About the Student Division
A national student institution built on one instinct: serve.
The official student auxiliary of Humanity First USA, the 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization behind every chapter, mission, and program. Run by students in 87 registered HFSOs.
Our parent organization
Part of Humanity First USA.
Humanity First USA is dedicated to serving humanity and safeguarding human life and dignity. It was established as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2004 and is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, as part of the Humanity First network founded in 1995 and now serving in 65 countries. Its programs span disaster relief, food security, global health, education, orphan care, and clean water.
The Student Division is its official student auxiliary, and how that mission lives on campus. We are not a separate organization: every chapter, mission, and program operates under Humanity First USA, every gift is made through Humanity First USA, and students supply the leadership and the energy.
One mission, two generations.
2020 to today
From 14 chapters to 87. Students handed real responsibility.
In 2020 the Humanity First Student Division counted 14 chapters, built on a simple premise: students want to serve, and they do their best work when someone hands them real responsibility. In 2025, 61 registered chapters and more than 1,200 members contributed nearly 20,000 service hours and raised over $148,000 for Humanity First USA programs. Today 87 Humanity First Student Organizations are on the national roster.
HFSD exists to make that work possible. We train chapter leaders, connect campuses to Humanity First USA’s programs, and hold every chapter to the standards in our constitution and code of conduct.
How HFSD works
Local chapters. A national backbone.
Chapters organize on campus
Every HFSO is registered at its school and led entirely by students, who plan a semester of drives, service days, and fundraisers.
The national team supports them
Outreach coordinators, funding requests, toolkits, and leadership webinars back every chapter from the national level.
National programs extend the reach
Chapters join national programs: The Education Project, Gift of Health missions, and the annual Leadership Summit.
Students carry it forward
Chapter leaders graduate into alumni, advisors, and professionals who keep serving with Humanity First.
What we stand for
Mission, vision, and values.
- Our mission
- To give students the opportunity to work with communities and individuals affected by natural disasters, poverty, and other challenges.
- Our vision
- Students who leave school with the skills and experience to become tomorrow’s leaders, and a habit of service that lasts well beyond graduation.
- Shared with Humanity First USA
- Serving humanity and safeguarding human life and dignity.
The Student Division holds itself to the four values Humanity First USA works by. Here is what each one looks like on a campus.
- 01
Impartiality
Humanity First serves everyone, regardless of background. Chapters serve neighbors of every race, religion, and walk of life, and so do our missions.
- 02
Efficiency
Every chapter fundraiser is pre-approved through HFSD, so each donation reaches an approved Humanity First USA program and is properly tax-receipted.
- 03
Collaboration
Chapters build service partnerships with local organizations, and every mission works alongside the physicians caring for the community.
- 04
Empowerment
Help should build self-sufficiency. That is why TEP tutors one student at a time, and why chapter leaders run their own boards, budgets, and events.
Our history
Three decades of Humanity First. A student network built on it.
1995
Humanity First is founded
Humanity First is founded to provide disaster relief to people affected by the war in Bosnia.
2004
Humanity First USA is established
Humanity First USA registers as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit, headquartered today in Chantilly, Virginia.
2015
The Masroor Ahmad School opens
Humanity First opens a school in Alotenango, Guatemala with a fully local staff. More than 300 students learn there today.
2018
Nasir Hospital opens in Guatemala
Humanity First USA's hospital in Sacatepequez opens. It has served more than 60,000 patients since.
2020
14 chapters and a new program
The Student Division counts 14 chapters, and in March students launch The Education Project to answer pandemic learning loss with free tutoring.
2025
2025 in numbers
61 registered chapters and 1,216 members log 19,971 service hours, raise $148,317, and serve 4,014 patients on six Gift of Health missions.
2026
87 chapters strong
TEP volunteers teach in Jamaica, the Summit and Gift of Health Gala convene at Michigan State University, and HFSOs across the country fundraise for the Masroor School.
Support us
Where the money goes.
Funds raised by HFSD chapters support approved Humanity First USA programs, and every gift is made through Humanity First USA.
$148,317
Raised by chapters for approved Humanity First USA programs in 2025.
Disaster Relief
Responds when crisis hits, from hurricanes at home to emergencies abroad.
Food Security
Supplies pantries and meal programs for neighbors facing food insecurity.
Gift of Sight
Has screened more than 19,000 patients and funded 5,680 cataract surgeries across four countries.
Global Health
Operates hospitals, mobile clinics, and the medical missions our students serve on, with more than 326,500 patients seen.
Walk Run Bike
The annual national fundraiser every chapter joins.
Why student service matters
The habit starts now.
The habit of service is built early, in food drives, tutoring hours, and mission clinics, while students are still deciding who they want to become.
HFSD exists so that instinct has infrastructure: a chapter on your campus, programs worth your time, and a national organization that takes students seriously.
Questions
What students and parents ask.
- Who can join HFSD?
- Students at high schools, universities, and graduate and medical schools. Join the chapter on your campus through the directory, or start one with the help of an HFSD Outreach Coordinator.
- Is HFSD a separate nonprofit?
- No. HFSD is the official student auxiliary of Humanity First USA, a 501(c)(3). Every chapter, mission, and program operates under Humanity First USA.
- Where do the funds chapters raise go?
- To approved Humanity First USA programs. All chapter fundraising is pre-approved through HFSD so every donation is properly tax-receipted by Humanity First USA.
- Is Humanity First a religious organization?
- Humanity First has deep roots in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and its volunteers, staff, and supporters come from all faiths and walks of life. It serves everyone, regardless of background.
- What does a chapter commit to?
- Renewing its MOU with Humanity First USA each academic year, submitting the MAIN Update Form, monthly reports, and finance reports, and following the HFSO Constitution and Code of Conduct.
- How do I reach the national team?
- Email students@us.humanityfirst.org for general questions and hfsosupport@us.humanityfirst.org for chapter support, or book a meeting on the scheduling page.