoring the demand backdrop for its services. Leadership includes Afaf Nasher, Esq. as Executive Director of CAIR-NY, and Nihad Awad as National Executive Director, with Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Ibrahim Hooper, Robert McCaw, and Ismail Allison holding senior national roles.

The organization operates in a notably complex regulatory and political environment. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order designating CAIR as a "foreign terrorist organization" (a designation not held under U.S. federal law); a U.S. District Judge subsequently issued a preliminary injunction blocking that order on First Amendment grounds. Texas has pursued similar designations, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is investigating the $30 million in federal funds disbursed to CAIR for Afghan refugee resettlement, raising potential suspension or debarment risk. CAIR has filed suit against Florida and continues to expand its legal advocacy footprint, including "Hostile Campus" designations of Columbia University and CUNY over pro-Palestinian speech issues.

Name

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Legal name

Council on American-Islamic Relations, New York, Inc.

Website

https://cair-ny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a U.S. nonprofit civil rights organization that provides legal advocacy, hate crime response, and policy representation for American Muslims through a national network of regional chapters, funded by donations and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Interfaith & Ecumenical Councils and Dialogue Organizations (BPAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• Civil rights advocacy
• Legal representation services
• Community empowerment
• Civic engagement programs
• Interfaith coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: CAIR operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily by donations from individual donors and supporters. EIN 11-3450777 for CAIR-NY.
2. Federal Government Grants: CAIR received $30 million in federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services for resettling Afghan refugees, with services provided to over 1,800 Afghan nationals in California.
3. State-Administered Funding: CAIR-California receives approximately $40 million in state-administered funding, much of it tied to federally funded programs.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization that provides legal representation, incident reporting response, and advocacy for American Muslims facing discrimination, hate crimes, and constitutional rights violations. Through its national network and regional chapters (including CAIR-NY), it delivers educational programs, civic engagement initiatives, refugee resettlement legal services, and rapid-response advocacy on civil liberties issues.

Product overview

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a civil rights and advocacy organization, not a technology company. Its offerings consist of advocacy services, legal assistance programs, and educational resources rather than software products. CAIR operates through a network of regional chapters (including CAIR-NY) providing incident response, legal advocacy, community education, and civic engagement programs. The core portfolio includes civil rights legal services, Know Your Rights education, the Banking While Muslim initiative, the Muslim Voter Project, anti-bullying programs, anti-surveillance resources, and Palestine solidarity work, along with research publications and practical toolkits for the American Muslim community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Rights Advocacy Services
• Know Your Rights Program
• Banking While Muslim Initiative
• Muslim Voter Project
• Anti-Bullying Program
• Anti-Surveillance Project
• Refugee Resettlement Legal Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,683 anti-Muslim complaints tracked and addressed in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York Coalition for Safety, Protection, Equity & AccountabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterfaith alliance of Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, and allied faith and community organizations united for equal safety, protection, dignity, and accountability for all New Yorkers. Includes CAIR-NY, OneNYC, MUNA APJ, Save the People, ICNA Council for Social Justice, Muslims Vote Project, Majlis Ash-Shura, DRUM, Arab American Association, Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA), Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Sikh American Merchants Association, Muslim Action Collective, Muslim Community Network, Emgage Action, and Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group.
• Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group (BAAG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in joint letter to New York Congressional Delegation condemning Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate.
• Emgage Action NY MetrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in coalition letter representing over one million American Muslims.
• Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in coalition letter to NY Congressional Delegation.
• ICNA New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advocacy efforts.
• MalikahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advocacy efforts.
• Muslim American Society of New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner.
• Palestinian American Bar AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner.
• Taxpayers Against GenocideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advocacy efforts.
• Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted press conference and rally outside News Corp HQ calling for boycott of New York Post over Islamophobic coverage. Longstanding coalition partner in New York.
• Black Muslims NowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advocacy.
• Muslim Community NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner.
• Hindus for Human RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterfaith coalition partner.
• Columbia UniversityminorOthersCAIR-NY designated Columbia University as a 'Hostile Campus' for suppression of pro-Palestinian students, creating adversarial relationship.
• City University of New York (CUNY)minorOthersCAIR-NY and CAIR National designated CUNY as 'Hostile Campus' for systematic repression of students and faculty advocating for Palestinian human rights.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Anti-Defamation League (ADL): Established civil rights organization combating antisemitism and all forms of hate. Highly comparable to CAIR in mission (anti-hate, civil-rights protection), incident-tracking methodology (annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents paralleling CAIR's anti-Muslim complaint tracking), and interfaith coalition building.
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): Civil rights organization that monitors hate groups, litigates for victims, and educates the public on extremism. Comparable to CAIR in incident/hate tracking, civil rights litigation, and public education on discrimination, though with a broader (non-faith-specific) target community.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Largest U.S. civil liberties organization engaged in litigation, lobbying, and public education across a broad range of constitutional issues. Comparable to CAIR in legal-advocacy methodology and incident-response infrastructure, though serving a much broader constituency than CAIR's Muslim-focused mandate.

Emerging players

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): Dedicated to advancing the rights of low-income immigrants, including refugees. Comparable to CAIR in refugee/legal-services program delivery (especially CAIR's Afghan resettlement work) and impact-litigation strategy on immigration-related constitutional issues.

Direct peers

• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC): Civil rights organization focused on protecting Arab Americans from discrimination and promoting civic engagement. Directly comparable to CAIR given overlapping civil-rights/anti-discrimination mandate, advocacy methods, and community-based service model.
• Islamic Society of North America (ISNA): Largest umbrella organization of Muslim communities in North America, providing education, interfaith engagement, and community services. Comparable to CAIR in serving American Muslims through programs, advocacy, and coalition-building, though focused more on religious/community services than litigation-heavy civil rights work.
• Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC): American Muslim public affairs and advocacy organization working on policy, media engagement, and interfaith relations. Highly comparable to CAIR's advocacy, civic engagement, and media-relations functions, with overlapping target audience of American Muslims.
• Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR): Progressive legal-advocacy organization that litigates landmark civil and human rights cases and partners with social-justice movements. Directly comparable to CAIR in litigation-heavy legal model, civil-rights caseload, and movement-lawyering approach.
• Muslim Advocates: National Muslim civil rights organization that engages in litigation, policy advocacy, and community education on issues including anti-Muslim discrimination, immigration, and religious freedom. Direct peer to CAIR given overlapping Muslim-civil-rights mission and legal-advocacy delivery model.
• Japanese American Citizens League (JACL): Asian American civil rights organization with a focus on anti-discrimination, civil liberties, and community education. Comparable to CAIR in faith/ethnic-minority civil-rights advocacy model, grassroots chapter network, and historical pattern of defending community members against government overreach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CAIRNewYork
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CAIRNYtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAIRNewYork
• Instagraminstagram.com/cairnewyork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cairnewyork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council on American-Islamic Relations