Giving Compass' Take:

• Kalia Abiade explains how Pillars Fund supports institutional capacity to make an impact on American Muslim communities.

• What unique challenges do American Muslim communities face? 

• Read about the promise and challenges of community democracy.

As a funder rooted within the American Muslim community, we have a special responsibility to build trust with our grantee partners and provide support where they need it most. We believe that stronger institutions are key to defending and expanding rights and that when organizations have the support they need, they can be more effective. In most cases, our grants are for general operating support. In this heightened political moment, some of our grantee partners have been able to attract new donors and awards, many of which are program or project specific. Pillars’ support can help them to fill gaps that these grants may not cover.

Strengthen institutions:

The term “capacity building” has reached peak buzzword status in philanthropic circles. But, trend or not, the need for it is hitting home. A glance at our 2017-2018 applicant pool helps explain why. Of the 200 organizations that applied for grant support last year, nearly three-quarters had fewer than 10 full-time staff and more than half had budgets under $500,000. Of the organizations that identified as having a Muslim, Arab, or South Asian focus, 80 percent were created after September 11, 2001.

In other words, an overwhelming majority of these organizations have been in nonstop crisis mode since their founding, with small teams and limited money to carry out programming. There has been little time to breathe, let alone build capacity.

Read the full article about American Muslim communities by Kalia Abiade at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.