Islam Foundation

The Islamic Foundation (IF) is located in Villa Park, Illinois. Islamic Foundation was formed in 1974, as a non-profit organization under the laws of the State of Illinois, to serve the Muslim communities in the western suburbs of Chicago. We started our mission in 1975 with a weekend Islamic school in a rented facility with an initial enrollment of 36 students. In 1981, Islamic Foundation got the permit to establish a permanent building facility in Villa Park, Illinois and two years later, Islamic Foundation purchased a former public school building and an adjacent house to setup the facility that is now our Islamic Foundation campus. Our goal at IF is to fulfill the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the entire family for the Muslim community in the greater Chicagoland area. The management of the Islamic Foundation is vested in a Board of Trustees. The Islamic Foundation operates multiple institutions and programs on the premises including a Mosque, Islamic Foundation School (full-time school from preschool to grade 12), and Weekend Schools (Saturday and Sunday). The Islamic Foundation Masjid, arguably the largest mosque in North America, was completed in 1998 after a 3-year construction period. The masjid area now also includes a book store, library / reading room, community center, banquet / lecture hall, state-of-the-art kitchen, conference rooms, and IF staff offices. The Islamic Foundation School (IFS), is a full-time school (preschool to grade 12) accredited by North Central Association (NCA) and recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). IFS has a current enrollment of around 650 full-time students from 400+ families across the greater Chicagoland area, making its one of the largest Islamic schools in North America. Since its inception in 1986, IFS has embarked on a mission to provide excellent education in an atmosphere of faith, and to prepare students to be life-long learners and contributing members of society. Islamic Foundation is a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organization. Our Tax ID is 23-7445241. BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAMIC FOUNDATION 1974: Founded and registered Foundation with the State of Illinois as a not-for-profit organization 1975: Recognized by the United States as a tax-exempt organization. 1975: Established weekend Islamic school for children in a rented classroom with enrollment of 36 students. 1983: Purchased a former public school building (24,000 square feet) on a 7.1-acre lot and simultaneously purchased a house adjacent to this land for use as the Imam’s residence. 1984: Established a Muslim cemetery with a space for 1,125 grave-sites, as part of Arlington Cemetery, at 401 E Lake Street, Elmhurst, Illinois. 1988: Established a full-time school for kindergarten to grade 8, and later added a preschool for children, ages 3-5. 1993: Expanded parking facilities with installation of floodlights. 1995: Began construction of a new mosque to accommodate the growing community. 1997: Established a high school with grade 9 and gradually expanded to grade 12 by 2000. Also added a playground and completed an upgrade of all heating units in the school building. 1998: Completed construction of the Masjid along with the additional space that today includes a book store, library and reading room, banquet/lecture hall, kitchen, and offices for the Foundation staff. 1999: Further extended the existing parking facility. 2003: Added the parking lot on the west side of the Masjid. 2007: Established a second cemetery, Al-Fatiha Gardens, for 336 grave sites in Chapel Hill Gardens at 17 West 201 Roosevelt Road, Oak Brook Terrace, Illinois. 2007: Started construction of a new three-story building including a state-of-the-art regulation-size gymnasium (paused in 2009 after completing all exterior work due to financial considerations). 2012: Completed and furnished first floor of the new school building – moved high school classes from trailers to the new building. 2014: Completed and furnished second floor of the new school building – moved all the middle school classes from trailers to the new building. 2016: Completed the lower level of the new school building – moved rest of the middle school classes, and labs. 2017: Completed the construction of community center, administration offices, and conference rooms. 2018: Renovated the Old School Building by replacing the entire roof and ceiling.