National Iranian American Council (NIAC)

What National Iranian American Council (NIAC) does

National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 and headquartered in Washington DC, operating as the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization in the United States. The organization advances the political power, civil rights, and dignity of Iranian Americans through policy research, civic engagement, and community organizing across six issue areas: peace and diplomacy, equitable immigration, civil rights, human rights, community and culture, and political power. A separate 501(c)(4) entity, NIAC Action, mobilizes voters and volunteers for electoral advocacy on policies rooted in peace, human rights, and equity.

NIAC's programmatic products are knowledge and advocacy assets rather than commercial technology. They include the Human Rights Tracker (documenting executions, political prisoners, and human rights violations in Iran), the ICE Detentions of Iranian Nationals Community Tracker, the Congressional Scorecard hosted at scorecard.niacaction.org, the Iran Unfiltered newsletter on Substack, the Iranian American Poll conducted with Zogby Analytics, and the NIAC Truth counter-disinformation initiative. Distribution occurs through a 13-chapter network spanning major U.S. metros, direct congressional advocacy from Washington DC, and a multi-channel content footprint (Substack, Medium, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) plus earned media.

NIAC is funded primarily by individual Iranian-American donors, with suggested contribution tiers of $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, and custom amounts. NIAC (501(c)(3)) contributions are tax-deductible, while NIAC Action (501(c)(4)) contributions are not. The organization supplements individual donations with a small number of foundation grants, and explicitly does not accept funds from any government, including the U.S. or Iranian governments. It received the 2023 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Name

National Iranian American Council (NIAC)

Legal name

National Iranian American Council

Website

https://niacouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Iranian American Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest U.S. Iranian-American grassroots organization, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Washington DC. It advances community political power, civil rights, and pro-diplomacy policy through 13 chapters, policy research, and tracking tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: NIAC is primarily funded by thousands of individual Iranian Americans making contributions. The organization offers donation tiers of $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000 and other amounts. Contributions to NIAC (501(c)(3)) are 100% tax-deductible.
2. Foundation Grants: NIAC receives funding from a small number of American foundations. The organization is transparent about its funding sources and does not receive funds from any government—U.S., Iranian, or otherwise.
3. Membership Fees: NIAC Action offers membership programs. NIAC Action (501(c)(4)) contributions are not tax-deductible, differentiating from NIAC's tax-deductible donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NIAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that provides policy research, civic education, and community organizing to advance the rights, dignity, and political power of Iranian Americans. Its sister organization NIAC Action (501(c)(4)) mobilizes voters and conducts political advocacy. The organization produces specialized digital tools (Human Rights Tracker, ICE Detentions Tracker, Congressional Scorecard, Iranian American Poll) and publications (Iran Unfiltered newsletter) that support diplomatic, human rights, and civil rights advocacy.

Product overview

NIAC operates as a dual-organization structure consisting of NIAC (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on research, education, and community-building) and its sister organization NIAC Action (a 501(c)(4) focused on political advocacy and electoral engagement). The organization offers several programmatic products including Iran Unfiltered (a Substack-based newsletter digest), the Human Rights Tracker (monitoring tool for human rights violations), the Congressional Scorecard (tracking legislative positions), the ICE Detentions Community Tracker, the Iranian American Poll (community survey research), and NIAC Truth (counter-disinformation resource). Together, these products serve the organization's mission of advancing peace, civil rights, and political power for Iranian Americans through education, advocacy, and civic engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Human Rights Tracker: A tracker monitoring human rights situations in Iran, documenting executions, political prisoners, and human rights violations.
• Iran Unfiltered
• NIAC Truth

Products and services

• NIAC (501(c)(3) Advocacy Organization) The core 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing research, education, and community-building to inform and empower Iranian Americans. It is the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization in the country and serves as a trusted source for policymakers and media on U.S.-Iran relations.
• NIAC Action (501(c)(4) Political Advocacy) A 501(c)(4) sister organization that mobilizes voters, volunteers, and political power to advance policies rooted in peace, human rights, and equity. It focuses on political advocacy, voter mobilization, and electoral engagement.
• Iran Unfiltered Newsletter A digest tracking Iranian politics and society, published via Substack, providing analysis and updates on developments in Iran. Targeted at Iranian Americans, policymakers, and Iran observers.
• Human Rights Tracker A regularly updated tracker monitoring human rights issues in Iran, including documentation of executions, political prisoners, and human rights violations. Used by human rights advocates, policymakers, researchers, and journalists.
• Congressional Scorecard A comprehensive resource tracking where lawmakers stand on issues affecting the Iranian-American community. Used by voters, advocates, and policymakers to evaluate Congressional positions on Iran policy and civil rights.
• ICE Detentions of Iranian Nationals: Community Tracker A regularly updated tracker of publicly available information on Iranian nationals detained by ICE. Used by community members, families of detainees, advocates, and journalists monitoring immigration enforcement.
• Iranian American Poll A national survey conducted in partnership with Zogby Analytics to gauge the Iranian-American community's views on key issues including U.S. policy toward Iran. Used by researchers, policymakers, and media.
• NIAC Truth An informational resource addressing disinformation campaigns targeting NIAC and providing facts about the organization's work and positions. Used by the public, media, and community members seeking verified information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of Iranian Americans surveyed want the war on Iran to end, demonstrating community alignment with NIAC's peace diplomacy mission

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zogby AnalyticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NIAC partnered with Zogby Analytics to conduct a national survey of Iranian Americans to gauge the community's views on the U.S. war on Iran. The poll found that 70% of Iranian Americans want the war to end, demonstrating the alignment between community sentiment and NIAC's advocacy mission.
• Immigrant Justice CenterminorOthersCross-referenced on NIAC's website as a partner organization related to travel ban advocacy and immigrant justice work.
• The InterceptminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNIAC President Jamal Abdi writes for The Intercept on Iran policy and Israel, providing expert analysis and shaping media narratives on peace and diplomacy issues.
• NBC NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNIAC provides expert commentary and quotes for NBC News coverage on Iran war developments and policy issues affecting Iranian Americans.
• ZeteominorGTM or Marketing PartnerZeteo published a piece on behalf of NIAC showing Iranian Americans overwhelmingly oppose Trump's war and want the US president to end it through negotiated off-ramp.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arab American Institute (AAI): AAI is a national Arab-American advocacy and policy organization that, like NIAC, focuses on U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East, civil rights protection, and civic engagement of an immigrant-heritage community; both organizations serve as the primary voice for their respective diaspora in Washington, D.C.
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): CAIR is a Muslim-American civil rights and advocacy organization that defends communities against discrimination, tracks civil liberties violations, and engages in policy advocacy on Middle East issues; its monitoring tools, anti-discrimination mandate, and Washington-based lobbying mirror NIAC's operating model.
• Emgage: Emgage is a Muslim-American civic engagement organization that mobilizes voters, trains community leaders, and advocates on civil rights and foreign policy; its dual 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) structure and grassroots chapter model parallel NIAC's dual-entity, chapter-driven approach.
• Iranian American Bar Association (IABA): IABA is a national professional association for Iranian-American legal professionals that conducts advocacy, education, and policy engagement on issues affecting the Iranian-American community; it directly overlaps NIAC's civil rights and civic engagement mission within the same constituency.
• Muslim Advocates: Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and civil rights organization that counters discrimination, files impact litigation, and engages policymakers; it shares NIAC's focus on protecting diaspora communities from profiling, immigration enforcement, and xenophobic policy.
• J Street: J Street is a pro-diplomacy Jewish-American advocacy organization that lobbies the U.S. government on Middle East policy, operates a congressional scorecard, and runs grassroots chapters; its positioning on Iran diplomacy, legislative tracking tools, and progressive-aligned lobbying closely parallels NIAC's model.
• Japanese American Citizens League (JACL): JACL is a Japanese-American civil rights organization with a long history of advocacy on discrimination, immigration, and civil liberties; it operates chapters, conducts policy research, and lobbies Congress, mirroring NIAC's structure and mission within a different diaspora facing historical discrimination.
• Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA): PAAIA is a nonpartisan Iranian-American civic and policy organization that represents the same diaspora, conducts research, engages policymakers, and tracks civil rights issues; it overlaps directly with NIAC on Iranian-American political representation and civil liberties.

Broad incumbents

• UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza): UnidosUS is a large, established Hispanic-American advocacy organization with a national affiliate network, policy research arm, and civic engagement programs; it operates at significantly greater scale than NIAC but provides a benchmark for what a mature ethnic-heritage advocacy nonprofit can become.
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): The NAACP is a legacy civil rights organization that combines a 501(c)(3) research/education arm with a 501(c)(4) advocacy arm, operates a national chapter network, and lobbies on discrimination and civil liberties; it is a structural and operational reference point for NIAC's dual-entity advocacy model, though at far greater scale and over a much longer history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/niacouncil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NIACAction
• Facebookfacebook.com/NIACouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/niacouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/418007

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Iranian American Council (NIAC)