TL;DR
The secret to raising big on GivingTuesday? Personalized messaging sent directly to your network. Ashir Kirk (Founder Measured Tones) didn’t broadcast he used short links and storytelling to connect hearts to a cause.
Lessons in power hour competition and personalization from Measured Tones Institute
During the ten blessed days of Dhul Hijjah, Measured Tones Institute of Qur’an raised $40,600.00 USD across 16 fundraisers—fifteen of them to help students go for Umrah, and one to support their flagship campaign: Tajweed for All.
It wasn’t a GivingTuesday campaign, but the strategy behind it holds essential lessons for anyone planning to compete in this year’s GivingTuesday gamified challenges.
Who is Measured Tones Institute of Qur’an?
For over a decade, Measured Tones has made Qur’anic education more accessible and affordable. From tajweed to memorization, their mission has been to empower Muslims around the world with the beauty of Qur’an.
Their work is rooted in tradition, but their fundraising approach showed just how innovative and community-driven Islamic institutions can be.
The strategy that led to $40.6K in 10 days
The team behind the effort
At the heart of the push was Ashir Kirk, the founder and lead instructor at Measured Tones. It started as a small internal goal, helping a few students attend Umrah.
Ashir wasn’t a digital marketing expert. He didn’t have an agency team or a big budget. What he did have was:
- Deep trust in his community
- A compelling story for each student
- And a clear, repeatable strategy
He led the charge himself, with the support of students and volunteers who believed in the mission. They didn’t wait for the momentum to arrive. They created it.
Fundraisers with faces, not logos
Instead of launching one generic Umrah fundraiser, Ashir created 15 personalized fundraisers, each featuring a single student with a unique story. These were not just Umrah trips. Each one represented a personal transformation and spiritual milestone.
This turned every ask into a personal invitation: “Help me go to Umrah.”
Not: “Help us send people to Umrah.”
Story-first sharing
Each student was equipped with a clean, memorable short link, available on every LaunchGood fundraiser, and a story they could confidently share with friends and family.
The messaging was direct, personal, and value-driven. Instead of mass-posting to social media and hoping for clicks, they went person by person, circle by circle. Most of the sharing happened on:
- Instagram DMs
- Texts and group chats
Every donor felt like they were part of a real story.
This is how momentum was built
What looked like viral success from the outside was actually the result of intentional, sustained action:
- Each fundraiser had a champion – The student featured was the one sharing, asking, and updating.
- Personalized outreach – Messages were crafted specifically for friends, family, mentors, and local masjid groups.
- Screenshots and reminders – The LaunchGood team shared updates whenever a campaign entered the leaderboard. These small nudges kept the energy high.
- Clear impact – The main Tajweed for All campaign showed donors what their support would make possible: free tajweed education worldwide.
Power Hour strategy on the day of Arafah
On the final day of Dhul Hijjah, the day of Arafah, Ashir decided to make an intentional push for the leaderboard. He had already seen glimpses of success, but this time, he planned ahead.
He shared a heartfelt message with his network announcing that Tajweed Mastery, his most popular course, would now be completely free. He explained what that would take—and why their help was crucial.
He tied his call to action to the significance of the day of Arafah, and made sure to mention the ongoing Power Hour challenge running from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST.
The response was immediate: $2,000.00 USD raised in one hour.
Measured Tones climbed the leaderboard and went head-to-head with global organizations. But by the end of the hour, they had fallen to 8th place, missing the prize.
What happened next
Ten minutes after the Power Hour ended, a $3,000.00 USD donation came through.
If that donation had arrived just minutes earlier, Measured Tones would have won—and placed $500 ahead of the top charity.
It was a bittersweet moment. But Ashir’s reflection grounded it in perspective:
“...But it wasn’t written. Maa shaa Allah. The amount we raised is more than the zero we almost raised by not starting the campaign.”
Final thought
Measured Tones Institute raised funds to provide free Qur’anic education and help Muslims embark on spiritual journeys through Umrah. Their story reminds us that when you personalize your message, plan with intention, and reach out sincerely, your fundraiser can thrive, with or without a prize.
This GivingTuesday, start early. Make it personal.
Your effort, inshaAllah, will never go to waste.
LaunchGood
