To engage, support, advocate, and lead with – and for – Muslims in Philanthropy
Why MPN?
In 2023, several Muslim Philanthropy professionals began an ambitious project: to engage, support, advocate, and lead with – and for – Muslims in Philanthropy.
To do this, we listened first.
Muslim funders, leaders, teams, and practitioners we consulted all over Canada expressed the following challenges and needs:
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
- Worries about losing status; 63 Notices of Intention to Revoke (NITRs) were sent to Muslim Canadian charities between 2015 and 2019. Only 38 were allowed to submit a response, 25 had to obtain an order from the federal appeals court.
- Experiencing getting audited regularly; for example, a 2021 report found that Muslim charities are disproportionately targeted for audits by the CRA.
- A need to disburse funds to unqualified donees requiring special expertise and caution.
Poor Governance and Operations
- A desire for more capacity-building and resources especially for Boards and leadership.
- A desire for connections to qualified would-be Board Members and Executive talent.
Fundraising and Revenue Generation
- Difficulty fundraising and accessing public funds, grants, and corporate sponsorships, partly due to misconceptions or funder/sponsor biases.
- A desire to establish a best practice in Muslim Philanthropy and to learn best practices from the greater non-governmental sector.
Islamophobia, Anti-Blackness, and Inclusion
- Concerns about Islamophobia’s effect on our sector. In arguably the worst political climate for Canadian Muslims since 2001, funders, leaders, teams, and practitioners were deeply worried about their ability to raise and disperse funds, and operate effectively to meet their missions.
- Concerns about the unique experience and needs of Black Muslims and Black Muslim organizations, leaders, teams and practitioners.
- A desire for equity, justice, representation, and meaningful inclusion of our diverse Muslim ummah in the Canadian non-governmental sector, and a desire to support and advocate for diverse needs.
- A commitment to Indigenous communities and a desire to build meaningful inclusion of Indigenous people into our organizations and work.
Compensation, Burnout, Culture
- Difficulties in the ways we work and are compensated. Excessive workload, high stress, limited resources, unmanageable expectations, and prolonged working hours.
- A desire to leave the philanthropy sector due to physical and emotional exhaustion, decreased performance, and health concerns, often compounded by cultural and community-driven pressures.
- A self-described “scarcity mentality” and a noticeable culture of sector competition over collaboration.
Through many conversations, it became clear that we need to surface what works and what does not in Muslim Philanthropy.
We need resources on Muslim Philanthropy, collaboration, and new and better ways of working tailored to the current moment and our unique cultural and community-driven needs.
We need a Muslim Philanthropy Network.
Who Is This Network For?
- Muslim-led and Muslim-serving organizational leaders, teams, and practitioners
- Muslim leaders and practitioners in non-denominational or other faith organizations
- Muslim funders and individual philanthropists
What is the MPN Working On?
Annual MPN Summit
A yearly summit to examine the sector’s needs, establish benchmarks, promote collaboration, surface key learnings, and build best practices.
Virtual and Regional Networking Opportunities
Opportunities to connect professionals, organizations, and stakeholders within Muslim Philanthropy.
Resource Library
Access to research, toolkits, templates, and other resources tailored to Muslim Philanthropy.
Cultural and Religious Compliance
Expertise in navigating cultural and religious considerations specific to Muslim Philanthropy.
Digital Tools and Platforms
Digital tools for communication, collaboration, and management tailored to the needs of Muslim Philanthropy.
Workshops & Trainings
Workshops and trainings tailored to organization and audience needs.
Our Board of Directors
Ambar Syed, CFRE
Board Chair
Director of Philanthropy
Peel Children’s Aid Foundation
Raymond Soussa, CFRE
Board Member
Community Relationships Investor
Islamic Family and Social Services Association
PhD Candidate
University of Lisbon
Muhsin Kermalli
Board Member
Senior Advisor, Anti-Islamophobia
City of Brampton
Former Executive Director
Naseeha Mental Health
Hussein Sajjad Hussein
Board Member
Senior Consultant Organizational Transformation
Deloitte
Director of Marketing and PR
Ahlul Bayt Television Network