About Us
Founded in 2021, the American Muslim Women’s Giving Circle is a collective of Muslim women around the US who are dedicated to philanthrophy and are looking to amplify the impact of their charitable giving. Through the American Muslim Community Foundation (AMCF), we have created the first national giving circle for Muslim women so that we may work together strategically to make a bigger and more long-lasting impact in our communities. Bismillah!
Purpose: To Amplify Your Impact
The American Muslim Women’s Giving Circle believes there is power in Muslim women’s philanthropic giving by combining our donations into one fund and democratizing how we give. Through this giving circle, we will provide seamless big-dollar donations to a few key organizations to make a larger impact in our community.
Members of this fund will:
- have direct input on the organizations that receive support
- allow AMCF to increase their impact by investing in sharia-compliant halal mutual funds
- receive a single streamlined tax receipt for all contributions made annually
- have access to a yearly donor report highlighting the impact of their contributions
After Donating, Nominate a Charity!
Save the Date – Learn more –
- Nominated Charities Present to Giving Circle – Sunday September 26, 2021, Time TBD
Leadership
Co-Chairs: Uzma Jafri, Mona Kafeel, & Afshan Qureshi
Co-Treasurers: Faseeha Altaf & Fatima Iqbal
Events/Marketing/Communications Committee: Khadidja Fares, Zaiba Hasan, Reema Kamran
Become a Member
- A gift of any amount will be added to the pool of funds
- Membership dues are $420/year (which includes a 5% AMCF administrative fee)
- Dues can be paid in full or $105/quarter, all paid by the end of the calendar year
- Membership earns you one vote to determine which organizations are supported
- Donating more is welcome but does not earn you more than one vote
- Please note: You may donate less than the minimum donation if you’d like to contribute without becoming a member
- Muslim women of any age or background living in the US or US citizens living abroad are encouraged to join
- You should become a member if you’re interested in:
- committing to attend giving circle deliberations to determine which organizations receive funding
- participating in collective philanthropy with a network of like-minded women
- building the community by spreading the word and hosting events/inviting women to join the giving circle
- championing female-led organizations or female-adjacent causes
Want to take on a leadership role in this giving circle? Email amwgc-leadership@amuslimcf.org
How it works
- Members may nominate one eligible organization for grant consideration at the time they donate their $420 membership dues
- Organization must be listed in AMCF’s Nonprofit Directory
- Organization not listed in the directory may fill out this Nonprofit Eligibility Form
- Organization should impact and work towards alleviating women’s issues (preferably female founded/led organization)
- Organization should serve Muslim women in the US (preferred, but flexible)
- Organization should serve zakat-eligible women (zakat-eligibility status of organization must be easily determined and widely accepted)
- Nominated organizations will be vetted and qualified organizations will be invited to apply for funding
- Giving circle members will review all applications and the top 3 organizations will be invited for Deliberation Day
- After listening to presentations from the top 3 organizations in Summer 2021, members will deliberate and rank the organizations so grants can be distributed by Fall 2021
- Funds will be divided in a 50%, 30%, 20% model for ranked fund distribution
- Organizations are eligible to win an award every 3 years
- Members must attend Deliberation Day to cast their votes (Zoom link will be sent to all voting members)
Timeline
| Pay Dues & Nominate Orgs | Wednesday June 30, 2021 |
| Members Share Nominations | Tuesday August 31, 2021 |
| Open Request For Proposals | Tuesday August 31, 2021 |
| Orgs must submit Letter Of Inquiry | Friday September 10, 2021 |
| First Votes, Group selects Top 3 Orgs | Sunday September 19, 2021 |
| Presentations & Final Votes | Sunday September 26, 2021 |
| Fund Orgs | Friday October 15, 2021 |
| Orgs share 1 page report on use of funds | Friday April 8, 2022 |
The giving circle will host a general members meeting once per quarter.
Resources
- Group Mural Giving Exercise
- AMCF Giving Circles
- What Is A Giving Circle
- Philanthropy Together
- Amplifier Giving
- Research by the Johnson Center
- Women’s Philanthropy Institute
- Meeting Recordings
- Have questions? Please email info@amuslimcf.org
FAQ
- What is a giving circle?
- A Giving Circle is a form of philanthropy in which groups of individuals donate their money and time to a pooled fund. Together as a team, the group decides which nonprofit(s) or project(s) to fund.
- How can I join?
- You can join by donating membership dues to the Women’s Giving Circle here.
- How much are membership dues?
- Members donate a minimum of $420 (includes 5% administrative fee) into the fund.
- What is the 5% administrative fee used for?
- The administrative fee is retained by the American Muslim Community Foundation (AMCF) for housing the grant funds and distributing them directly to the organizations of our choice. AMCF also provides one single tax receipt to donors regardless of how many organizations we chose to fund.
- By which date must I donate dues?
- First installment of $105 is due by May 31, 2021. You can also contribute the full amount of $420 anytime starting March 1, 2021.
- Can I donate in installments?
- Yes, $105/quarter, full amount due by Dec 31, 2021.
- Why is $420 the minimum donation to join the fund?
- The giving circle wanted to keep the minimum donation amount accessible. We believed $105/quarter ($35/month) was a reasonable amount to get started. You are welcome to donate more if you desire.
- I can’t afford to donate $420 in membership dues, can I still join?
- You can contribute less than $420 into the fund and the giving circle will happily include your funds in the amount that is donated to organizations. However, you will not be able to cast a vote on Deliberation Day unless you can commit to donating at least $420 by Dec 31, 2021.