islam foundation
London
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.
