Giving Compass
  • Sign In
  • About Us
    About Giving Compass How We Choose Content and Organizations Annual Reflections Our Newsletter
  • Getting Started
  • Learn About Issues
    Topic Guides
    Animal Welfare COVID-19 Criminal Justice Democracy Disaster Relief Education Environment Health Homelessness Immigrants and Refugees Racial Equity Women and Girls
    Curated Articles
    Partner Collections Giving Compass Selections See All Articles
  • Give to Causes
    Issue Funds & Intermediaries Projects Nonprofits
  • Get Involved
    Philanthropy Resource Directory Events Volunteer Opportunities
  • Partner With Us
    Nonprofits Authors Use Our Content Services Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Sign Up
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Sign In

American Muslims in Philanthropy

American Muslim Fund
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
Click here for more.
American Muslims in Philanthropy Giving Compass
  •  Share
  •  Save
  • 20 shares
Share

When Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of Houston in 2017, like many in America, Muslim families came together to donate to the Houston Food Bank and the American Red Cross. In the last year, when the tragedies targeting religious communities in New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pittsburgh happened, the Muslim community stepped up to donate and help rebuild. These are just a few examples that showcase the valuable impact minority communities can have in philanthropy.

There are roughly 3.5 million Muslims in the United States and as we celebrate and observe Ramadan this month, it’s important to recognize our history and contributions to social causes in this country.

Islam in America is nothing new. The Pluralism Project at Harvard University demonstrates that Muslims reached the shores of America in 1178 CE. Roughly one-third of slaves brought to the Western Hemisphere were African Muslims. Many spoke Arabic and retained their religious identity like Omar Bin Said who passed away in North Carolina in 1781. The U.S. Consul to the Philippines, Alexander Russell Webb, was a convert to Islam. The longest standing purpose-built mosque is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa since 1934. Two of the most prominent American Muslims, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali helped Islam to come into the mainstream through their Black identity in the 1960s. With the Immigration Act of 1964, business visas allowed for “the brightest and best” from other countries, unlike the Muslim ban of today which restricts entry and access.

Despite the many barriers that minorities face, these communities have grit and are devoted to hard work. Today, as more Muslims are represented in Congress and minorities take advantage of educational and business options available in the United States, economic empowerment is improving the lifestyle experience generation to generation. This can also lead to increased philanthropic and civic participation. A study by the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding shows that Muslims who are more active in their mosques are more likely to vote.

Donors in the U.S. gave $410 billion in 2017. Muslims may not be giving $4 billion as 1 percent of the population, but the way Muslims give varies as some is given directly to individuals in need, as opposed to nonprofit organizations. Indiana University’s Center on Muslim Philanthropy, Pillars Fund, and American Muslim Fund hope to provide more insight into tracking this going forward.

Many Muslims abide by the third pillar of the faith, zakat, which in Arabic means purity. The act of giving zakat alms is a means of purifying one’s wealth. One is obligated to partake in giving zakat if they have accumulated wealth for over a year in the equivalent amount of 3 oz of gold. In addition to giving zakat, many Muslims also give what is known as sadaqa, or general charity alms. The practice of taking from what you’ve earned and to give it to others who need it, is a humbling practice. The word zakat and sadaqa (almsgiving) is mentioned over 80 times in the Qur’an, often times with prayer. There are several examples of the closest companions to the Prophet Muhammad who would compete in good deeds and acts of worship via spending their wealth in favor of Islam. Other stories indicate that it’s best to not disclose how you make a difference and leave the reward between you and God. Both ways are right!

The added benefit of increasing acts of good will in Ramadan is incentivized by the blessings in reward Muslims seek.

American Muslim Fund

To help Muslims streamline their zakat and sadaqa, the American Muslim Fund (AMF) was founded in 2016 as a grassroots, national community foundation. There are over 750 community foundations across the country, yet AMF is the first to focus on giving vehicles for the Muslim community. We help connect nonprofits with Muslim philanthropists to drive social change. AMF also provides an opportunity for the general public to support a cause that is empowering the rights of the American Muslim community and showcases the impact that Muslim charitable giving can have. In a time when minority communities are marginalized, having institutions to empower them is critical.

Here’s a look at the way AMF is connecting donors to issues they care about:

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs):

A donor advised fund is a giving vehicle that provides you with immediate tax
benefits and allows you to support your charities of choice through grant recommendations on your own timetable. Since 2017, 40 families have opened DAFs with AMF and have granted more than $800,000 to over 100 nonprofit organizations. A majority of the projects fund health initiatives, international relief and development, houses of worship, and education.

Giving Circles:

A giving circle is a form of philanthropy where groups of individuals donate their own money or time to a pooled fund, deciding together which nonprofit or community project to support. In doing so, the giving circle seeks to increase their awareness of and engagement in the issues covered by the charity. AMF currently operates two giving circles that utilize a range of criteria for selecting causes to support.

Ramadan and Giving

As Muslim’s fast during this month from sunrise to sunset, they abstain from their primal desires, increase their acts of good deeds, such as charitable giving, be extra courteous, and partake in additional prayers. American Muslim Fund is expected to exceed $1 million in cumulative giving this Ramadan and we’re proud of our partner organizations who benefit including the University of Texas at Austin, Muslim Foster Care Association, and Clubfoot Solutions, to name a few.

AMF hopes that funding these projects showcases the valuable impact minority communities can have in philanthropy and demonstrates the need for a community foundation which represents and is reflective of itself. Philanthropy is often translated as ‘the love of mankind,’ and what a better way to demonstrate that than to make the world a better place through funding missions with charitable giving.

____

Original contribution by Muhi Khwaja, Co-Founder, Director of Development & Philanthropy at American Muslim Fund.

  •  Share
  •  Save
Share

Collective Impact is a complex topic, and others found these selections from the Impact Giving archive from Giving Compass to be good resources.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Five Steps for Contributing to Complex Systems Change

    Giving Compass' Take: • Madeleine Clarke and John Healy explain how foundations can contribute to complex systems change through humble collaboration with stakeholders.  • How can foundations better collect input from the communities they serve?  • Learn about a design methodology that relies on feedback. We believe the most effective way to promote systems-level social change is to place the voices of people who use social services—the people for whom change matters most—at the center of change processes. But while many philanthropic organizations tout the importance of listening to the “end beneficiaries” or “service users,” the practice nevertheless remains an underutilized methodology for countering systemic obstacles to change and, ultimately, reforming complex systems. We suggest that foundations and others looking to collaborate toward systems change prioritize the following five practices: 1. Recognize and learn about the challenges within the system you’re seeking to reform: In the early stages of a collaboration, it is important to get to know how various groups and individuals view the challenges of a given system, and what they see as appropriate ways to overcome them. 2. Set an example. Putting users’ at the heart of design, delivery, and evaluation also models helpful behavior for the wider system: Asking someone who has used mental health services, for example, to help assess proposals for medical reform funding shifts the status-quo power dynamic; it signals that new services are not simply the preserve of medical professionals, and that the wishes and needs of the people using them are valued. 3. Build out from a coalition of the willing. Leaders who work within social service systems and who are acutely aware of—and frustrated by—the challenges of implementing reform are often the greatest champions of this approach. Professionals, managers, and carers often find a mismatch between available service options and what service users really need. 4. Start small. Since the economic recession of 2008, many social service systems have been operating on even leaner-than-usual budgets and facing increasing demands. Small amounts of funding, allocated using clear criteria to instigate reforms, is often a good way to encourage service user involvement, and to uncover early adopters and innovative leaders from within social service systems. 5. Take credit only when necessary. Overtly branding a reform effort as a foundation’s initiative can alienate and demotivate service users and other collaborators. It implies that the reform is coming from the outside. Read the full article about contributing to complex systems change by Madeleine Clarke and John Healy at Stanford Social Innovation Review.


Are you ready to give?

If you are looking for opportunities to take action and give money to Collective Impact, here are some Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations and Projects aggregated by Giving Compass where you can take immediate action.

Loading...
Learn More
Connect

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
Take Action

Loading...

Loading...

Loading...

Learn More
More from
Giving Compass
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Justice, Giving & Politics: Exploring Relationships Between Giving Circles and Today’s Movements for Social Justice [Part I]
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    The Relationship Between Grant Decision Making and Racial Justice
  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Giving Circle Spotlight: Denver African American Philanthropists and the Power of Black Philanthropy
Follow Us
Newsletter

Become a newsletter subscriber to stay up-to-date on the latest Giving Compass news.

About Us
  • About Giving Compass
  • In The News
  • Contact Us
  • Content at Giving Compass
  • Partner With Us
Trending Issues
  • Environment
  • Homelessness
  • STEM Education
  • Equal Pay Act
  • Gender Equality

Copyright © 2021, Giving Compass, LLC

•
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Agreement

Sign in

Your personal information is confidential at Giving Compass. For more information, please visit our privacy policy. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use.