In 2014, Safiyyah Abdul-Qawiyy looked at her Staten Island community and saw a gap. Women and children — especially those affected by trauma and life challenges — needed support that wasn’t being provided. Cultural and religious barriers meant many didn’t know where to turn.
So she started a discussion group for Muslim women during their Sisters Walk — a fitness program Safiyyah had put together to encourage Muslim women to stay active — held at a local mosque. That discussion group became Muslim Sisters of Staten Island (MSSI) — a women-led nonprofit that has spent 11 years working to empower Muslim women and children through civic engagement, education, and community support.
MSSI was nominated for AMCF’s Women’s Giving Circle by a member who described them as “a women-led organization working tirelessly to uplift women and children, especially those affected by trauma and other life challenges.”
What Muslim Sisters of Staten Island Does
MSSI’s mission is clear: empower women and children affected by trauma through civic and community engagement, education, resources, and support. Their vision is to become one of the leading faith-based organizations on Staten Island that drives change with integrity and promotes equity for all.
Their programs span the full range of community needs:
Youth Camps: Summer programs for children ages 5–13, providing fun, engaging, and educational activities — including virtual programming during COVID that kept kids connected and learning.
Winter Warm Drives: Collecting and distributing warm clothing to community members in need during cold months.
Educational Programs: Workshops and seminars on topics ranging from civic engagement to family wellbeing.
Welcoming Baby Initiatives: Supporting new mothers and families through community baby showers and a baby closet offering resources for families with children from birth to age 7.
Civic Engagement: Helping community members understand their rights, participate in local governance, and advocate for themselves.
Referral Services: Connecting community members to mental health resources and support through an established referral network.
As Safiyyah puts it: “I believe that the needs of the women and children of the community is our priority. Together we can work as a true community to maintain a close-knit family unit.”
A Founder’s Journey
Safiyyah Abdul-Qawiyy’s path to founding MSSI reflects her deep commitment to community care.
An immigrant from Jamaica, she came to the United States at age eleven and eventually settled in Staten Island. She became a registered nurse at 30, earned her BSN at 42, and her MSN Ed at 44 — all while raising three children (now a grandmother of three).
She was instrumental in starting and leading the first Muslim Girl Scout troop on Staten Island, serving Girl Scouts of Greater New York for over 12 years. She has taught as an adjunct professor at the College of Staten Island and partnered with community organizations across Staten Island and Brooklyn on health and wellness initiatives — including the virtual and in-person “It’s Taboo, Let’s Talk” community conversations on health and wellness.
Her dream? “To establish a family resource and youth education center on Staten Island… geared towards the needs of the Muslim and non-Muslim women and children from the Staten Island community.”
MSSI and AMCF
Muslim Sisters of Staten Island was nominated for AMCF’s Women’s Giving Circle in the 2025 funding cycle. The Women’s Giving Circle is a collective of women who pool resources to fund women-focused organizations that mainstream Muslim organizations often overlook.
Here’s why a member nominated them:
“Muslim Sisters of Staten Island (MSSI) is a women-led organization working tirelessly to uplift women and children, especially those affected by trauma and other life challenges, in Staten Island, NY. For 11 years, MSSI has made a positive impact on the lives of many, through youth camps, winter warm drives, educational programs, civic engagement, welcoming baby initiatives and more.”
MSSI also has an endowment with AMCF — a permanently invested fund whose returns support their programs for generations to come. As MSSI shared about the partnership:
“Our organization had just embarked upon submitting grants. We had a grants making organization research grants for us and found AMCF — we had won an endowment grant. This was an exciting thing for us, especially that it was from a Muslim organization. We decided to keep the funds in the endowment as a reminder and inspiration of our humble beginnings and growth and what we can accomplish with patience.”
MSSI holds a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency — the highest level of nonprofit transparency, demonstrating their commitment to accountability and impact reporting.
Why This Matters
Organizations like MSSI do the quiet, essential work of community building. They’re not the headline-grabbing international relief organizations. They’re the local lifeline — the group that shows up with warm coats in winter, runs camps so working parents have support in summer, and provides a place where women facing trauma can find help.
When you empower Muslim women at the community level, the ripple effects spread. Children grow up with support systems. Families stay connected. Neighborhoods become stronger.
This is what grassroots philanthropy looks like.
Support Muslim Sisters of Staten Island
Give to their endowment: MSSI has an endowment with AMCF. Your gift is invested permanently, with returns supporting their programs forever. This is sadaqa jariya — ongoing charity that keeps giving.
Through the Women’s Giving Circle: Join AMCF’s Women’s Giving Circle and help fund organizations like MSSI that are led by and serve Muslim women.
Join the Women’s Giving Circle →
Through your DAF: If you have a Donor Advised Fund with AMCF, you can recommend a grant directly to Muslim Sisters of Staten Island Inc. (EIN: 46-5695272).
Learn more about MSSI: Visit their website to see their current programs and volunteer opportunities.
The Power of Women-Led Organizations
MSSI is one of 18 organizations nominated for AMCF’s 2025 Women’s Giving Circle cycle — all of them led by or primarily serving American Muslim women. From Muslim Women in Technology to Zaman International, from the Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community to the Muslim Prisoner Project, these organizations represent the breadth of work Muslim women are doing across America.
The Women’s Giving Circle exists because Muslim women are the driving force in charitable giving, but this isn’t always reflected in leadership and decision-making structures. When women make the decisions about where philanthropic dollars flow, organizations like MSSI get the support they deserve.