The Noor Foundation

The Noor Foundation is a privately-held Islamic philanthropic foundation with $21.2M in assets, led by NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon as unpaid president. Founded in Sugar Land, TX in 1999 and granted 501(c)(3) status in November 2000, the foundation's charitable identity is inseparable from Islamic values. It operates four direct programs: the Islamic Da'wah Center in downtown Houston, a youth basketball training facility staffed by volunteer NBA professionals, a 300-acre farmland in Ibadan, Nigeria, and a food distribution network serving families in Jordan. These programs collectively consume $2.1–2.5M of the foundation's annual charitable disbursements.

For external grant seekers, the pivotal reality is that this is primarily an operating foundation. External cash grants to outside organizations represent roughly 4–6% of total annual charitable spending — $89,645 in FY2022, $109,254 in FY2021. The IRS record notes the foundation is 'preselected only,' meaning it identifies grantees rather than evaluating unsolicited proposals through a structured review process. No application portal, grants page, or published RFP exists.

The most effective approach is community-based: through the Houston Muslim community network, through prior grantees such as the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (top recipient at $52,500 across 2 grants), or through direct engagement with the Islamic Da'wah Center at 201 Travis Street, Houston (info@islamicdawahcenter.org; 713-223-3311). Attending Ramadan Iftar events, Da'wah Center public tours, or Houston-area Islamic gatherings builds the visibility that precedes a funding invitation.

Organizations should expect an informal, relationship-first process rather than a structured LOI-to-proposal cycle. The grantee record shows multi-year trust-building: the Elite Bahamian Education Program received three grants totaling $58,950 (funding student housing, transportation, food, training, uniforms, and travel expenses) and the Islamic Society of Greater Houston received two grants totaling $52,500. First-time applicants should calibrate expectations to a modest initial grant of $5,000–$10,000, positioning it as the beginning of a longer-term partnership.

Critically, non-Islamic organizations are rarely funded. The near-total exclusivity of Islamic grantees — mosques, Islamic schools, Muslim inter-scholastic tournaments, Islamic da'wah organizations — signals a funder whose priorities are explicitly faith-based, not broadly secular. The one apparent exception (Grace Christian Academy, $2,100) is the outlier, not the model.

The Noor Foundation holds $21.2M in total assets (FY2024) and has distributed $2.1M–$2.5M in total annual charitable disbursements consistently from FY2012 through FY2022. However, external cash grants to outside organizations represent only a fraction of that total: grants_paid ranged from $57,180 (FY2014) to $180,605 (FY2012), with recent years at $89,645 (FY2022), $109,254 (FY2021), and $95,712 (FY2020). The FY2024 filing shows charitable disbursements of $1,033,017 but does not yet break out grants_paid separately.

Across 46 documented external grants totaling $294,611, the median grant size is approximately $5,988 and the average is $6,405. The actual range spans from $103 (emergency hardship, Mohammad T Hossain) to $58,950 (Elite Bahamian Education Program, 3 cumulative grants). Typical institutional grants fall between $5,000 and $30,000.

Grant purposes divide into two distinct tracks:

• General support grants (roughly 60% of grant count): Directed to Islamic institutions — mosques, Islamic schools, da'wah organizations, and Muslim community programs. Top recipients include the Islamic Society of Greater Houston ($52,500, 2 grants), Pure Hand for Mankind Inc ($30,000, 2 grants), Tajweed Institute ($10,000), and Everest Academy ($10,000). Average per-grant amounts in this category are $8,000–$15,000.

• Hardship assistance grants (roughly 40% of grant count): Direct payments to Muslim individuals in financial distress, consistent with Zakat obligations in Islamic practice. These range from $103 to $22,400 (Khalid Sinon, 3 grants), with most falling under $5,000.

Geographically, 44 of 46 grantee records are Texas-based, with clear concentration in the greater Houston area. International charitable work (Nigeria, Jordan) flows through the foundation's own operating programs rather than external grants to third-party organizations.

Revenue has been volatile: $1.6M (FY2020), $1.9M (FY2021), $3.2M (FY2022), $2.8M (FY2024). Net investment income dropped to $0 in FY2020 and FY2021 but was $102,446 in FY2022. Contributions received have ranged from $319,728 (FY2019) to $1,739,062 (FY2022). The FY2024 operating deficit of approximately $489K — the first in recent history — is a notable signal for applicants that external grant budgets may tighten.

The Noor Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among its asset-size peers. All five closest foundations by total assets are classified under Philanthropy & Grantmaking (NTEE T20), but The Noor Foundation differs fundamentally in its operating model: it runs programs directly rather than primarily distributing cash grants.

What sets The Noor Foundation apart is its hybrid operating-grantmaking structure. While most foundations of similar asset size distribute grants as their primary activity — and would typically pay out $1M+ annually to external organizations at the 5% minimum payout threshold — The Noor Foundation channels $2.1–2.5M per year through four self-operated programs (Houston Da'wah Center, youth basketball, Nigerian farmland, Jordan food distribution). External cash grants to other organizations represent only $89,645–$148,597 per year, making it a modest external grantmaker relative to asset size. For grant seekers, this means competition for external grant dollars is effectively low, but access is restricted to organizations with strong Islamic-mission and community alignment.

The most recent IRS 990-PF filing data covers FY2024, documenting net assets of $21,094,300 and charitable disbursements of $1,033,017. Revenues of $2,773,590 were outpaced by expenses of $3,262,558, producing a net loss of approximately $489K — the first documented operating deficit in the available filing history. The prior year (FY2022) showed healthy finances: $21.6M in assets, $3.2M in revenue, and $89,645 in external grants paid.

A notable organizational development in the FY2024 filing is the documented compensation of Ameer Abuhalimeh as Mosque Manager at $95,000 annually, a formally paid role not present in earlier filings. This signals the foundation is investing in professional operational capacity at its core Houston Da'wah Center program.

President Hakeem Olajuwon continues in his unpaid role, along with unpaid directors Jamal Asafi and Abdurrahman Adesokan (the latter received nominal compensation of $2,500–$3,000 in FY2021–2022). The leadership structure remains unchanged.

External grants paid have trended downward from the decade high of $180,605 (FY2012) to recent levels of $89,645–$109,254 (FY2021–2022). No new program launches, strategic partnerships, or major grant announcements were identified in public sources for 2025–2026. The foundation's four core programs — Islamic Da'wah Center, youth basketball gym, Nigerian farmland, and Jordan food distribution — appear to remain the unchanged pillars of its charitable model.

1. Lead with Islamic mission alignment. The foundation's 46 documented external grants are almost exclusively to Islamic institutions (mosques, Islamic schools, Muslim community organizations) or Muslim individuals in financial hardship. Every mosque grantee — Masjid-Ul-Mumineen, Masjid At-Taqwa, Nigerian Muslim Association, Islaminspanish Inc — confirms that Islamic mission alignment is the baseline requirement. Non-Islamic organizations have negligible precedent.

2. Target the Houston area or the foundation's international footprint. Forty-four of 46 grantees are Texas-based, concentrated in greater Houston. Organizations outside Houston with programs in Nigeria or Jordan may find alignment with the foundation's international operational interests, but should approach through direct personal contact rather than assuming a formal grant channel exists.

3. Use the right contact point — there is no application portal. The foundation has no published grants page, no application form URL, and no formal intake process. Contact the Sugar Land office by phone (713-995-5950) or mail (245 Commerce Green Blvd, Ste 120, Sugar Land, TX 77478, attn: % Hakeem Olajuwon). Alternatively, engage the Islamic Da'wah Center (info@islamicdawahcenter.org; 713-223-3311; 201 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002) as the community hub closest to the foundation's decision makers.

4. Request within the documented sweet spot. For institutional grants, $5,000–$30,000 per grant is consistent with the historical record. Requesting above $30,000 for a first-time relationship is likely premature; the top cumulative grantees built to $50,000+ levels over multiple grants. For hardship assistance (individual Muslim applicants in financial distress), amounts of $250–$8,000 are most common.

5. Speak the language of Islamic charity. Use terminology consistent with Islamic philanthropic tradition: Zakat (obligatory charitable giving), Sadaqah (voluntary charity), Waqf (endowment for community benefit). Reference how the program serves the ummah (Muslim community). The foundation's Zakat program for hardship assistance is an explicit expression of this framework.

6. Build presence before asking. Attending Da'wah Center events, Ramadan Iftar programs, or Houston-area Islamic community gatherings allows natural visibility-building before a formal funding conversation. The foundation's grantees — Islamic Society of Greater Houston, Tajweed Institute, Masjid At-Taqwa — are natural introduction points.

7. Avoid generic grant proposal formats. Do not send a multi-page formal proposal with cover letter and appendices to a general email address — no such intake exists. A concise 1–2 page program description, your 501(c)(3) letter, and a clear dollar request are sufficient for an initial approach.