Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF)

What Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF) does

Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF) is a US-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, that delivers direct humanitarian services to vulnerable Iraqi children. The organization runs a portfolio of programs — most notably Hope Buses (converted used buses outfitted as colorful mobile classrooms serving approximately 50 orphans and street children each with tutoring, nutrition, healthcare, and social services), the Baghdad Street Lawyers (legal protection, anti-trafficking, and documentation services), Mosul Girls Centers, the Fallujah Clinic for Disabled Children, trauma-care mentorship, and one-time interventions — delivered through Iraqi NGO partners including Iraq Health Access Organization (IHAO), Justice Gate Organization, and We Do Help.

ICF's operational footprint spans six Iraqi cities — Baghdad, Mosul, Fallujah, Basra, Erbil, and Sinjar — while its 9-person US team focuses on fundraising, communications, and partner oversight. The Hope Bus fleet scaled from one bus in 2017 to three in 2022; program spending grew 12.24% in 2023 over 2022, and the 2025 Annual Report is characterized as a 'record year of impact.'

The business model is donor-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time plus the recurring 'Friends of ICF' monthly program), corporate partnerships (Khudairi Group as flagship, plus PepsiCo Foundation, BP, L3Harris, Objective Area Solutions), foundation grants, and event fundraising via the annual 'In Their Shoes' 5K run/walk and virtual events like 'Road to Baghdad.' Donations flow through iraqichildren.org and the Kindful donation portal, and ICF is approved for the US Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #95191). The organization is rated 4-stars by Charity Navigator and Platinum by Guidestar/Candid, indicating high donor-trust and transparency credentials.

Name

Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF)

Legal name

Iraqi Children Foundation

Website

https://iraqichildren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF) is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers direct humanitarian programs — Hope Bus classrooms, Street Lawyers legal protection, Mosul Girls Centers, and disability services — to orphans, street children, and other vulnerable Iraqi children across Baghdad, Mosul, Fallujah, Basra, Erbil, and Sinjar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Child Welfare Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF), Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Education in Emergencies (EiE) & Safe Schools (BPADAKAJ), Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Humanitarian nonprofit programs
• Education for orphans
• Anti-trafficking protection
• Psychosocial trauma support

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting orphans and vulnerable children in Iraq. Monthly giving program 'Friends of ICF' provides recurring donations.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate social responsibility investments from companies working in Iraq (Khudairi Group, BP, PepsiCo Foundation, L3Harris, Secure Care, and others) funding Hope Buses, legal services, and programmatic operations.
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations supporting specific programs such as the Fallujah clinic for disabled children.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual 'In Their Shoes' 5K run/walk events and virtual events like 'Road to Baghdad' generating donations and awareness.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICF is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that delivers direct humanitarian service programs to vulnerable Iraqi children, including Hope Buses (converted mobile classrooms serving orphans and street kids), Baghdad Street Lawyers (legal protection and anti-trafficking), Mosul Girls Centers, Social Services, Trauma Care mentorship, Disability Support, and One-time Interventions. The organization raises funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and annual fundraising events to operate these programs via Iraqi NGO partners.

Product overview

Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF) is a charitable organization (not a technology product company) that operates a portfolio of direct service programs for vulnerable Iraqi children. The core offerings include: Hope Buses (converted mobile classrooms), Baghdad Street Lawyers (legal protection), Anti-Trafficking programs, Social Services, Mosul Girls Centers, Disability Support, and Trauma Care. These programs work together to provide comprehensive support including education, legal aid, nutrition, healthcare, psychosocial services, and protection from exploitation. ICF also runs the annual 'In Their Shoes' 5K fundraising event and one-time intervention projects. The organization is structured as a collection of humanitarian programs rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hope Buses Mobile classroom program providing tutoring, nutrition, health care, social services, and childhood activities to approximately 50 orphans and street children per bus in desperately poor Baghdad neighborhoods.
• Baghdad Street Lawyers Legal protection team providing defense for children targeted by criminals and traffickers, abused by employers, or facing other legal risks; also helps children obtain legal documents required for school enrollment and government benefits.
• Anti-Trafficking of Children Specialized team focused on protecting children from trafficking for labor, organs, and sex; operates as a specialized unit within the Street Lawyers program.
• Social Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 172 orphans and street children attended Hope Bus classes in 2023, with 36,000 nutritious meals served
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Asdikaee Magazine for ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2021Iraqi partner contributing colorful illustrations for 'My Life Book' activity book and hosting book exhibit at Baghdad International Book Fair.
• Austin Rotary ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2021Partnership to rehabilitate Al Waleed School for Yazidi children in Sinjar, Iraq. Project designed to restore educational opportunity and provide paid jobs for local community members.
• We Do HelpcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2019Iraqi NGO partnership to provide electric wheelchairs to disabled children. Founder Ms. Zena Qaragholi leads initiative bringing mobility and dignity to vulnerable disabled children.
• Justice Gate Organization (JGO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2018Iraqi NGO partner executing Hope Bus 2 program and street lawyer services in Baghdad. Major financial sponsors included Al Khudairi Rentals (AKRC) and Al Nadir (ANTC).
• Iraq Health Access Organization (IHAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICF's long-time trusted Iraqi NGO partner executing trauma care mentorship programs and disability services. IHAO is led by a US Fulbright scholarship alumnus and was awarded the Richard C. Holbrooke Leadership award by Refugees International in 2018. ICF funds services for children while IHAO funds services for adults at the Fallujah clinic.
• The Children's Village (New York)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based child welfare organization partner that has collaborated on training and technical assistance missions to Baghdad since 2009. Jointly released 'My Life Book' activity book for Iraqi orphans and vulnerable children. CEO Dr. Jeremy Kohomban participates in Hope Bus ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF: UNICEF is the UN agency dedicated to children's rights and wellbeing, with a long-established presence in Iraq supporting child protection, education, and health. It is the largest institutional actor in ICF's problem space and sets much of the policy and coordination architecture ICF operates within.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a large international humanitarian organization that operates in Iraq, addressing conflict recovery, economic development, and youth wellbeing. It overlaps with ICF's Iraq presence and humanitarian focus but operates across many sectors and geographies.
• Save the Children: Save the Children is a leading global children's rights and humanitarian organization with a long-standing country office in Iraq. It is a broad incumbent operating across education, health, and protection at much greater scale than ICF but serves the same ultimate beneficiary population.
• International Rescue Committee: The IRC is a major humanitarian organization responding to the world's worst crises, with active programming in Iraq. It shares ICF's humanitarian, protection, and rights-based orientation but serves many populations beyond children and operates at substantially greater scale.

Emerging players

• Asylum Access: Asylum Access is a nonprofit that provides legal aid and protection support to refugees and displaced people, including in the Middle East. It overlaps with ICF's Street Lawyers and anti-trafficking legal protection work but focuses on asylum-related legal services.
• Global Fund for Children: Global Fund for Children partners with and funds grassroots organizations serving vulnerable children worldwide. It is comparable to ICF in its child-welfare focus and partner-network operating model, though it functions primarily as a grantmaker rather than a direct service operator.

Direct peers

• War Child USA: War Child USA is the US fundraising and advocacy arm for the War Child movement, raising money from American donors to support programs for children in conflict zones. It is the most direct US-based fundraising peer to ICF, competing for the same niche donor base.
• War Child UK: War Child UK is dedicated to protecting and supporting children affected by war, with a portfolio of education, protection, and livelihoods programs delivered through local partners in conflict zones — the closest mission and operating model analog to ICF's child-protection and education work in Iraq.
• Street Child: Street Child focuses on educating and protecting street-connected and crisis-affected children in some of the world's toughest places, including conflict-affected countries. Its emphasis on combining education with child protection and family support directly parallels ICF's Hope Bus + Street Lawyers model.

Others

• Refugees International: Refugees International advocates for displaced populations and has recognized ICF's Iraqi partner IHAO with the Richard C. Holbrooke Leadership Award. It is thematically adjacent — focused on advocacy and field research for refugees and displaced persons rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iraqichildren
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCWGPTLkMK2uydTT4Jh0rFQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/IraqiChildrenFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iraqi-children-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/iraqichildren

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF)