Ashar Akhtar – Attorney Committed to Giving Back
Attorney Ashar Akhtar has taken the skills he developed as a corporate attorney and reapplied them in the nonprofit sector. Since 2018, he has worked in the legal department of Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), a nonprofit that provides relief and development in the U.S. and dozens of countries around the globe. Formerly a deputy general counsel, he is now IRUSA’s general counsel. Ashar Akhtar oversees compliance for a variety of mission-critical functions, assists with nonprofit governance, and works to minimize the organization’s risk exposure. He additionally liaises on behalf of IRUSA with peer non-government organizations and with the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.
Mr. Akhtar serves as an advisory board member of the Charity & Security Network. Based in Washington, DC, this organization brings together professionals from across the nonprofit sector to provide advocacy and legal guidance to charities working in relief and development. InterAction’s Together Project, which maintains a similar mission, likewise benefits from Mr. Akhtar’s guidance as a member of the steering committee.
Drawing on his experience of leaving behind a corporate career to work with charities, Mr. Akhtar enjoys mentoring attorneys who are looking to start anew in the nonprofit sector. A graduate of William & Mary Law School, he also mentors law students who are interested in pursuing careers with nonprofits.
Along with his juris doctor from William & Mary, Mr. Akhtar holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Virginia. In his early career in law, he served as a contract attorney and in-house counsel for several companies, including a Fortune 500 hospitality company, a government contractor, a major law firm, and others.
Among Mr. Akhtar’s previous employers was CohnReznick, where he oversaw legal matters and risk management for a $250 million region and served as the primary transactional counsel for the firm’s renewable energy practice. In 2011, he received a companywide award for integrity in client service.
Ashar Akhtar Blog
- The Importance of Faith-Based Charities in the United States
Faith-based charities like IRUSA provide essential safety net services and disaster relief. - How to Teach Your Children about the Importance of Charity
Teaching children about charity is an important part of instilling values such as compassion, empathy, and community-mindedness. When a child’s family models these values and takes the time to explain why they are so important, that child is more likely to grow up into a compassionate adult. However, the challenge lies in presenting charity in… Read more: How to Teach Your Children about the Importance of Charity - Ramadan Giving Provides Food and Services Throughout the World
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. While Ramadan is best known for the fasting undertaken during the month, it also represents a time of required charitable giving. This giving, known as zakat, takes many different forms. One way that Muslims give during… Read more: Ramadan Giving Provides Food and Services Throughout the World