Author's note: Zakat is a sacred pillar of Islam and not to be played with. Only ask for Zakat if you're 100% certain your effort is Zakat eligible.
Lowest hanging fruit: Ask for Zakat!
The biggest missed opportunity we see with campaigns: they fail to let their donors know they are eligible to receive Zakat!
Zakat is 1 of the 5 pillars of Islam, and it's owed on wealth, not earnings. So even in a down-year every qualified donor has an obligation to pay their Zakat.
That means they're actively looking for good causes to fulfill this obligation.
You may think they're doing you a favor, but also you're doing them a huge favor by fulfilling those rights!
It's a win-win!
Zakat donations more than DOUBLE!
Zakat donations on LaunchGood are 2.3x higher than normal (non-zakat) donations!
Imagine you got 100 donations, all regular charity - that'd get you ~$6,000.
But if it was all Zakat?
Over $14,000!
Power of Zakat: Sending Aunty Rashieda to Hajj
Recently my friend & teacher Haroon Sugich reached out to me wanting to help an unsung hero in South Africa, Aunty Rashieda, go for Hajj with her elderly husband. We quickly crafted a campaign to raise $5,000, and almost as an after thought we had it reviewed and approved for Zakat by the LaunchGood Zakat scholars.
Within one day of going live he hit his goal!
When I looked at the donations, I was struck how many of the donations were marked off as Zakat: 75% 🤯
Would those same people have supported if it wasn't Zakat eligible? Probably.
Would've they given hundreds and thousands of dollars as their donation? Probably not.
Even in a down economy, zakat is owed and it's paid from accumulated wealth, not that year's income. So there's always plenty to go around.
Just make sure to ask for it!
Wasalam,
Chris
ps - Need help? That's what we're here for.
We're passionate about the Muslim community and believe there's so much potential within us.
We'd be honored to help you maximize your fundraising this Ramadan, feel welcomed to reach out and schedule a free consultation here to:
- Create a Last 10 Nights of Ramadan strategy
- Craft the most compelling story/fundraising pitch for donors
- Set up peer-to-peer page for your community
Chris Blauvelt is the CEO & founder of LaunchGood.com, a passionate Muslim American entrepreneur committed to building up the global Muslim community to reach its full potential.
