The team behind the vision, delivering the mission.
Our board members, staff, and volunteers work hard to operate our national, grassroots community foundation.
Staff
Muhi Khwaja, Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer
Earning a Bachelor’s in History and Psychology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2009, Muhi Khwaja didn’t know what to do until the summer before graduating. The Development Summer Internship Program at the University of Michigan sparked an interest in fundraising (development) as a career. After working with several nonprofit organizations, he earned his Master’s in Public Administration in 2013, from U-M, specializing in nonprofit management. Muhi has over a decade of experience as a development professional with several nonprofits including: University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Council for American-Islamic Relations – Michigan, Islamic Relief USA, Institute for Social Policy & Understanding, Ta’leef Collective, Islamic Scholarship Fund, Indian Muslim Relief & Charities, Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership, Our Three Winners Foundation, Notable Music & Arts Organization, the American Red Cross, and Environmental Data & Governance Initiative which all led to his founding the American Muslim Community Foundation.
In 2016 he became a Certified Fund Raising Executive from the Association of Fundraising Professionals and in 2017 earned a Certificate of Fund Raising Management from Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy where he is also Adjunct Faculty. Muhi is also pursuing his Graduate Certificate in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University and is expected to complete it in 2022.
Muhi served as the Director of Development & Philanthropy at AMCF from 2019 to 2021 and worked with donors to connect them with nonprofits creating impact, helping families distribute more than $6 million. AMCF serves as a the only national nonprofit organization focused on creating Donor Advised Funds, Giving Circles, distributing grants, partnering on fiscal sponsorships, & building endowments for the American Muslim community. He also hosts the #MuslimPhilanthropy Podcast.
Muhi went on to become the Chief Development Officer at The MAVEN Project in 2021, stepping into a part time role with AMCF focusing on their strategic plan, institutional fundraising, and external partnerships. Later in 2022 he focused his time consulting on nonprofit management, fundraising, and executive coaching.
Muhi enjoys traveling, photography, riding his motorcycle, and hiking.
Shatila Sago-Hart, Director of Operations
With over 15 years of dedicated experience in operations management, information technology, program management, and accounting, Shatila is a results-driven professional committed to driving positive change. Her extensive background spans various sectors, including education, nonprofit organizations, and government entities, where she’s consistently delivered innovative solutions and demonstrated a strong work ethic.
As a strategic leader, she has successfully overseen multimillion-dollar budgets, managed complex grant programs, and led digital transformation initiatives. Shatila’s passion for educational equity and community development has led to founding and serving as the First President of the Institute for Youth Leadership and Community Development (IYLCD). She is also deeply committed to international development as an international ambassador for the Seasteading Institute.
Armed with a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), an MBA in Information Technology Management, and a drive for positive impact, she is dedicated to making a difference in finance, education, and community development.
Ola Mohamed, Director of Nonprofits
As AMCF’s Director of Nonprofits, Ola’s mission is to support our community’s countless amazing causes. She is passionate about connecting with nonprofit leaders and providing programming and resources to uplift their visions for change and institutional sustainability. Before her current role, Ola was the AMCF Nonprofits & Social Impact Fellow and then the Nonprofit Engagement Manager.
Prior to joining AMCF, Ola was an immigration attorney with the New York-based firm Aljijakli, Kosseff & Prendergast, LLC. Her work focused on asylum, family unification and humanitarian-based cases. Her asylum clients’ harrowing stories of persecution, along with their resilience, strength, and hope for a better future, inspired Ola to volunteer at various refugee organizations, write about refugee rights and advocate for holistic, human-centered support for displaced persons. Her pro bono efforts and legal training included work with the Karam Foundation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Cairo, the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project (Proyecto Dilley) and the International Rescue Committee.
Ola lives in the Washington D.C. metro area with her husband and their three kids. She loves exploring nature with her kids (when it is warm!), shopping Muslim-owned businesses and sharing Arabic Montessori- and Waldorf-inspired ideas for young children.
Akshaya Nair, Staff Accountant
Akshaya Nair is a dedicated CA Finalist from India, who is on the path to becoming a fully certified Chartered Accountant i.e. equivalent to CPA in the US with a passion for accounting and finance. With over four years of industry experience, Akshaya is recognized for her strong work ethic and enthusiastic, team-oriented attitude. She possesses mathematical, analytical, and communication skills, coupled with a solid working knowledge of accounting principles.
Akshaya has a proven track record of efficiently and accurately resolving client accounting needs. Her expertise includes reconciling bank, credit card, and loan accounts, preparing comprehensive reconciliation statements, and optimizing financial processes through vendor coding and rule creation in bank feeds.
In her role, Akshaya excels in preparing and delivering detailed financial reports on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis to meet specific client requirements. She is adept at preparing and reviewing profit and loss statements, balance sheets, budgets, and cash flow statements, ensuring clarity and accuracy in financial reporting.
Akshaya’s responsibilities also encompass managing payroll journal entries, sales tax reconciliation, accounts payable, and accounts receivable functions with precision and efficiency. She is known for her meticulous attention to detail and commitment to delivering high-quality work.
Crystal Habib, Marketing Fellow
Crystal Habib, born and raised in Indiana, found her creative calling at the Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI and graduated with high distinction with a bachelors degree in fine arts. Her artistic journey has been nothing short of inspiring, marked by numerous accolades and widespread recognition. Crystal’s work has graced art galleries, transcending borders to touch hearts in Mauritania, India, Florida, Atlanta, and beyond. Notably, her distinctive talent was celebrated when an exquisite piece was commissioned and prominently displayed at the Philanthropy Center of the Arts in Indianapolis. She has also been awarded first and second place for the professional artists division at the Indiana State fair.
Beyond her artistic endeavors, Crystal’s deep-rooted faith as a revert has been a guiding force, leading her to embrace Islam and dedicate her skills to various nonprofit organizations. Her altruistic spirit shines through her involvement with ISNA and the Immigrant Welcome Center, where she has generously contributed her time and expertise. Notably, her efforts extended to the planning of ISNA’s 60th annual convention, where she orchestrated captivating special events such as art exhibitions and film festivals. Her creative touch also left an indelible mark through the design of compelling graphic materials that promoted these events.
Driven by a profound passion for giving back, Crystal’s focus extends to graphic design and marketing campaigns, where she strives to harness her talents to benefit her community. With a heart brimming with creativity and a steadfast commitment to making a difference, Crystal Habib continues to illuminate the world with her artistry and compassion, driven by the belief that her gifts are a blessing from Allah, meant to be shared for the betterment of all.
Habibat T. Shittu, Nonprofit Social Impact Fellow
Habibat T. Shittu, born in Nigeria and raised in New York, is an enthusiastic and dedicated professional with over 8 years of experience in higher education, client services, and arts administration. Habibat has a proven track record in developing and sustaining relationships with diverse audiences. Her experiences in project management, team leadership, interpersonal relations, and community engagement have prepared her to support AMCF.
Prior to joining AMCF, Habibat worked for Rutgers University, the City College of New York, and the International Rescue Committee. She currently supports students and stakeholders at New York University as a Student Success Specialist. She is passionate about helping people succeed in their intended goals and ensuring they have the necessary resources. In 2022, she founded an interfaith and multifaith community, Activate God. With over 25,000 followers across social media platforms, she is dedicated to helping people elevate their relationship with God. She shares personalized daily prayers, teaches about different religions/spiritual backgrounds, and discusses life lessons.
She holds a BA in Sociology with minors in Black Studies and Studio Art from the City College of New York. She also holds two master’s degrees: an M.A. in Visual Arts Administration from New York University, focusing on management and leadership, and an Ed.M. in College Student Affairs from Rutgers University.
In her free time, Habibat enjoys traveling, learning, painting, hanging out with loved ones, and going on roller coasters.
Sakeena Rostom, 2024 Summer Endowment Intern
Sakeena is an undergraduate student at Wellesley College studying Economics and History. Her dedication to giving back to the Muslim community came from her experience as co-founder of WWP High School North’s Muslim Student Association. Through her understanding of the struggles that came with lack of representation in the public school system, Sakeena advocated for her peers’ concerns through discussions with district administration and fostered community amongst Muslim students and teachers during her time on the board. This long-standing personal drive combined with her current education at Wellesley extends to her work with AMCF, as Sakeena seeks to support Muslim-run non-profits around the nation via endowment and community. Her passion also manifests in her current positions as Wellesley’s Muslim Life Assistant and Al-Muslimat’s Co-Vice President.
Sakeena loves drawing, playing tennis, and going on long walks. In her spare time, she develops video games and runs an Etsy shop independently.
Lisa Kahler, Giving Circle Fellow
Lisa Kahler is an experienced professional dedicated to connecting leaders to foster change and positive development. A Southern California native with over 30 years of experience working in education, Lisa has served in a variety of capacities at Islamic and public schools including teacher, registrar, STEM coordinator, grant liaison, administrator, finance, mentor and consultant. Currently she serves on the steering committee of the Shura Council’s Association of Islamic Schools which hosts an annual educator’s retreat.
She is a strong advocate for students, staff, and leaders within the diverse Islamic education environment which encompasses private, charter, home-school, community, after-school, public school, and higher education models: working to ensure awareness and access to community resources for underserved populations including recent immigrants and refugees. Lisa has been involved with the Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA) for a number of years, and currently works for the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC).
An alum of the Johnston Center at the University of Redlands, she holds an HR Management Certificate from Cal State Fullerton and a School Business Officer Certificate from the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO). She enjoys spending time outdoors exploring the hidden gems of California with her family and friends.
Board of Directors
Omar Hassan, President
Omar is a financial leader who believes that the way forward for philanthropy and the Muslim community is to build a sustainable framework for funding initiatives that can be both self-preserving and adaptable. Omar is also currently an active member at his local masjid where he volunteered as a teacher at their Sunday school. Omar has mainly focused his professional career in the asset management sector where he currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Cloverlay, a special situations private equity firm. Prior to joining Cloverlay, Omar worked at various other global alternative asset managers. Omar is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of NY. Omar enjoys traveling, experiencing other cultures, sports, and cooking. His most important role in this world is being a husband to his wife and a father to his three young children.
Dahlia Eltoumi, Vice President
Dahlia’s journey in empowering and cultivating community started after she earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois.
Her work experiences in two vastly different parts of the world as a Muslim American woman has created an inextricable connection to the global community and has equipped her with deep social, cultural, and emotional intelligence.
9/11 served as a pivotal moment for her personal and professional journeys. She felt called to action to not only protect her community from Islamophobia, but to also to play a proactive role in elevating the narrative of Muslim Americans. Since then, she has worked closely with educators, elected officials, law enforcement agents, the interfaith community, and allies on civil rights issues to build bridges and grow mutual understanding across communities. Also, she was appointed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to address House members as well as being featured in Bassem Yousef’s TV series, “America in Arabic” for her role as a community mobilizer for the Arab-American Democratic Party.
In 2021, she completed her Certificate in Fund Raising Management (CFRM) with Indiana University Lily Family School of Philanthropy, creating a new pathway to intersect her passion with her profession. As a board member, she will leverage her platform to empower the community by creating networks, sparking new connections, strengthening relationships and creating collective spaces.
Her work with the American Muslim Community Foundation will continue to build relationships within the Muslim community, and also to extend allyship across racial, ethnic, cultural, and faith-based groups.
Fareed Farukhi, Treasurer
Mr. M. Fareed Farukhi, CPA is the Managing Partner at Farukhi & Company, LLP in Orange CA. Mr. Farukhi has over thirty-five years of tax, business consulting and M&A experience. The Firm consults for small to mid-size companies both domestic and international, advise high net-worth individuals and companies on tax and business strategies including working with non-profit entities.
Mr. Farukhi has served on various for-profit and non-profit Boards. He was past Chair and served as Commissioner with the Orange County Human Relations Commission 4th district, was the past Chairman of the Board of New Horizon School System overseeing its operations, finances and strategic growth initiatives, Mr. Farukhi presently serves on the Board of Vibrant Minds Charter Academy in Anaheim. Working on a startup ACT Charter Academy also in Anaheim. He was the past Chairman of the Board at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove one of the largest Islamic Centers in Southern California, past Executive Board Member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE). He has been active in the Orange County and Los Angeles communities serving and working in various capacities with organizations on issues dealing with homelessness, immigration, cultural diversity and understating, education, interfaith, health care, youth programs, and other social issues in providing direct services and resources. Organized and volunteered in civic engagement including political campaigns for candidates running for public office. Previously served on the Board of NCCJ and CCEJ and currently serving on the Board of Orange County Interfaith Network (OCIN), Board Member of American Muslim Community Foundation (AMFC), Board Member of Academy for Judaic, Christian and Islamic Studies. Mr. Farukhi is an advisor to various startup companies in technology, finance, and healthcare.
Mr. Farukhi is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Universal Heritage formerly Universal Heritage and Research Center (UHRC), a startup non-profit, whose mission is to foster cross cultural engagement, education, research and understanding of people of all backgrounds. An initiative to peace building through arts, music and culture in embracing humanity of its richness and diversity.
Universal Heritage is working with UCLA under an MOU to helping establish endowments for the YKL Library to sustain its special collections and manuscripts including programs for preservation, enhancement, amplification and accessibility of its vast collection and research.
During the 2019 COVID pandemic, Mr. Farukhi launched another non-profit to address food insecurity that afflicts communities across the nation. Harmony Bites a division of Risala USA Foundation, Inc was born that rescues food and serves families and adults with staple food items, fresh produce, and meals in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Fernando Valley, other parts of LA County and Orange County. Harmony Bites value is to dignify people and to “Empower People Through Food” taking a bite out of poverty with a long-term sustainability model for social impact investment, job creation and skills in the food business and addressing the food echo system from farm to table. Mr. Farukhi is a community leader, a visionary and a bridge builder to collaborate with people and communities for positive social change and meaningful impact.
Mr. Farukhi is married, a family man with three children and two grandsons, a longtime resident of Buena Park. He is from Bengaluru, South India and deeply cares for humanity.
Amna Khan-Mirza, Member
Amna Mirza is an award-winning FORBES featured marketing and brand strategist. Having worked with world renowned brands such as PBS, Independent Lens, SIRIUS XM’s Oprah Winfrey and NFL Channels, Amna has championed marketing transformation throughout her career. Using her marketing power for good, Amna has put the Muslim experience at the forefront of her work. As the former Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Zakat Foundation of America, Amna moved the humanitarian organization from an 8-million-dollar organization to a 21-million-dollar organization in less than 4-years, with back-to-back multi-million-dollar fundraising seasons. She’s now taken that success and kicked-off her own brand consultancy agency named, INFLUENCE, where she harnesses the power of influence for social good.
Nawal Ali, Member
Nawal Ali, a Chicago native, graduated from high school at the age of 16. This early academic triumph set the stage for an unconventional journey that led her to Syria, where she engaged in rigorous studies under scholars and enrolled in the Dawah program at Abu Noor University. Unfortunately, in 2011, the outbreak of war disrupted her Islamic educational pursuits.
Post her experiences in Syria, Nawal explored various countries, including Turkey and Lebanon. After graduating in Public Health and Wellness, she actively contributed to initiatives, focusing on disaster relief, mental health, and drug addiction.
In 2020, Nawal returned to the United States from Europe, choosing Boston as her new base. Here, she played a role in public health efforts, specifically addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a notable career transition in 2022, Nawal shifted her focus to program management and strategy. Presently, she holds the position of Head of Fund Development at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), contributing her skills and experiences to the organization’s growth and impact.
Nabil Rehman, Member
Bio coming soon