ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making.
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Why We Exist
At the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), we envision an America where Muslims are thriving and equal. And we believe that relevant, rigorous research in the right hands will help us get there. Our work strengthens Muslim communities and equips those working toward full and equitable inclusion with solution-seeking research. Learn about our impact→
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What We Do
Founded in 2002, ISPU has been at the forefront of discovering trends and opportunities that impact American Muslims for almost 20 years. We’re a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that builds understanding and strengthens communities by laying a foundation of facts. As the only organization of our kind, we’re the go-to source for anyone seeking information about Muslims in America and issues that impact them. We also share what we know in easily digestible ways with the general public, policymakers, media professionals, community leaders, and more. ISPU has offices both in Dearborn, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. Meet our staff in D.C. and Michigan→
What We Do
Founded in 2002, ISPU has been at the forefront of discovering trends and opportunities that impact American Muslims for almost 20 years. We’re a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that builds understanding and strengthens communities by laying a foundation of facts. As the only organization of our kind, we’re the go-to source for anyone seeking information about Muslims in America and issues that impact them. We also share what we know in easily digestible ways with the general public, policymakers, media professionals, community leaders, and more. ISPU has offices both in Dearborn, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. Meet our staff in D.C. and Michigan→
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How We Do It
DISCOVER
First, we discover new data through rigorous research. Our publications, including our American Muslim Poll, provide much-needed insight into issues impacting not just Americans who are Muslim but all of us. Explore our publication library→
EDUCATE
Next, we use what we learn to educate the general public and raise awareness. We reach millions of people every year through in-person and digital education events, exhibits, convenings, media coverage, and more. See our events calendar→
EQUIP
Finally, we provide resources for journalists, policymakers, community leaders, teachers, advocates, and others to use in their own work. Equipping others multiplies our impact as the data lives on in the work of those who catalyze change. Explore our toolkits→
“If you want to see where the future of empowering Americans who are Muslim lies, you must look at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.”
COREY SAYLOR, ReThink Media
“ISPU research does a remarkable job in covering areas that are often overlooked in dialogue about the [Muslim] community.”
SARAH HARVARD, Journalist
“After encountering the work of ISPU, my students often find themselves inspired.”
MATTHEW PIERCE, Assistant Professor of Religion at Kentucky’s Centre College
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Our Story
FALL 2001
ISPU is born.
The horrific attacks of September 11 had left Americans searching for insights into the Muslim community that few experts were providing. For a full two years before ISPU became an official organization, our founders gathered to plan for the research organization as it is known today.
APRIL 2003
ISPU contributes to its first major publication.
ISPU Fellow Saeed Khan penned an entry in The Encyclopedia of the Human Genome titled “Race and Difference: Orientalism and Western Concepts.”
DECEMBER 17, 2003
ISPU is incorporated.
APRIL 2004
ISPU’s first publication, the Detroit Mosque Study, is published.
MAY 2010
Shireen Zaman becomes ISPU’s first full-time executive director.
FEBRUARY 2011
A second ISPU office opens in Washington, D.C.
MAY 2013
ISPU conducts its first demographic study of Muslims in America, the Bay Area Muslim Study.
This groundbreaking study looked at demographics, identity, economic well-being, and political and civic engagement.
JANUARY 2014
ISPU 2.0 is born.
A new strategic vision strengthened and refocused our institutional approach.
MARCH 2016
ISPU conducts and releases its first nationwide survey.
The American Muslim Poll offered a badly needed evidence-based contribution to a landscape that saw Muslims increasingly discussed but not included in national debates.
MAY 2017
ISPU launches Muslims for American Progress.
This study provided an in-depth quantitative and qualitative look at the contributions of Muslims to the state of Michigan.
JANUARY 2018
ISPU publishes its first toolkits.
We selected a collection of actionable research from our vast archives to create specialized toolkits for imams, mental health professionals, political engagement organizers, and others.
APRIL 2018
Newsmedia members gather for ISPU’s first journalist training.
Our Story
APRIL 2004
ISPU’s first publication, the Detroit Mosque Study, is published.
MAY 2010
Shireen Zaman becomes ISPU’s first full-time executive director.
JANUARY 2014
ISPU 2.0 is born.
A new strategic vision strengthened and refocused our institutional approach.
MAY 2017
ISPU launches Muslims for American Progress.
This study provided an in-depth quantitative and qualitative look at the contributions of Muslims to the state of Michigan.
APRIL 2018
Newsmedia members gather for ISPU’s first journalist training.
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Our Values
COLLABORATION
We actively seek to work with, not in competition against, others in the field.
ACTION
We conduct research to find solutions that are realistic and implementable.
RIGOR
Our research is objective, thorough, and evidence based.
RESPONSIVENESS
We conduct research on what is relevant now to American Muslim communities.
VISION
We continuously look for emerging challenges and opportunities.
EXCELLENCE
Quality and professionalism are key to all that we do.