Can I pay zakat to my local mosque?

Whether a mosque qualifies as a zakat recipient in your scholar's view depends on how they use zakat funds — mosques that earmark zakat for eligible recipients (the poor, travelers, converts) handle it straightforwardly; mosques that pool zakat with operating expenses are on weaker ground in most scholarly opinions. Good Measure Giving's ZAKAT-ELIGIBLE tag reflects only whether the mosque publicly says it accepts zakat, not a fiqh ruling on how they use it. Ask your mosque about their zakat earmarking policy directly.

How does the Good Measure Giving score work for mosques?

Impact and Alignment scores apply to mosques like any other charity, though Data Confidence may be lower because smaller mosques often have less public reporting infrastructure. The 'program' of a mosque is congregational life, which is harder to quantify than direct-service output — we note this explicitly on each mosque page.

What makes a mosque financially transparent?

Published annual financial reports, independent board oversight (not founder-controlled), disclosed executive compensation, and clear delineation between operating funds and zakat-earmarked funds.

Why are some mosques not evaluated?

We prioritize registered 501(c)(3) organizations with publicly available Form 990 data. Smaller mosques or those operating under broader umbrellas may not appear in our directory yet.

JULY 2026 · 1448 AH|169 CHARITIES|METHODOLOGY v5.2.0 · UPDATED JUL 18CHANGELOG

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Cause

Best Muslim Masjids & Religious Congregations Charities

Mosques and religious congregations form the spiritual and community infrastructure of American Muslim life. Evaluating them differs from evaluating service-oriented nonprofits — the ultimate 'output' is congregational life itself, which doesn't reduce to impact metrics. We focus on governance transparency, financial accountability, and whether programs serve members and neighbors alike.

Evaluated charities

Muslim Association of Puget Sound71/100 MAS Boston Society64/100 ICNA Chicago Illinois Organization63/100 Muslim American Society of Greater LA63/100 MCA61/100 Al Ummah Community Center60/100 Muslim Community Network59/100 Islamic Society of Central Jersey58/100 Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs of Chicago58/100 Islamic Foundation of Nevada55/100 MCC East Bay55/100 The Mecca Center54/100 Islamic Oasis53/100 Islamic Educational Foundation52/100 Muslim Community Center Chicago52/100 ICNAB47/100 Islamic Center of Southern California46/100 The Center for Islamic Teachings and Community Development46/100 The Islamic Association of Arabi44/100 Islamic Society of Greater Houston34/100 The Islamic Society of Southern California29/100 Sachse Muslim Society19/100 Islamic Center of Irvine

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay zakat to my local mosque?: Whether a mosque qualifies as a zakat recipient in your scholar's view depends on how they use zakat funds — mosques that earmark zakat for eligible recipients (the poor, travelers, converts) handle it straightforwardly; mosques that pool zakat with operating expenses are on weaker ground in most scholarly opinions. Good Measure Giving's ZAKAT-ELIGIBLE tag reflects only whether the mosque publicly says it accepts zakat, not a fiqh ruling on how they use it. Ask your mosque about their zakat earmarking policy directly.
How does the Good Measure Giving score work for mosques?: Impact and Alignment scores apply to mosques like any other charity, though Data Confidence may be lower because smaller mosques often have less public reporting infrastructure. The 'program' of a mosque is congregational life, which is harder to quantify than direct-service output — we note this explicitly on each mosque page.
What makes a mosque financially transparent?: Published annual financial reports, independent board oversight (not founder-controlled), disclosed executive compensation, and clear delineation between operating funds and zakat-earmarked funds.
Why are some mosques not evaluated?: We prioritize registered 501(c)(3) organizations with publicly available Form 990 data. Smaller mosques or those operating under broader umbrellas may not appear in our directory yet.

Cause

Best Muslim Masjids & Religious Congregations Charities

Evaluated charities

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay zakat to my local mosque?: Whether a mosque qualifies as a zakat recipient in your scholar's view depends on how they use zakat funds — mosques that earmark zakat for eligible recipients (the poor, travelers, converts) handle it straightforwardly; mosques that pool zakat with operating expenses are on weaker ground in most scholarly opinions. Good Measure Giving's ZAKAT-ELIGIBLE tag reflects only whether the mosque publicly says it accepts zakat, not a fiqh ruling on how they use it. Ask your mosque about their zakat earmarking policy directly.
How does the Good Measure Giving score work for mosques?: Impact and Alignment scores apply to mosques like any other charity, though Data Confidence may be lower because smaller mosques often have less public reporting infrastructure. The 'program' of a mosque is congregational life, which is harder to quantify than direct-service output — we note this explicitly on each mosque page.
What makes a mosque financially transparent?: Published annual financial reports, independent board oversight (not founder-controlled), disclosed executive compensation, and clear delineation between operating funds and zakat-earmarked funds.
Why are some mosques not evaluated?: We prioritize registered 501(c)(3) organizations with publicly available Form 990 data. Smaller mosques or those operating under broader umbrellas may not appear in our directory yet.