Staff
Sarah Alfaham, Executive Director
Sarah graduated from the University of Toledo with her Bachelors in History and Communication with the intention of working as a journalist. She then decided instead of telling others’ stories, she wanted to be a part of the story.
Sarah completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Michigan studying Management of Human services within Children Youth and Families.
Back in Toledo she worked as a social worker at a Head Start program focused on high need families. As part of her position, she provided parenting workshops focusing on the achievement gap, and creating family programming that values peer support. Sarah also worked at a recovery center coordinating youth group-support therapy.
Sarah got married and moved to the Twin Cities in 2018. She began working as the Fiscal Sponsorship Manager at Propel Nonprofits where she supports new organizations and communities to start nonprofits through resources and best practices.
Sarah brings her passion of putting together strategic systems for the Muslim community to AMCF. This includes constantly learning about how to be anti-racist and implementing anti-racist practices in her daily life, working to uplift marginalized groups particularly from a macro lens. Sarah believes in taking up space in her most authentic self and values mental health wellness. She also appreciates art, photography, soccer and boxing.
Muhi Khwaja Co-Founder, Director of Development & Philanthropy
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.
Ola Mohamed, Nonprofit Engagement Manager
As AMCF’s Nonprofits Engagement Manager, 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.
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 on social media. Ola also co-leads the Muslim Moms Collaborative, a Muslim moms’ support group and halaqa.
Nora Moorefield, Donor Engagement Manager
Born and raised in the city of bridges, Nora knows a few things about the vital role bridges play in connecting people and communities. Her goals for the American Muslim Community Foundation revolve around establishing bridges between individuals inside and outside of the organization.
Nora graduated from Chatham University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She went on to work in corporate finance as an account analyst. Her prior employment experiences prepared her for a role working with fund representatives and developing client portfolios. But with current events deserving the world’s attention, she has been looking for more ways to appoint her skills to enable her own community.
In her spare time, Nora enjoys doing henna, traveling, and thrifting!
Board of Directors
Safaa is a non-profit institutional development leader. Her early career path emerged as a project manager in web solutions. As she committed her leisure time towards community volunteerism, she searched for an altruistic purpose in her vocation and shifted focus towards the advancement of civic and social non-profit causes. Safaa has served six non-profit organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations-California (CAIR-CA), Islamic Center of Santa Cruz, GiveLight Foundation, Family Network, Egypt Cancer Network and Averroes Institute. She’s held a wide-range of roles that spanned from Board President, to Treasure, Executive Director, Operations Director, and Programs Director. With a over two decades of combined experience in the private and public sector, She has harnessed a blend of innovative, organizational and strategy focused approaches to achieve vital long-term health for organizations seeking to solidify their infrastructural and institutional framework. Safaa is passionate about bringing together diverse resources to mobilize a community and to expand the capacity of nonprofits to deliver service and value.
Agnes brings her considerable experience in founding organizations and programs to the American Muslim Community Foundation. She has broad knowledge of nonprofit law and compliance issues, and a deep understanding of the sector based on her empirical research into Muslim nonprofits. She earned her doctoral and masters degrees at Stanford Law School, was a George L. Lieberman Fellow in 2013-2014 and co-founder of the Stanford Program in Law and Society. Her research analyzed the impact of post-9/11 counter-terrorism measures on Muslim community organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Prior to joining Stanford, Agnes worked exclusively in the nonprofit sector. She was Director of Programs and Outreach and Civil Rights Coordinator at CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and served as the Legal Clinic Director of the Muslim Community Association Legal Clinic. In her hometown of Sydney, Australia, she worked for the community law sector as an attorney, policy officer, and community legal educator. In that time she served as a Board Member of the Combined Community Legal Centres Group (NSW) Inc, the peak body of community legal centres in the state of New South Wales, where she also co-convened the Law Reform and Policy Committee. She co-founded the Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network (AMCRAN), and led the production of three editions of the publication, Anti-terrorism laws: ASIO, the Police and You, a guide to the rights and responsibilities under Australia’s anti-terror laws.
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.
Ayman has served with nonprofits for most of his adult life. Helping them fund raise over the years, he realized that many organizations were re-inventing the wheel and spending an enormous amount of time fundraising and not focused on their operations. American Muslim Community Foundation is an effort to change that and evolve the American Muslim Donor ecosystem. Ayman’s experience and leadership skills demonstrate time and again his strategic thinking, independent decisiveness, and his ability to mentor/guide those around him.
Mehdi is a passionate community activist. He has been serving his local community in a variety of social justice, religious, civic, and professional settings. He currently serves on the boards of Shia Muslim Council, UMMA Community Clinic, Muslim Burial Organization of Los Angeles and previously served boards of CAIR’ PAC and the PADRE Foundation.
Professionally, Mehdi is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of experience in a variety of management and leadership roles. He currently is the Vice President of Strategy Management Office at Bio-Rad Laboratories, a diagnostic and life science company. MehdiReza graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Fullerton in Accounting and Finance. He is licensed CPA.
Mehdi’s work is inspired by the selfless giving exemplified by Ali ibn Abu Talib. He strives to emulate Ali ibn Abu Talib’s teaching of equity, A person is either your brother in faith, or your equal in humanity.
Marwah Maasarani is a Monitoring & Evaluation professional whose life’s purpose is to serve and uplift the underprivileged. She’s currently leading M&E at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), where she is helping measure and optimize the organization’s refugee programs.
Growing up in an immigrant community taught Marwah the importance of maximizing the reach of limited resources to make an impact. Before joining the IRC, Marwah served as a Senior Program Analyst at Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit evaluator.
When she’s not chairing AMCF’s strategic planning and nonprofit programs committees, Marwah spends time chasing after her three little ones, serves as a nonprofit consultant, looks for ways to earn stamps on her passport, and tries her best not to overdose on chocolate ice cream.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Middle Eastern Studies from Wellesley College and a diploma in Monitoring & Evaluation from New York University.
Advisory Committee
- Athar Siddiqee Strategic Planning & Development
- Ayat Elnoory Human Resources/Co-Founder
- Basil Hashem Strategic Advisor
- Essma Bengabsia Investment Advisor
- Ghada Ahmad Strategic Planning & Development
- Joe Bradford Religious Finance Scholar
- Kinan Alhoch Marketing
- Michael Ramos-Lynch Legal
- Osman Arain Investment Advisor
- Shafath Syed Marketing/ Strategic Planning
- Shams Khan Fundraising/Philanthropy
If you are looking for opportunities to leverage your skillset and expertise for the American Muslim Community Foundation, please email us your resume and LinkedIn profile!