2024 Giving Circle Nominees

• Afghan Literacy Fund (ALF)

• ANAR

• Build Palestine

• Developments in Literacy (DIL)

• ESONA Relief Fund

• HAWA Media Collective

• Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA)

• Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA)

• Muslim Women Professionals (MWP)

• National Council of Nigerian Muslim Organizations USA

• Olive Community Services

• Pillars of Peace

Website: afghanliteracy.org
Leader: Adita Arya, Co-founder & Executive Director

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“This funding will transform the lives of 35 homebound female students aged 13-18 who face severe educational barriers due to Afghanistan’s restrictive policies against girls’ education—the only country in the world with such a ban.  For these girls, education is their only means of escape from the harsh realities of their existence.. But even this last vestige of freedom has been usurped. We have watched the situation worsen since the defacto government regained control in 2021, and it is unbearable to witness this violation of human rights from afar. Education is not just a privilege; It is a mandate in the Qurán with the command to “read”, it is a fundamental right that these girls are being denied, and with it, their dreams of a brighter, more empowered future. ” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: https://www.projectanar.org/
Leader: Laila Ayub, Co-Director and Immigration Attorney

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“ANAR is founded and led by Muslim women in the U.S., to serve primarily muslim asylum seekers. The organization’s work is done through the lens of empowerment focused immigration legal services, responsive and adaptive to the community’s needs, and through community-based lawyering and legal education. It is truly grassroots work and within just over 3 years ANAR has been able to serve over 4,000 individuals directly and thousands more.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: buildpalestine.com
Leader: Lama Amro, Executive Director

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“BuildPalestine is a grassroots Palestinian-led organization based in the West Bank that empowers and supports social entrepreneurs building a better Palestine for tomorrow despite all roadblocks and challenges. BuildPalestine is largely women-led but serves both male and female entrepreneurs. I love BuildPalestine because it is a model nonprofit. It is not huge, but it is internally strong and strategic. It works thoughtfully through well-established collaborations, has a strategic plan it follows closely and is seeking to free its funding from sources driving oppressive agendas against the Palestinian people. It has had a successful social entrepreneur fellowship for a number of years and is now expanding that to more long-term support for entrepreneurs. It has also done tremendous work over the past year to mobilize a global community of giving and awareness raising for Gaza– highlighting on-the-ground initiatives to support Gazans and crowdfunding for them.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: dil.org
Leader: Fiza Shah, Co-founder & CEO

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“DIL was founded by Muslim women, serving and employing mostly Muslim women and educates primarily young girls in Pakistan,” and “The organization is headquartered in Orange County, CA with chapters across the US.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: esonafund.org
Leader: Dr. Parisa Popalzai, President

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?  “ESONA Relief Fund is a small nonprofit focused on helping families in Afghanistan by providing humanitarian aid and economic support.  After the devastating 40 years of war, poverty, disease and natural disasters, more than half the country is malnourished.  Women and children are particularly affected.  They focus on the families in most dire need of assistance, including widows and orphans.  They send 100% of the donations to people in need and all operational costs are covered by the board members.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: hawacollective.org
Leader: Uzma Jafri, Registered Agent

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“The HAWA Collective is dedicated to uplifting and empowering marginalized women, especially Muslim women, in all forms of media—written, audio, and visual. Inspired by Hawwa (Eve), the First Mother and symbol of womanhood, we aim to amplify authentic voices and narratives, shaping a more inclusive media landscape that celebrates empowerment, diversity, and the richness of underrepresented stories.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: theisla.org
Leader:  Shaza Khan, Executive Director

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“It is an organization that supports educators and institutions involved in Islamic education in the US, with a focus on the 300+ full-time Islamic schools that are currently operation throughout the US,” and “They work to support Islamic schools through research, resources and relationships.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: mlfa.org
Leader: Arshia Ali-Khan, CEO

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“Woman CEO. Survivor of DV. MLFA works pro bono to legally represent Muslim Americans at the highest level of law in the land. She’s brought the organization to the mainstream by being the only Muslim legal defense fund that does criminal work. They are the ones taking on the BIG universities like Harvard, Brown, RICE, UT amongst others  who have attempted to silence pro Palestinian voices on campuses. All pro bono. They are dependent on donors support. In the midst of a genocide, building a Muslim legal force at the federal level is more important than ever.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website:  https://www.muslimwomenprofessionals.org
Leader:  Sofia Haq, Founder & CEO

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded by the Women’s Giving Circle?

“They are young nonprofit that is conducting educational, literacy building, professional development etc. programming for Muslim women in the US. The are working to establish a strong network where Muslim women can support each other through a myriad of ways.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read more from this organization’s application here

Website: ncnmo.org
Leader:  Kazeem Lawal, President

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“NCNMO has supported many Nigerian Muslims throughout their inception and has expanded their programs over the years. Their events and programs are throughout the year for children, young adults, families, and couples. They’ve done a phenomenal job and upholding the Nigerian-American community and continue to help us become better Muslims. They’ve also provided support to people and families in need and supported college students and graduates.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: olivecs.org
Leader: Rubina Chaudhary, Founder and Board President

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“Olive is supporting seniors of our community. Majority of the participants are women,” and “Olive is offering ground breaking services to our aging communities thru raising awareness of seniors’ needs and families’ challenges in supporting seniors.” (giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.

Website: pillarsofpeace.org
Leader: Imam Khalid Latif, Board Chair

Why do you think this nonprofit should be funded?
“While domestic violence exists within the Muslim community like many others, there are specific religious, cultural, and social dimensions that influence how it is experienced and addressed. Pillars of Peace provides culturally and linguistically conscious services to survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, with expertise serving the diverse Muslim community, using a holistic, trauma-informed approach.”(giving circle nominating member)
Read the complete application here along with additional information provided.