In 2015, Greentech began building Islamic apps with a small team of students and graduates. Within a few years, the Quran app had reached around 300,000 users. But as the team’s personal commitments grew, an important question emerged: How could we ensure these projects would continue serving Muslims for years to come?
The answer was to build an organisation that could outlast its founders. Around 2018, Greentech became a registered UK charity, laying the foundation for its long-term mission.
Building for Long-Term Benefit
In the early days, the team worked voluntarily alongside our studies and other commitments. We had also seen useful apps disappear when development stopped.
We wanted to avoid the same fate for Greentech’s apps. The team viewed the work as an amanah, a responsibility to the people who trusted and benefited from it.
Our intention was to create something that could continue serving people even if the original team members moved on. This reflected the idea of Sadaqah Jariyah, an ongoing charity.
Why Choose a Charity?
The team considered different organisational structures, including a regular company and a company limited by guarantee, before choosing to establish a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) in the UK.
The decision reflected their core philosophy: Islamic knowledge should remain accessible to everyone, rather than become a source of personal financial gain for the founders.
Greentech wanted its Quran, Hadith and other Islamic apps to remain free, without ads or paid features. Anyone could use the apps, while those who wished to support the mission could donate voluntarily.
A donation was not a payment for a better service. Everyone received the same access, regardless of whether they contributed financially.
How Charity Status Helped Greentech Grow
Charitable registration also brought practical benefits that helped Greentech operate with limited resources.
- Technology benefits: Eligible charities can access non-profit discounts, free services and programmes such as Google Ad Grants, subject to their requirements.
- Gift Aid: Eligible UK donations can receive a 25% top-up through Gift Aid, at no extra cost to the donor.
- Sustainable funding: A recognised charitable structure helped Greentech raise donations and build a team to maintain and improve its apps.
In its early years, Greentech raised around £20,000, according to the founders’ recollection. This was a significant milestone for a small team and helped it move beyond relying solely on voluntary contributions of time.
Accountability Is Part of the Amanah
Registering as a charity also meant taking on ongoing responsibilities. Greentech needed to maintain financial records, document transactions, prepare reports and meet its regulatory obligations.
These requirements helped the team become more organised and transparent.
For an organisation serving the Muslim community, trust matters. Good intentions are essential, but clear processes help ensure that donations are handled responsibly and used for their intended purpose.
The founders saw accountability not simply as paperwork, but as a way to uphold the amanah entrusted to them.
Is Charity Always Better Than Business?
Not necessarily. Both models have their place.
A profit-making company may be better suited to a project that needs investment, generates revenue through products or services, and aims to scale quickly. A charity may be more suitable for work that depends on donations and focuses on public benefit.
Greentech chose charity because it wanted to keep its core Islamic apps free and accessible to everyone.
The founders described the difference as a unicorn versus a camel: rapid growth versus the ability to sustain a long journey. Their experience taught them that building for the long term may take patience, but a sustainable organisation can continue serving people for years.
Ikhlas, Ihsan and Building Something That Lasts
Looking back, the founders highlighted two principles that guide their work: ikhlas and ihsan.
Ikhlas means sincerity in seeking the pleasure of Allah. Ihsan means striving for excellence.
A good intention gives a project its purpose, but it also needs responsible decisions, sound systems and consistent effort to fulfil that purpose.
For Greentech, charitable registration was one way to turn its intention into a lasting structure.
The lesson for anyone building an Islamic project is simple: start with a clear mission, choose a structure that supports it, and put the right systems in place to sustain the work.
May Allah place barakah in every sincere effort that benefits His creation and accept it as a source of ongoing reward. Ameen.
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Disclaimer: This article shares Greentech Apps Foundation’s experience and is not legal, tax or financial advice.
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