Fundraising for the 2013 Retreat for LGBTQ Muslims and Partners

The Retreat

I have the distinct pleasure, privilege, and truly humbling responsibility of serving as Chair for the 2013 Retreat for LGBTQ Muslims and their Partners resource mobilization efforts. This is the third consecutive year the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (MASGD*) organizes the Retreat, which takes place at the end of May.

The Retreat is a uniquely diverse, radically welcoming and inclusive, safe and affirming place for LGBTQ Muslims and their Partners (not all of whom are Muslim). It is a rare place we can gather and be our whole selves, re/connect with the Divine and our faith traditions, and build community. For most, it is a time of meaningful reflection and necessary healing. It is also a remarkable moment of joy, seeing old friends, and making new ones.

Our fundraising helps us offer 15 scholarships to attendees who could not otherwise attend, and to offset operating expenses. We are at about 2/3 of our $6,500 goal, having raised a little over $4,500 so far. 

Gratitude

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has given, and those who have asked others to help. We would not be where we are without every single one of you. Beyond material and financial support, it has been enormously heartening to receive the moral support that each gift communicates.On the behalf of the Retreat Planning Committee, Scholarship Recipients, Retreat Attendees and, of course, myself, I thank you.

We are not done, however. In this final month before the Retreat, we must close the gap to our goal amount.

Can you help? 

In this time of widespread Islamophobia, Muslims need community and support. Some LGBTQ Muslims may not feel safe or be accepted as they are within their home and faith communities. This is an especially difficult time for all of us, and the Retreat is a unique setting fostering healing, spiritual renewal, and connecting people to a loving community. With your assistance, we can help people in need find this safe community embrace.

Can you give $15, $25, $50, or another amount both meaningful and possible for you, today?

If you can't give, can you "get"? Meaning, do you know folks you could ask to donate? $5, $15, $25? Every amount helps! If you ask 5 people for $5 and get that, it's $25 raised! If you ask 10 people for $10 and get that, it's $100!

It can be uncomfortable to ask for money, but I hope you will find courage in this project's worthiness. Like me, you may find motivation in a shared commitment to facilitating access for folks who otherwise could not attend.

Fundraising Tips

If you are willing to join me on the adventure of fundraising for the Retreat (or if you are interested in fundraising in general), I offer the following tips. I hope you will find them useful:

Tip #1: Set A Personal Goal.

This can be pie-in-the-sky, if you like a challenge, or it can be a realistic goal adding up what you think everyone you plan to ask can give (see Tip #2). Some people suggest Tip #2 comes first. I find that setting a goal and writing it down sets the intention out into the Universe and can be a personal motivator. After I've set my goal, I can make my list as long or as short as it needs to be to reach my goal. As with all activity, making a plan gives me a better chance of realizing my goals.

Tip #2: Map Out Who You Know & Set Individual Asks

Make a list of who you know. Estimate what you think they might be able to give or what you think is reasonable to ask of them. Make a game of it! I took this as an opportunity to draw and get my creative juices flowing. I had fun, drawing simple shapes:

• A map of the world
• An intercom interface
• A hand (I tried for henna patterns and failed, so kept it simple)
• A tree (they are called giving trees, after all)
• A flower with petals (or is this a Sun? Hey, at least I'm trying! :))

You can use my examples, or draw whatever shapes you want, or simply make a list (and you don't need to stop at 5!). I never got around to designing:

• A computer tower: write names & amount on wires hooked up to it
• A book shelf full of books: write names & amounts on the spines
• A subway map: write names & amounts on the train lines

... you get the idea.

Tip #3:Make Your Ask In Person Or By Phone.

Personal requests usually work best, followed by emails, posting on FB, etc. One suggestion: practice asking with a friend. I'll role play the asks with you if you want! It's OK to follow up, people are busy. I know I appreciate follow up.

Tip #4: Ask For A Specific Amount.

I've heard people give both sides of this, to ask a general, "Give what you can," or a pitch that is more specific, "Can you give $20?" Normally, you ask for one amount, not a range (like I have above). But I'm bending the rules. You can too! (These are suggestions.)

Tip #5: Every Gift Matters.

Some people feel if they can't give a certain amount, it is not worth giving at all. I've solicited and seen gifts of all amounts (our smallest gift was $1 and our largest was $500); they all add up. I've suggested to folks who feel challenged that if they can save a quarter a week for four weeks, that $1 will help. And if they have 10 friends who can do the same, that is $11 they could mobilize. Every bit helps. Plus, it's very important to us to have broad participation and support. With this in mind, don't forget to ask if your prospective donor has a matching gift program at their job.

Tip #6: Always Mention Donations Are Tax-Deductible.

The Retreat's fiscal sponsor, Muslims for Progressive Values, is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, so gifts are tax-deductible to donors to the fullest extent allowed by law. If your prospective donor is Muslim, they may care to know that gifts to MPV are zakat-eligible (zakat means "charitable giving," and is one of the basic tenets of Islam).

Tip #7: Get Creative!

If you don't feel comfortable asking for money out of the blue, maybe you have a birthday coming up and can ask people to make a donation in lieu of a gift. Or you can host a potluck with friends and have a suggested donation jar. Or ask an artist friend to donate artwork for which you can have a silent auction. Or if you are a poet, offer to craft a personally commissioned poem for a specific donation level. Maybe donate your Starbucks money for four Fridays in a row. Be creative! Have fun and make a game of it!

Tip #8: "No" Is An Acceptable Answer.

It can be hard to say no, almost as hard as it is to ask for donations. Have some compassion! Say thank you regardless of whether your pitch succeeds in generating a donation. A person's refusal is not personal, it reflects their capacity to provide financial support at that moment or their giving priorities (which are not about you). You brought the project to their attention, which is great, and have offered an opportunity to be an Ally. You connected intimately by virtue of doing something difficult (asking for money). Maybe they can't give now but will next year. It's all good (mashallah!). :)

Tip #9: Be Gracious.

Always thank people, whether they are able to give or not. They have given you their time in listening to you (as you have given me your time in reading this—so thank you!). 

Tip #10: Stay Positive.

All will be well (inshallah). A month ago some of us on the Planning Committee were unsure we'd have the $4,500 in hand as we do today. With positive thinking and faith, followed up by honesty, willingness, courage and action, we are here and we will proceed. We can do it, together!

Tip 11: Share, Share, Share.

Those of you on Facebook & Twitter who are comfortable doing it, can RT my asks or modify them or create your own. Let's amplify the call for donations and keep at it. Persistence pays off as folks mean to give and then forget. Also, you never know who will be interested in the project unless you talk about it with them.

Tip 12: Don't Give Up.

Fundraising, or resource mobilization, can be daunting and disheartening. Reach out for support. Vent with your friends and teammates. Pray or meditate if this is your tradition. Then get back to it. You are not alone, and you don't need to do this alone. 

Thanks for reading this. I hope you found it helpful!

Love, Light, & Peace,

Kamal

*Here's a short video announcement about MASGD, with the mission statement shared at minute 5:35 (MASGD is pronounced masjid, like the Arabic for mosque).

PS If you want to donate by check or money order, make it out to "Muslims for Progressive Values" with, "LGBTQ Muslim Retreat" in the notes field. Or, make an online donation, if you prefer. Checks should be sent to:

LGBTQ Muslim Retreat

PO Box 1562

Easthampton MA  01027-1562

To help us track check/money order donations, we ask donors to fill out this downloadable form.

Post Retreat Musings, Part 1

One day last week, I sat down and wrote out some thoughts about 2012 Retreat for LGBT Muslims and Partners ("the Retreat"). I wanted to write something about what I learned at the Retreat, what was meaningful to me. I wanted to share it with my fellow attendees, and also with all of my friends and family and other supporters who gave generously to fund scholarships and help us cover other costs, and those who are simply curious (I got a lot of questions). What follows is part one of my musings. 

***

I keep learning the power of just being. Just gathering. Connecting. 

Where two or more of us gather, Spirit is there. Maybe even where just one of us is, if we can quiet our mind's chatter, we can feel It. Sometimes. 

If I am open and discerning and see the signs, I hear It in what one of my brothers or sisters says to me. Or I see It as I gaze in wonder upon my surroundings. Something as simple as the trees can reveal, when I am open, the awesomeness of Creation that I all too often simply take for granted (like the air I breathe).

And why should I not see it all around me? Spirit, the Divinity, is everywhere. 

It is the Light that reveals Creation, and It is Creation. It is the Creator and the Created. It is All That Is. It is the Infinite, a never-ending Mystery.

I truly believe each of us has access to It and Its guidance, as well as to the serenity and peace promised us when we discern Its will for us and our best to follow it.

The process of seeking knowledge of the Divinity's will for us is a deeply personal one, something no one else can do for us. We must go within, to connect to where Spirit resides in us all. 

This does not mean that we must be alone when we do this. In fact, gathering is part of how we understand our personal mission even better. Sharing with others our personal process (and allowing them to have theirs) is part of moving further along this path of seeking.

And that, for me, is what was spiritual about the 2012 Retreat for LGBT Muslims and Partners. The Gathering. The Connecting. The Being. The Love. The Light. The Peace.

I thank you all who attended and were a part of it, a part of opening my eyes, each of you in your own way, to the Beauty that is Creation, and all the lessons and messages that the Creator would have me heed.

May the Spirit bless you all with joy, love, and ease as you walk through your life. Know that you are never alone. None of us is.

Love, Light, & Peace,

Kamal

Fundraising 101, Part 2

Last month I wrote a blog on fundraising, sharing some tips I had compiled from my own research on how to do fundraising for the 2012 Retreat for LGBT Muslims and Partners. Here is some follow up advice I gave to a friend (Abdurrafi Adkison), who recently reached out to do some fundraising to get to the Muslims for Progressive Values retreat in NYC in July 2012 (he needs $200). 

The retreat is coming up fast. July 13-15 promises to be a life changing event. I am attempting to attend. Due to some medical issues I have been set back financially. But through the generosity of family and friends I have raise all but $200 for my trip. I would like to ask to please consider donating to help me go to the Muslims for Progressive Values retreat. More information can be found at www.mpvusa.org. 

Click here to donate to help Abdurrafi get to the MPV Retreat. 

I wrote to Abdurrafi, sending him the link my blog post on fundraising, and adding the suggestions below. 

I share them here to disseminate his fundraising appeal, to amend my previous post in hope of helping other fundraising newbies like me, and since some of you may be helping us do fundraising for next year's Retreat, to give you a jump start on the process (start saving now people! Seriously, if you can set aside money for yourself and budget to also save $5 or $10 or $20 to donate on top of your registration fee, that would be awesome!): 

(1) post your "ask" regularly on your FaceBook page and other places and at different times (e.g. one day in the morning, one day at night, one day midday... well, you get the idea) since different folks have a different schedule for checking their FB and other social media or even emails; 

(2) post it daily or some other regular interval because people want to give and usually plan to get to it later and then forget, so they need and will appreciate the reminder; 

(3) make specific "asks" of specific people (send them an e-mail preferably after calling them to ask them or bringing it up in conversation), asking them for something you think is reasonable for them to give; 

(4) don't hesitate about soliciting small gifts ($5, $10, $20). Some people might be embarrassed to give a small amount, but be assured and reassure them the small amounts really do add up -- if my friend gets $10 from 20 people, he will cover his gap (he might consider asking 40 people for $10 each and maybe he will get the $200, since some people will say no) & if all 40 give $5 each he will get to his goal and if they don't all give he will still be closer to it; and lastly

(5) consider borrowing the amount from someone and pay it off at $20/month for 10 months or whatever is workable for you (and if you whittle it down with donations, then it won't be the full $200 that has to be borrowed)...

There are always more ideas that can come; my suggestions are not exhaustive. Be creative, be bold, and listen to your intuition.

Love, Light, & Peace,
Kamal 


Related Links: 
Muslims for Progressive Values (Principles)
MPV Retreat Registration and Program
Abdurrafi Adkison's fundrazr campaign to get to the MPV Retreat

Fundraising 101 & the 2012 Retreat for LGBT Muslims and Partners

I am involved with the 2012 Retreat for LGBT Muslims and Partners held outside Philadelphia, over Memorial Day weekend. I attended the Retreat last year, the first of its kind, an energizing and spiritually nourishing experience. This year, I am honored to be part of the planning and fundraising committees.

A friend just shared with me that he sent my blog in which I detail why the Retreat was so significant to me, to his father, and his dad (who had agreed to give $25 when initially asked) decided to give $50. I also got a note from a friend I asked to donate that he had done so, and found out he gave more than I asked (he gave $250!). I got other responses from friends who gave $14 (we were short of our target by $1400 so I committed to ask at least 10 people for at least $14, taking responsibility for 1/10 of the gap), $18, or $36, and other amounts that were meaningful to—and possible for—the giver.

This has all been awesome! Alhamdulillah!

So, thank you, everyone who has given thus far. And thank you to all who have asked your friends and family to help us meet our goals. Every little bit helps! It really does.

I’m not saying awesome because my blog inspired a friend’s father to give more (though I am very touched to hear it) or because I surpassed my targets, but because of my friend’s courage to ask and the beautiful surprise of being given more than I asked.

It’s also awesome because, candidly, I had to take my own courage in hand to send out my “asks.” Doing this fundraising made me very anxious. So if you are feeling nervous at the prospect of doing any fundraising, you are not alone!

Here are some steps I took to walk me through my fears:

(1) I admitted that I—like a lot of other people—have a hard time asking for money, and I accepted that it’s ok to feel awkward or anxious about it;

(2) I reminded myself that there is a real need, and took care to explain it in my “ask”; 

(3) I anchored myself in the faith and total support I have for this project, and for how it addresses the needs I described in my appeal; 

(4) I held on to the understanding that while my call is personal and personalized (my perspective on the need, my reasons I think the project valid, etc.), it is not a personal rejection if people say no (this is important); 

(5) besides which, even if a personal rejection, Gloria teaches me: I Will Survive; 

(6) I let folks I asked know I understood if they were not be able to help out in this way at this time, and that it is ok (no high-pressure sales tactics);

(7) a friend eased my mind, telling me that this is an opportunity to let someone help me, to let him participate in realizing a worthwhile project, which makes him feel good; 

(8) he shared with me that people want to give and do good, they want to be helpful;

(9) so by asking them for money, I am giving them that opportunity; 

(10) because our fiscal sponsor, Muslims for Progressive Values, is a 501(c)(3) organization, the gifts are tax-deductible in the USA (and I remembered to put this in my “ask”); 

(11) I asked for a specific amount that I felt would be reasonable for them; 

& 

(12) I took to heart what another friend told me: think of it as a conversation (maybe you do this by phone or in person—courage, my sweets—fundraising is best when done in person or by phone); my friend can respond, “I can't do $50, but I can do $30,” or, “Honestly, $20 is too much for me right now, but I can do $10.”

I hope this helps you! It helped me face my fears. And remember, when you ask, that every little bit helps!

Xoxo & love, light, & peace,
Kamal

Additional Fundraising Resources:

http://www.thefundraisingauthority.com/fundraising-basics/

http://www.cnmsocal.org/resources/fundraising-and-marketing/additional-fundraising-resources.html

http://www.nonprofithearts.net/rich/money.html

Sample Letter:

Dear [Your friend’s name here],

I'm writing to you today to request your help in reaching my personal goal of raising $1000 for the second annual Retreat for LGBT Muslims and Partners held outside Philadelphia, over Memorial Day weekend. I've raised at least $525, and I am hoping you can help me close the gap to reach my goal! As you know, I attended the Retreat last year, the first of its kind, an energizing and spiritually nourishing experience. This year, I am honored to be part of the planning and fundraising committees.

I will never forget the moment I heard a woman’s voice raised in the call to prayer, the adhaan, during last year’s Retreat (I detailed in my blog why this was so significant).

This call to prayer healed a rift in my soul, a rift in Spirit I had not realized was there. My visceral reaction was an experiential confirmation that excluding women from spiritual spaces and leadership deeply damages all of us, not just women. And the Retreat helps heal that injury: women call to prayer and lead prayers, and people of all genders pray side by side and not in gender-segregated spaces.

This Retreat is part of an historic global reformation and reclamation movement in Islam, and I am proud to be a part of it and to support it.

The Retreat also is a welcoming and inclusive space for incredible diversity: secular, atheist, cultural, or devout and practicing Muslims; Sunni or Shia, and all sorts within those two branches; Sufi and not; and of course, the partners who may or may not be Muslim. We are young(er) and old(er), of many genders and many ethnicities and races. We offer the Retreat at a time of tremendous need for safe spaces for our attendees, both as Muslim Queers in America, and simply as Queer Muslims. The Retreat mobilizes and solidifies an abiding respect for the values of diversity and inclusion that is beautiful to witness.

Sadly, we are short of our final goal (about $1400 short), so I am reaching out far and wide and asking folks if they can contribute at least $14. If even 10 of my friends do so, that will close the gap by a tenth. Other committee members are doing the same.

Please join me in supporting the scholarships we offer to 14 youth (18-25) and 5 youth+ (26+) to attend. 

Can you make a donation today of $50, $25, or $14? Your gift will help and they all add up! 

All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permissible by law in the USA, as our fiscal sponsor, Muslims for Progressive Values, is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.  You can give via PayPal or, if you prefer not to give via PayPal, you can send a check or money order (if you do the latter, please fill out the attached form, as we need to track donations through MPV to ensure that all donations to The Retreat are attributed). 

Thank you.

Love, Light, & Peace,

Kamal