The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) is a research and advocacy organization which publishes reports, informational materials, and other content intended to bolster the influence of Muslim Americans. Founded in 2002, the ISPU maintains a presence in Washington, D.C., and in Dearborn, Michigan, a city with one of the largest and most politically active Muslim populations in America. The institute promotes its findings and its messaging to both the public and to community or government leaders. ^{1 2}

The ISPU has accepted funding from major left-of-center grantmaking institutions such as the Ford Foundation and the Proteus Fund. ^{3 4} The institute also receives support from Islamic philanthropies such as the El-Hibri Foundation and the Pillars Fund. ^{5 6}

Initiatives

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding provides instructions and recommendations to Muslim activists and influencers to strengthen the position of Muslims in communities across the United States. These include guides for countering opposition to mosque construction and increasing Muslim voter turnout, as well as “toolkits” intended for teachers and reporters to create a more favorable climate towards Islam in schools and the media. ⁷

Government Outreach

The ISPU conducts outreach to public officials at all levels, including members of Congress and the executive branch, especially the Department of Justice, as well as local police departments. The institute also attempts to influence schools and universities, nonprofit and charitable organizations, and clergy from other religions. ⁸

Opinion Polling

The ISPU has published a large amount of research on the views of Muslims in the United States. The institute has found that majorities of Muslims appear to support environmentalist government policies, increased restrictions on Second Amendment rights, and legalization of abortion in all or most cases. ⁹ The ISPU has also published findings claiming that Muslims disproportionately face discrimination from banks and financial services providers. ¹⁰ In September 2021, the journal Nonprofit Management Leadership cited an ISPU study which suggested that approximately one-third of Muslims in America voted for then-President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. ¹¹

Leadership

Staff

Meira Neggaz is the executive director of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Previously, she was a senior program officer at Marie Stopes International (known as MSI Reproductive Choices since 2020), an abortion and birth control advocacy group formerly named after British eugenicist and suffragette Marie Stopes. Prior to that, she ran a child care project in Guatemala funded by the United States Agency for International Development. Neggaz received a bachelor’s degree from Huron University in London, Great Britain, and a Master of Arts degree in law and diplomacy from Tufts University. ¹²

Dalia Mogahed is the director of research at the ISPU. Previously, she was the executive director of polling firm Gallup’s Center for Muslim Studies. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Mogahed to a White House advisory council, and in 2016, she presented at a TED Foundation conference. Mogahed received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. ¹³

Farah Ali is the director of development at the ISPU. Previously, she was an investment specialist with financial services giant JPMorgan Chase, where she also oversaw a range of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) activism initiatives for financial advisors and clients. Ali received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fordham University. ¹⁴

Board of Directors

Marwa Zohdy is the chair of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding board. Zohdy previously worked as a healthcare policy advisor with the influential and controversial global consulting firm McKinsey and Company. ¹⁵

Luna Banuri is a member of the ISPU board who has provided consulting services to the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Children’s Fund, as well as the World Bank. Banuri is also the co-founder and executive director of the Utah Muslim Civic League.

Financials

In 2021, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding received more than $1.6 million in contributions and grants. The institute’s expenses totaled just under $1.3 million, and its net assets totaled just over $2 million. ¹⁶

Funders of the ISPU have included the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, which issued a $50,000 grant in 2018, as well as the Ford Foundation and the Proteus Fund. ^{17 18 19} A number of Islamic activist grantmakers have also supported the institute, including the El-Hibri Foundation, which contributed $25,000 in 2020, and the Pillars Fund. ^{20 21}

1. “About ISPU.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/about-us/
2. Yasmeen Serhan. “How Dearborn, Michigan Became the First U.S. City to Make Eid a Paid Holiday.” Time. April 19, 2023. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://time.com/6272959/us-dearborn-michigan-eid/
3. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grantee/institute-for-social-policy-and-understanding/
4. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” Proteus Fund. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.proteusfund.org/grant/instituteforsocialpolicyandunderstanding/
5. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” El-Hibri Foundation. 2020. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.elhibrifoundation.org/grants/ispu/2020
6. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” Pillars Fund. January 1, 2023. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://pillarsfund.org/grants/our-portfolio/institute-for-social-policy-and-understanding/
7. “Our Toolkits.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/toolkits/
8. “Outreach & Workshops.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/outreach-workshops/
9. “Library.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023.

   https://www.ispu.org/library/

10. Youssef Chouhoud. “Banking While Muslim.” ISPU. March 14, 2023. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/banking-while-muslim/
11. Zeeshan Noor et al. “Racialized minorities, trust, and crisis.” Nonprofit Management Leadership. September 6, 2021. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8661810/
12. “Meira Neggaz.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/our-staff/meira-neggaz/
13. “Dalia Mogahed.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/our-staff/dalia-mogahed/
14. “Farah Ali.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/our-staff/farah-ali/
15. “Our Board of Directors.” ISPU. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.ispu.org/board-of-directors/
16. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding 2021 Internal Revenue Service Form 990. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/383633581/202301459349301300/full
17. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” Doris Duke Foundation. August 3, 2018. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.dorisduke.org/grants/what-weve-funded/Grant-Recipients/institute-for-social-policy-and-understanding/
18. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grantee/institute-for-social-policy-and-understanding/
19. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” Proteus Fund. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.proteusfund.org/grant/instituteforsocialpolicyandunderstanding/
20. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” El-Hibri Foundation. 2020. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.elhibrifoundation.org/grants/ispu/2020
21. “Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.” Pillars Fund. January 1, 2023. Accessed September 12, 2023. https://pillarsfund.org/grants/our-portfolio/institute-for-social-policy-and-understanding/