December Fundraising Season: What Can't You Do?

Every month I spend a small amount of time figuring out how to give back power (money, money, money) to my local community, how to raise awareness for cool projects (PDOs*) and help the wider world's poverty and orphans. These last two months have been particularly brutal as the cold winter has made millions of lives severely difficult, in addition to disasters that have struck many countries. If there's one thing Muslims are particularly stingy towards, it's charity. But I have found that even if you don't have the funds to give, or ability to support causes, you can support those who support charity - that is, encourage those people who do give sadaqah, work with da`wah projects and protect the weak - even if you can't.



These are some of the groups I was a part of/ donated towards/ supported/ promoted in Nov-Dec, and I'd really, really, really appreciate it if you would share them with everyone you know, and give a little of yourself towards their goals too. Please. A personal request.


Homeless in Pakistan & Bangladesh
"Feeling cold? The average temperature in Pakistan and Bangladesh is 5 °C (41 °F) in the months of December & January. Many children and families die from cold weather. Thousands living in tents in Pakistan may perish. Thousands living in streets and slums in Bangladesh may suffer the same fate. £10 - can supply blankets to a whole family."
{Donate at Just Giving.com/WinterHUGS}

Supporting Isolated Muslims
"A brother acting as Imam in a prison here in the U.S is very old and dying; the brother has no means at all or provision from people but he has faith. He literally has holes in his shoes and as his body is shutting down he can only eat certain things such as soup and mashed potatoes. There is also a sister with children in need of help with her bills as she's not working and has no provisions either. Give what you are able - remember money is needed but books tapes, DVDs/CDs, Muslim clothing, household supplies are also accepted (probably better)."
{Donate at Muslims Helping Muslims}

Rebuilding Pakistan - Brick by Brick
In the Pakistani cities I'm familiar with there are reconstruction projects for the citizens that were displaced due to the floods. Muslim Charity is on Phase 2 of its Rebuilding Brick by Brick project in the Punjab province where they use 100% of the donations and sponsors, to build houses for families through manpower alone. The first house (and others?) has been built with others in planning. Each house, like any modern building, needs land, planning permission, workers and equipment. So instead of giving a fixed amount to the homeless, you'd be paying towards their only home.
{What you can do at Muslim Charity: Rebuilding Pakistan}

Orphan Sponsorship
This is an issue particularly close to my heart's concerns. I never met an orphan I didn't love; I'm currently planning to build an orphanage inshaAllah. A sponsorship is a process where you "choose" an orphan from lists provided by organisations, fill out a form or make a phone call to set up monthly payment details and start educating and protecting a little human. Depending on the charity's system you can write to and receive letter from your orphan child. I sponsor two orphans, one of which is ditzy little Vina aged 5 from Mozambique. I recommend these charities for orphan sponsorships:

• Muslim Hands (£27/month)

"All sponsored orphans are individually selected. Only poor orphans (an orphan is a child whose father has passed away) are selected. A child's age, family size and living conditions are assessed. Once sponsorship has begun our trained staff maintain regular contact with the child to ensure well-being and the progress through school. Upon sponsorship we will send you an information pack  of the orphan you are sponsoring - their age, circumstance, schooling, information about their community and a local address for correspondence. In addition, MH will continue to provide you with annual feedback updates on the child's wellbeing and school reports."
{Sponsor an orphan through Muslim hands}

• Human Appeal International (£25/month)

Send orphans a gift from £10, equip a classroom for £500, and sponsor a teacher for £100 per year. Human Appeal has 37 'urgent' orphans with the majority of the orphans originating from Tanzania, Pakistan and Lebanon.

{Sponsor an orphan through Human Appeal}

• ActionAid (£15/month)

"Just 50p a day through ActionAid child sponsorship could bring a child an education, and help their whole community access safe clean water, nourishing food and the opportunities they need to change their future, for good. After you become a sponsor, we'll introduce you to a child with a photograph and some information about their life and the problems they face."
{Sponsor an orphan through ActionAid}

Share the support and give what you can for a Convert Muslim Sister in Need; imam Suhaib Webb & sr. Yasmin Mogahed are acting as her wali (guardian).

Boost the expansion of Muslim Community Fund - br. Bilal Hassam's 'Charity Giving' page is fundraising to sponsor an exceptional young Muslim in her Post Graduate studies at a world leading academic institute.

Support the ongoing Muslims Against Hunger Campaign; I write about them on my eco jihad blog.

RIGHT. Shukran for helping, ciao for now.

ps. if you're part of any noble charity, send it my way too.

*PDOs = Zaufishan jargon for Potential Da`wah Opportunities.

More:
Giving Refuge to Pakistan Flood Victims
The Benefits of Charity
Job Opportunity @1st Ethical Charitable Trust
10 Easy Steps To Developing Imaan Before Sleep