Uplift Charity

What Uplift Charity does

Uplift Charity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in Anaheim, California. The organization delivers community assistance to refugee families and underprivileged Muslim households in Orange County and Southern California through four primary program lines: zakat administration, refugee resettlement, a monthly food pantry, and refugee tutoring. Since inception, the organization has distributed more than $6 million in charitable assistance across its programs.

The refugee resettlement program is the most consequential program line and was established in September 2021 when Uplift received an official refugee resettlement affiliate designation from ECDC and the U.S. Department of State. This designation enables the organization to formally receive newly arriving refugee families and provide housing stabilization, case management, and integration support. Complementary programming includes the Afghan Buddy Program, which pairs community volunteers with newly arrived Afghan families, and a Refugee Tutoring Program that delivers educational support to children and adults. The food pantry distributes approximately 400-500 boxes per month at a stated $45-per-box valuation.

The organization's business model is donor-funded direct service delivery rather than fee-for-service revenue. Cash donations, in-kind contributions, and volunteer labor are converted into beneficiary services at no charge to recipients. The GoodBricks platform integration provides an additional digital fundraising channel alongside traditional community outreach and zakat administration. With 11-50 employees and a volunteer-driven operating model, Uplift runs a lean operation that has compounded mission scope over 14+ years without disclosed institutional anchor funding.

Name

Uplift Charity

Legal name

Uplift Charity

Website

https://upliftcharity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Uplift Charity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 in Anaheim, California, providing zakat administration, refugee resettlement, food pantry, and tutoring services to refugee families and underprivileged Muslim households in Southern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAAAD

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYBPADAJAA

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Food Security & Nutrition Programs

SECONDARYBPAGAKAG

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Zakat administration
• Refugee resettlement services
• Food pantry programs
• Community assistance programs
• Islamic charitable giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Zakat Donations: Mandatory almsgiving in Islam (2.5% of wealth exceeding nisab) collected from Muslim donors and distributed directly to qualifying beneficiaries including refugees, families facing financial hardship, and those at risk of eviction or utility disconnection. 100% of Zakat donations go directly to program support.
2. Sadaqah (General Donations): Voluntary charitable donations used where most needed. The organization states that 100% of proceeds go toward helping refugees and families with none allocated to administrative costs.
3. Food Pantry Donations: Designated donations specifically for the monthly food pantry program that serves 400-500 families monthly with food boxes containing essentials such as rice, oil, flour, sugar, and lentils.
4. Refugee General Support: Funds designated to assist newly arrived refugee families with immediate necessities including housing setup, furniture, and basic living requirements upon arrival in the U.S.
5. Special Purpose Donations: Time-limited campaigns including Zakat al-Fitr ($15 per family member before Eid), Fidya ($15 per missed fasting day), and special drives for Ramadan, winter supplies, and backpack donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Uplift Charity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that administers Islamic Zakat donations and operates a refugee resettlement program for newly arrived families in Southern California. It runs a monthly food pantry serving 400-500 families, provides emergency financial assistance (eviction/utility/rent payments), offers case management and cultural orientation, and conducts community events including Ramadan food drives, Eid Carnivals, Winter drives, and Iftar with the Homeless. 100% of Zakat donations are distributed directly to qualifying beneficiaries, with no administrative overhead allocation.

Product overview

Uplift Charity is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a single unified charitable platform focused on refugee resettlement and Islamic Zakat distribution. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of programs including Refugee Resettlement services (case management, tutoring, furniture delivery, cultural orientation), a Monthly Food Pantry serving 400-500 families, Ramadan donation programs (Zakat al Fitr, Fidya, Last 10 Nights), the Afghan Buddy Program for cultural support, and Special Events (Eid Carnival, Winter drives, Iftar with the Homeless). The core mission centers on empowering vulnerable community members through direct financial assistance, volunteer support, and resources to achieve self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refugee Resettlement Program Comprehensive refugee resettlement services for newly arrived families including airport pickup, legal assistance, employment support, health assessments, housing setup, furniture delivery, cultural orientation, and educational enrollment to help refugees transition to life in America.
• Zakat Program Islamic almsgiving program that distributes 100% of Zakat donations directly to qualifying community members in need, covering eviction notices, utility and rent payments, temporary shelter, job assistance, and families with financial hardships.
• Monthly Food Pantry Monthly food distribution program that helps 400-500 local families obtain food essentials each month through food box assembly and distribution.
• Ramadan Donations Program Specialized donation campaigns during Ramadan including Zakat al-Fitr ($15 per family member), Fidya ($15 per missed fasting day), Last 10 Nights automation, and 27th Night of Power donations.
• Afghan Buddy Program Community-based buddy program where volunteers organize into teams to assist Afghan allies by providing services they need to thrive in their new community in Southern California.
• Refugee Tutoring Program Volunteer tutoring program for refugee children focusing on grade school students who need one-on-one attention to prevent falling behind in school, including mentorship cultivation.
• Furniture Delivery Program Accepts furniture donations and delivers beds, dining tables, and other essential furniture items to refugee clients in need to help set up their new homes.
• Special Events Program Annual and seasonal community events including Eid Carnival, Winter blanket and food drives, Iftar with the Homeless during Ramadan, backpack donations, and job preparation workshops for the community.
• General Donation/Sadaqah Program General voluntary charitable donations (Sadaqah) where 100% of proceeds go into helping refugees and their families, with none allocated to administrative costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6,000,000 in financial assistance distributed to local families
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• ECDC (Ethiopian Community Development Council)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021ECDC, in conjunction with the Department of State Office of Refugee Population and Migration, appointed Uplift Charity as the official local affiliate for Refugee Resettlement in Orange County. This designation authorizes Uplift Charity to formally resettle refugees in the region and provides access to federal refugee resettlement resources and coordination.
• Department of State Office of Refugee Population and MigrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government office that oversees refugee resettlement programs and designated Uplift Charity as the local affiliate for Orange County in partnership with ECDC.
• Kismet Event DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated over 200 name brand jackets and 800 pieces of brand new clothing for distribution to beneficiaries in February, demonstrating corporate social responsibility partnership with the organization.
• Urban Community Outreach Center in Long BeachminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for the 8th Annual Homeless Winter Drive for three consecutive years, providing their spacious venue to enable distribution of meals, blankets, and supplies to over 170 homeless community members.
• Partner Mosques and Community Organizations (San Diego)moderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of partner mosques and community organizations from San Diego and beyond that collaborate on Ramadan food box distribution and serve as collection and distribution points for charitable donations.
• GoodBricksmoderateTechnology or IntegrationThird-party Islamic charitable giving platform that powers Uplift Charity's online donation processing for various campaigns including Ramadan donations, Zakat al-Fitr, Fidya, and general Sadaqa contributions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC): ECDC is a national refugee resettlement agency that directly partners with and has designated Uplift Charity as the Orange County affiliate since September 2021. ECDC operates parallel refugee resettlement and case management services through affiliates in other regions.
• Zakat Foundation of America: Zakat Foundation of America specializes in collecting and distributing Zakat and Sadaqah to refugees, orphans, and families in crisis, both domestically and internationally. It is the closest direct competitor to Uplift Charity's Zakat administration and emergency family assistance programs.
• Islamic Relief USA: Islamic Relief USA is a faith-based humanitarian and Zakat administrator that serves refugees, provides food assistance, and runs community development programs across the U.S. It overlaps with Uplift Charity on Zakat distribution, refugee support, and emergency food aid to vulnerable Muslim families.
• ICNA Relief USA: ICNA Relief USA is a Muslim community services organization providing food pantries, refugee resettlement, emergency financial assistance, and Zakat distribution in U.S. cities. It mirrors Uplift Charity's integrated portfolio of refugee case management, food boxes, and community-based emergency support.
• Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD): HHRD is an Islamic humanitarian organization running food security, refugee support, and emergency relief programs globally and in the U.S. It shares Uplift Charity's combined focus on Zakat-compliant giving, refugee resettlement, and food aid to underserved Muslim communities.

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: HIAS is a national Jewish-founded refugee resettlement agency providing case management, legal services, and resettlement support across the U.S. It competes for federal refugee resettlement funding and serves a similar beneficiary profile to Uplift Charity's refugee clients.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): The IRC is a large-scale refugee resettlement and humanitarian aid organization operating across the U.S. and globally. While much broader and better funded than Uplift Charity, it offers overlapping refugee resettlement services to newly arrived families in Southern California.
• Church World Service (CWS): Church World Service is a national refugee resettlement agency partnering with affiliates to deliver case management, employment, and integration services. It represents the broader federally affiliated resettlement infrastructure that Uplift Charity participates in through ECDC.
• Catholic Charities of Orange County: Catholic Charities of Orange County provides refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, food assistance, and emergency housing support in the same geography. It is a larger, multi-service incumbent operating overlapping programs for immigrant and low-income families in Uplift Charity's service area.

Regional players

• Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County: Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County is the largest hunger-relief organization in the region, distributing food to a network of partner pantries including community-based operations like Uplift Charity's monthly food pantry. It serves the same Orange County geography and overlapping low-income beneficiary base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uplift-charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Uplift Charity