We move communities from emergency aid to independence — homes, working businesses and schools that outlast the crisis, built with the people living through it, not for them.
Why we're different
Refugees stuck in limbo for years. Aid arriving in cycles. Food parcels on time, every time — and nothing ever changes. We've seen what that looks like on the ground, and we heard something that stayed with us: "Our men wait in tents because they know another food pack will arrive next month."
Aid alone was building a system of survival, not revival. So we build the other thing: homes families own, businesses that pay their own way, schools that keep teaching long after the appeal ends. Our teams live where they work — neighbours, not visitors.
Based on real household costs, sustained support runs at $300 a month for a family in Gaza. Those are the numbers we plan around, not the ones that make a neat appeal.
Rethinking isn’t a slogan. It’s a 1,400-year-old tradition →
Giving funds
Every fund pools donations so we can commit to households for months, not days. Pick a fund, or let our teams direct it where it moves the most.
One donation, spread across urgent relief and lasting development — emergency aid, income generation, education, water, rebuilding, mosques, widows, orphans, livestock and tree planting — allocated where it does the most good.
The path from aid to independence: livelihood support that funds business after business, and prosthetics that put people back on their feet.
Your Zakat as a year of stability for one verified family — transferred into their ownership, in full, never co-mingled.
A monthly gift is the difference between aid that visits and recovery that stays.
Our story
Before Rethink was a charity, we were volunteers on other people's aid deployments in the region. And everywhere we went, we saw the same pattern: a dozen organisations delivering near-identical parcels to the same families, working hard, meaning well, and changing nothing about what next year would look like.
In Burj el-Barajneh camp in Beirut we met a man whose family had been there since the Nakba. Seventy-five years of temporary. Three generations of food parcels, arriving on time, every time. The aid never failed him. It also never finished.
"Our men wait in tents because they know another food pack will arrive next month."
What we heard in the camps — and the moment we understood that charity was unintentionally creating dependency. A system of survival, not revival.
We asked a hard but necessary question: what would it take to stop the cycle? The answer wasn't another parcel. We began building for what comes after: education, livelihoods and long-term stability.
That school still stands. It teaches over 300 children, every single day — a beacon of permanence in a place the world had tried to put on hold. That was the moment our ethos was born: start building even when the world is still burning.
Rethink Charity USA supports this work at full scale from Lynnwood, Washington. We work in Gaza — not as outsiders, but as embedded partners. Our teams live where they work. They know the names, the streets, the daily struggles. We don't do fly-in, fly-out charity, and we don't disappear when the headlines do.
Everything we build points the same way: schools that last for generations, local businesses that generate their own wealth, homes that provide dignity rather than shelter, and skills that end cycles of dependency. Our purpose, in one line: to rethink charity by reviving the spirit of a Madinan society — just, resilient, and led by those who've lived through the struggle.
The thinking
The Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah are the higher objectives of Islamic law — the things it exists to preserve. They are the ethical framework behind every project we run. Approaching old problems in new ways isn't a betrayal of tradition; in Islamic scholarship it has a name — ijtihad — and it's how we honour it.
Rethinking aid from food parcels to permanent infrastructure: saving lives, then improving them.
Schools, teachers, scholarships and youth leadership — the highest-leverage investment a community can get.
Waqf shops and business mentoring: charity models that protect dignity and reduce dependency.
Sponsorship that restores a family's agency — education, healthcare and a future, not a parcel.
Masjids, Qur'an teachers, and one standing question: what's the best outcome for most people, now and later?
The tradition is full of lateral thinkers. Prophet Yusuf (AS) stored grain in the good years — a lateral answer to a life-and-death crisis. ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (RA) suspended the hadd punishment for theft during famine, adapting the law's application to preserve its justice. And the waqf — the endowment — was itself a lateral invention: ongoing benefit that protects wealth. Our waqf shops are a direct revival of it. Thinking differently to achieve ethical goals is not only Islamic — it's prophetic. When we approach aid this way we aren't being "modern" for its own sake; we are seeking ḥikmah (wisdom), raḥmah (mercy) and maṣlaḥah (public good) in everything we do.
"Wherever there is benefit for the people, there lies the law of Allah."
— Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
Giving funds
Six funds, each tied to a need our teams meet every week. Donations pool within a fund so support can be committed monthly — give less relief, fund more recovery.
One donation, spread across urgent relief and lasting development — emergency aid, income generation, education, water, rebuilding, mosques, widows, orphans, livestock and tree planting — allocated where it does the most good.
Donors want to help but don’t want to choose between causes — so don’t. One donation is spread across a portfolio of short- and long-term work: emergency relief, income generation, education, water, rebuilding, mosques, widows, orphans, livestock and tree planting. No fixed percentages — allocation is made by our teams on real-time need, which keeps the promise honest and deliverable. This is also where our crisis response lives: when a displacement wave hits or an earthquake strikes, embedded teams act immediately — food kits, clean water, shelter, medical supplies, community kitchens. Gaza ongoing. Urgent relief and lasting development in a single gift — the maqāṣid framework in action.
Maqṣad: preservation of life — nafs
"When crisis hits, every hour matters. Knowing that our donations reach families within days, not months, is what keeps me giving. Rethink doesn't wait for the headlines to act."Anonymous — Monthly donor
The path from aid to independence: livelihood support that funds business after business, and prosthetics that put people back on their feet.
Emergency aid keeps people alive. This fund makes aid unnecessary. Livelihood grants support training, mentoring and sustainable businesses. Movement for Hope fits custom prosthetic limbs ($850), wheelchairs ($100) and physiotherapy ($15 a session) for Gazans who lost limbs.
Maqṣad: preservation of wealth — māl
"I wanted to support widows in a way that actually changes their lives, not just gets them through the week. Knowing these women are learning skills and starting businesses makes my donation feel like an investment."Anonymous — Regular donor
Schools built where there are none, teachers paid, school packs delivered — and scholarships that keep Gaza's medical students studying.
In Gaza, this fund supports scholarships and stipends for university students in hardship — including medical students, so Gaza has doctors tomorrow, not just aid today. Education is one of the highest-leverage investments a community can receive.
Maqṣad: preservation of intellect — ʿaql
"These children had no school, no teachers, nothing. Now they're sitting in a classroom we helped build, learning to read and write. That's not just charity, that's giving an entire generation a future."K. I. — Fundraiser
Wells that serve a village for decades and masjids that anchor a community — classic Sadaqah Jariyah with clear, tangible costs.
In Gaza, deep wells serve thousands, with hygiene and conservation education built in. When local people asked for somewhere to resume Taraweeh, the Gaza Ramadhan Musallah was built — and prayers resumed that same Ramadan. Every build carries a maintenance provision so it keeps working after completion.
Maqāṣid: preservation of life and religion — nafs & dīn
"One well serves an entire village for years. I can't think of a single donation I've made that will outlast the one I gave to build a water well. It's charity that keeps giving long after you've forgotten about it."Anonymous — Donor
Your Zakat as a year of stability for one verified family — transferred into their ownership, in full, never co-mingled.
Zakat Direct gives your Zakat as a single lump sum large enough to support a verified, Zakat-eligible family for a full year — a direct cash transfer into the family's own ownership (tamleek), in Gaza. Held entirely separate, never co-mingled, and given only within the Qur'anic categories, with eligibility confirmed by in-country scholarly boards. Delivery costs are paid from Gift Aid and unrestricted funds, never from the Zakat. The pilot supported 27 families for a full year, distributed during Ramadan 2026 and evidenced on the ground.
Maqṣad: preservation of wealth — māl
"Your Zakat is held entirely separate from other funds, never co-mingled — and goes only to eligible families, in full."Our commitment to every Zakat donor
Zakat Direct — powered by Rethink Charity
Zakat Direct gives your Zakat as a single lump sum large enough to support a verified, Zakat-eligible family for a full year — held entirely separate, never co-mingled, and transferred directly into the family's ownership. It has its own page, with our Zakat policy in plain English and a calculator to work out what you owe.
Where we work
Every case here is a household our team has sat with, assessed and backed directly. Names and films are published with permission. The films document families supported through Zakat Direct — made with the families, with English subtitles included.
From the Zakat Direct pilot film — English subtitles.
A war injury eighteen years ago left Mohammed Alaa Khalaf paralysed from the navel down. Living on the fifth floor of his brother's building, he was carried up and down the stairs, and stopped going out except for medical emergencies. Through Zakat Direct, the family received a 15,000-shekel cash grant handed over at home — theirs to direct at surgery, a wheelchair and the foundation of a home-based livelihood — with disability care and a stipend now in place.
From the Zakat Direct pilot film — English subtitles.
Aseel is 24. A blast took one of her legs, damaged the other, her hand and her face. She spent 45 days in hospital, and during that time sent her three-year-old son to his father so he would be safe. Her grant of 15,000 shekels was delivered in full — hers to direct at reconstructive surgery, prosthetic fitting and living costs. Her plan is precise: complete the surgeries, finish prosthetic rehabilitation, bring her son home, and go back to her studies.
From the Zakat Direct pilot film — English subtitles.
Mahmoud was carrying his four-year-old son Ali when a drone dropped an explosive. Ali died in his arms; Mahmoud lost part of his own body. A separate strike fractured his wife Rula's skull, taking her sight and hearing. They live in a tent pitched on the ruins of their six-storey building, her medication alone costing around 120 shekels a week. Their 15,000-shekel grant went where they directed it: her treatment, a hearing aid, and the first steps of a small income project Mahmoud is determined to build.
From the Zakat Direct pilot film — English subtitles.
Safaa lost a leg to amputation and moves on crutches while raising seven children with her husband Ghassan. The family's film shows what the model looks like in practice: support handed over in person, gifted as Zakat from a named donor, for the family to direct at shelter, children's clothing and the baby formula that ongoing support now covers.
Fawzia lives with hemiplegia, which has taken movement down one side of her body. With no household income, there was no children's clothing and none of the basics that make a shelter liveable. Alongside the immediate delivery, Fawzia directed her support at physical therapy to keep her mobility — and the household moved onto a stipend it can plan around.
Walaa's husband Youssef was killed in the war, leaving her with a shelter that had no working kitchen or bathroom. Her support funded the renovation of both, plus bedding and clothing, with her child's medical care and a monthly stipend now standing — so next month doesn't start from zero.
Ne'ma's husband Nidal was killed in the war, leaving her responsible for nine. One son needs surgery, and reaching his appointments is a recurring cost in itself. Her support covers clothing and bedding now, with milk, nappies and her son's transport to treatment carried by the ongoing stipend.
Movement for Hope fits custom prosthetic limbs ($850), wheelchairs ($100) and full physiotherapy for Gazans who lost limbs, through our clinic serving those who fled to Egypt with serious injuries. Community kitchens cook daily meals with local ingredients and local staff. Scholarships keep Gaza's medical students studying. And when local people asked for somewhere to pray Taraweeh again, we built the Ramadhan Musallah — prayers resumed that same Ramadan.
Zakat Direct — powered by Rethink Charity
Your Zakat as a single transfer large enough to support one verified family for a full year — placed into their own hands and ownership, in Gaza.
Why it's different
Rather than spreading Zakat in small one-off amounts across many households, we give one family enough for a whole year — so the support actually changes their situation. Evidence-led and data-forward, on the classical principle that Zakat should enrich the recipient, not merely tide them over.
Cash is transferred into the recipient's ownership (tamleek), to eligible Zakat categories only. It is never used for buildings, wells or services — those are funded from Sadaqah and unrestricted giving.
Each family is assessed and documented; eligibility is confirmed by in-country scholarly boards in Gaza. Every distribution is tracked and evidenced with photos and video.
Zakat is held entirely separate, never co-mingled, and tracked separately in the accounts. Delivery, FX and processing costs are paid from Gift Aid and unrestricted funds — never from the Zakat.
Built to show you exactly where your Zakat went. We report to donors annually on how Zakat was used, with a plain "for every $1" breakdown.
"Your Zakat is held entirely separate from other funds, never co-mingled — and goes only to eligible families, in full."
Our commitment to every Zakat donor — and the standard the whole programme is built to.
Our Zakat, in plain English
Zakat is given only within the categories named in the Qur'an (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:60). Rethink currently disburses to five: the poor (al-fuqarā'), the needy (al-masākīn), the debt-burdened (al-ghārimīn), the stranded and displaced (ibn as-sabīl), and — cautiously, with scholarly sign-off — freeing the unlawfully held (ar-riqāb).
Governance is layered: in-country scholarly boards confirm eligibility on the ground, an independent Scholars Board is being established for formal compliance sign-off, and the Board of Trustees retains full legal responsibility. If more Zakat is raised in a cycle than verified families require, the surplus stays ringfenced in the Zakat pool and rolls forward — it never moves to admin or unrestricted funds.
The pilot supported 27 families in Gaza for a full year, distributed during Ramadan 2026 and evidenced on the ground — the films on our Where we work page are those families.
1 — Assessed and verified as Zakat-eligible. 2 — The year's support transfers directly into their ownership. 3 — The amount reflects real local household costs. 4 — Delivery runs through vetted local partners. 5 — Every distribution is tracked, evidenced, and delivered with dignity.
Zakat calculator
Add up what you've held for a lunar year, subtract what you owe, and if you're above the nisab threshold your Zakat is 2.5%. Rates below are editable — check today's nisab before you finalise.
Prices pre-filled 26 Aug 2026 — check current market rates before calculating.
This calculator is a guide, not a fatwa — personal circumstances vary (pensions, property bought to sell, missed Zakat from past years). Unsure? Email us and we'll walk you through it.
Giving levels
A full month for a family in Gaza.
Three months of stability for a family in Gaza.
Six months of stability for a family in Gaza.
A full year for a family in Gaza.
Who we are
We are not a charity that operates from behind a desk. From our US base to the streets of Gaza, the people on this page are the people doing the work. No middlemen, no corporate layers.
Osman founded Rethink after years volunteering on aid deployments across the region, where he kept meeting the same problem: a dozen charities delivering the same parcels while nothing changed. He leads Rethink's strategy and its field programmes, owns the Zakat policy behind Zakat Direct, and spends a serious share of the year with the teams in-country.
Ibrahim oversees Rethink's programmes across every country we operate in — programme development, delivery, partnerships, and making sure projects are well planned, responsibly delivered and focused on outcomes that last. His work spans education, child sponsorship, livelihoods, infrastructure and community development, working with local partners and field teams from planning through to monitoring and reporting.
Kamrul has been building networks in the Da'wah space since 2017 — community building first, charity sector second. His approach to fundraising is reciprocal rather than transactional: community groups fundraise for Rethink's projects, and in return he upskills them and supports their own services, so they grow alongside the work they're funding.
Khayriyyah runs the day-to-day of Rethink — administration, donor care and organisational support — with a background in IT and teaching behind her. As a revert to Islam, her connection to the charity's work with people affected by conflict and displacement is personal, and it shows in how donors are looked after.
Our community
Behind every project and every life changed is a network of communities, partners, volunteers and supporters. From grassroots fundraisers running their own campaigns to organisations working with us on the ground, our community is the driving force behind real, lasting change.
Partners bring local knowledge, trusted networks and speed. Whether it's a local organisation distributing aid, a volunteer team packing containers, or a community group fundraising for a school build, these partnerships multiply what every single donation can do.
How we work together
If you're an organisation, community group, mosque, business or individual who wants to back this work, we want to hear from you.
Run an appeal in your community's name, with our teams delivering and reporting from the ground.
Challenges, iftars, sponsored events — we build the page and handle the donor side.
Fund or co-deliver a specific project: a school, a set of waqf shops, a family rehoused.
Every partner gets reporting on how partnership funds were used, plus direct access to our team.
Connect with us
Partner, volunteer, fundraise, or just follow the work.
4913 180th ST SW
Apt 3
Lynnwood, Washington 98037
Rethink Charity USA
EIN #: 41-4131328
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