Iraqi Children Foundation

The crisis facing Iraq's children in 2015 is staggering. According to the UN, more than a million children have been displaced since 2014 as ISIS advanced. Earlier, in 2012, UNICEF reported there were an estimated 800,000 orphans after 10 years of war. Among the orphaned and displaced children are many who are desperately poor and working or begging on the streets. This humanitarian crisis poses a risk to the future of Iraq. Failure to act leaves these kids vulnerable to despair, poverty, and recruitment by terrorists, criminals, and human traffickers. In 2007, two Americans working in Iraq founded ICF and began responding to the needs of Iraqi children with food, clothing, blankets, and other aid. Two years later, ICF received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity status (ID: 26-1394773) and laid out a vision to assist Iraqis in caring for these children by (1) serving as a catalyst to mobilize US and international partners, (2) investing in capacity building of Iraq's NGOs, and (3) emphasizing aid for hand up, not hand out, projects.