Ramadan Mubarak, help us celebrate 6 years of AMCF!
Ramadan 1443/2022
Dear Supporter,
As salaam alaykum. May the well wishes of Ramadan bless you and your families. On behalf of the American Muslim Community Foundation (AMCF), we pray that you and your loved ones have stayed healthy and safe through this pandemic. AMCF’s journey since it was an idea in 2016 until today is a testament of your support and God’s Grace, thank you for being part of our story in the last 6 years.
Our team has grown significantly. Sarah Alfaham joined as our full time Executive Director in October 2021 and we brought on Nora Moorefield as our Donor Manager and Ola Mohamed as our Nonprofit Manager in February 2022. These infrastructural changes will help AMCF develop our internal and external policies. There is a lot more we hope to do and with your continued encouragement, we can do it, inshaAllah.
Since 2017, AMCF has established and managed over 145 Donor Advised Funds and 8 Giving Circles, distributing over $7.6 million to 300+ charities. AMCF has recognized Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month highlighting organizations throughout the year, inviting guests on our podcast, #MuslimPhilanthropy, and promoting them on social media. The work of a community foundation and the function of Donor Advised Funds (DAF) have played a critical role during this pandemic because these are accounts setup with assets and cash already dedicated for charitable giving. AMCF now manages 7 endowments and a dozen fiscal sponsorship partnerships. This basically means we help projects with solutions for short term and long term sustainability. AMCF has grown our board and staff this year and our hope is that you join us in continuing this meaningful work with your support.
So here are 5 reasons why you should help sustain AMCF as a monthly donor this Ramadan:
- We amplify your dollars. A gift to AMCF’s operations leverages your dollars up to 10 times further through our Donor Advised Funds and Giving Circles like the American Muslim Women’s GC (amuslimcf.org/womensgc).
- Empower nonprofits and their leaders. With one gift, you’re helping so many from international relief agencies to universities to food pantries to free health care clinics to refugee resettlement initiatives and social justice organizations. Follow our social media for more! We are bringing back the tradition of endowments and helping empower so many critical charities.
- Support the production of the #MuslimPhilanthropy Podcast: amuslimcf.org/podcast. This podcast features philanthropic industry and organization leaders from our Nonprofit Directory (amuslimcf.org/funded) where guests share their thoughts on organized donor giving, nonprofit best practices, and the lessons they learned along the way.
- Enhance thought leadership and discourse around Muslims being active participants in philanthropy. AMCF anonymizes data on charitable giving and securely shares it with leading researchers compiling statistics on American generosity like Giving USA.
- Sustain the Social Impact Accelerator. This program serves as an ongoing Nonprofit Resource Center with webinars for capacity building, and leadership development along with core infrastructural documents for leaders and their respective organizations: amuslimcf.org/accelerator.
When you join our monthly giving club, The Century Circle, we will help you have more conversations around zakat and sadaqa. AMCF created Muslim Philanthropic Values: In partnership with The Muslim Productive Company, leverging their Barakah Culture Cards. You can receive a card set or Sadaqa Box (your choice) with a minimum monthly gift of $10 or by participating in a Donor Advised Fund or Giving Circle. This is a perfect way to discover what motivates your charitable giving and have a fun activity with friends or family to discuss the causes you love supporting: amuslimcf.org/mpvc.
There is so much good in the world we can do together. AMCF is committed to tracking the impact of Muslim generosity. Whether you’re an ally or someone who identifies with the faith, your support builds good will toward the Muslim community. As an individual our name or singular gift can only have so much impact. However, donation from American Muslim Community Foundation on your behalf represents Muslim charitable giving to the broader society and demonstrates our steadfast commitment to social justice. As an ally, donor, advocate, and more, your partnership strengthens our voice.
Our plans for the future:
- Establish the National Muslim Planned Giving Council. Did you know that $30 trillion will be transferred from one generation to the next in the next 30 years? As Muslims we are encouraged to leave up to 1/3 of our will in estate planning to charity. Use this to establish your legacy and pass on best practices of charitable giving to your kids and loved ones. We want to create a network of accountants, tax advisors, financial planners, and estate lawyers to help encourage more giving through Donor Advised Funds.
- Engage mainstream philanthropy. We already receive funding from several community and family foundations, however it is only in the low five figures. Muslim-led nonprofits need more visibility from larger foundations and AMCF is perfectly positioned to help make a difference. It will take time and resources to build these connections and this is a primary way for us to push the envelope.
- Continue to scale. What we have is something special. Imagine if AMCF was working with 1,000 families and giving away billions of dollars. The potential is there, we just need your support to get there.
- Build our endowment. We set a goal to raise $5,000,000 for our endowment early on and we are still committed to that. Your gift today can help ensure AMCF is a standing household institution for generations to come.
- Educate the community. AMCF halted travel through COVID-19 like so many. It’s time to get back on the road and build relationships with those who can make a difference. Our community is generous. Help us connect the dots to philanthropists across the country. Let’s empower others to open DAFs and setup endowments today so that we can benefit from the hard work tomorrow.
AMCF’s goal is to raise $150,000 this Ramadan and $250,000 this year. Make a difference by strategically and collectively using your sadaqa and zakat in a meaningful way. In celebrating 6 years, whether you can support with a gift of $60, $600, or $6,000, your support today will ensure a lasting legacy and impact for Muslim philanthropy for today and future generations.
Join us on our mission by giving generously today committing online: amuslimcf.org/donation or texting AMCF to 71441.
With Gratitude,
Sarah Alfaham, Executive Director
Omar Hassan, Outgoing Treasurer and Incoming President, Board of Directors
Safaa Ibrahim, Co-Founder & Outgoing President, Board of Directors
Muhi Khwaja, Co-Founder & Director of Development & Philanthropy