The two key reasons why should charities be speaking to Muslim audiences and the three ways they should do so
Why fundraisers should be speaking to Muslim audiences
Reason 1: UK Muslims are a large, generous and engaged audience
There are now 3.8m Muslims living in the UK - that’s around 6.7% of the population - and they are some of the most generous donors in the country. On average Muslims give £371 to charity every year (compared with other faiths which are closer to £116-£270). Of course, most of these donations happen during Ramadan. During Ramadan 2018, £130m was donated by Muslim donors in a single month - and this number continues to grow year on year.
Beyond individuals, Islamic fundraising is also a substantial corner of the third sector. In 2020 The Ayaan Institute reported that UK Muslim humanitarian charities raised £708M for causes in that year - they also estimated that when this amount is combined with local causes (like mosques etc), the Muslim community is likely to be giving up to £1bn to charity every year, and that this could reach £4bn by 2050.
As Islamic giving continues to grow, it's clear that Muslim audiences in the UK are a large, hugely generous, and engaged group that certainly shouldn’t be ignored in the fundraising sector.
Reason 2: UK Muslims now comprise an established market sector
Not only are Muslim donors a valuable audience - in recent years we are also seeing Islamic Giving (and Ramadan) gain far more prominence in mainstream media and fundraising campaigns.
It’s hard to ignore the fact that Ramadan is becoming more commercialised, from having Ramadan Lights on Oxford Street, Eid cards in M&S, all the way to iftars (the meal eaten after sunset during Ramadan to break your fast) in ‘iconic’ British venues; whether that’s Wembley Stadium or Trafalgar Square.
And this doesn’t stop at the commercial sector, we are also seeing an increase in Ramadan / Zakat campaigns from non-Muslim charities in the UK.
This can definitely be seen as a positive movement - normalising British Muslim identity and embracing the amazing generosity of the Muslim community in the UK - but many charities are still not connecting with this audience in a meaningful way.
So, charities certainly shouldn’t be ignoring Muslim audiences, however - it is vital that the ‘popularisation’ of Islamic giving isn’t seen as just another ‘opportunity’ for a short-term funding boost once a year. All forms of Islamic giving are deeply meaningful acts of charity that are inherently connected to people’s faith and identity and should be approached with respect.
How fundraisers can we approach this audience in an authentic, ethical, and effective way?
This article will explore three of the key considerations when speaking to a Muslim audience about charitable giving.
Of course, these are not the only things to consider when approaching a topic like this, but are intended to be starting point when opening these conversations:
Understanding the significance and nuance of Islamic Giving
Not ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ of Ramadan
Being true to your own organisation’s voice
1. Understanding the significance and nuance of Islamic Giving
Zakat, or ‘Charity’, goes beyond a standard charitable donation for Muslims: it is one of the five pillars of Islam and a hugely significant act of worship and religious obligation, guided by and for God, intended to improve spirituality, generosity, and selflessness.
Zakat is a yearly donation of 2.5% of a Muslims ‘wealth’ beyond a certain threshold (nisab) to those less fortunate. Zakat can not go to just any charitable cause, 100% of the donation must go to Muslims in need.
For this reason, not just any charity can take Zakat donations - becoming Zakat-eligible is a long and detailed religious legal process and needs to be approached with care and commitment. In the context of Individual Giving, this is a highly, highly restricted donation!
However, there is another kind of Islamic Charitable Giving; Sadaqah.
Sadaqah is closer in definition to the idea of ‘being charitable’; it can embody all charitable acts or good deeds as well as general charitable donations without the same regulations and requirements of Zakat donations. Sadaqah is completely voluntary, at any time and for any one.
For these reasons, Zakat may not always be the right option for a non-Muslim charity and perhaps Sadaqah would be a more authentic first conversation when speaking to a Muslim audience…
2. Don’t jump on the Ramadan Bandwagon
So, it’s clear that it’s not possible to simply ‘jump on the bandwagon’ of Zakat and Ramadan giving. And, nor should we - possibly the most effective way to speak to potential Muslim donors is by starting small and building trust.
We know that Islamic giving is a considered process. Many of those who give Zakat plan far in advance or stay with the same organisation for many years. Studies from Muslim Census highlight that there are several factors at play when considering where Muslims donate their Zakat:
To connect with Muslim donors in a way that’s effective, an authentic and trustworthy relationship needs to be built. We also know that asking too much doesn’t work for a religious audience:
So where do you begin with building these relationships? Possibly the most authentic route is to speak to them about what they may already be doing with organisations like yours - giving Sadaqah. A Sadaqah appeal is an opportunity to continue to speak about your organisation and the work you do, but put it in the context of faith.
3. Use your own voice
It can be tempting to see how Islamic charities speak and want to replicate that by using a lot of Islamic language and terminology when trying to connect with potential Muslim donors. However, in the same way as starting with what they’re already doing (giving Sadaqah), probably the best starting place in terms of your voice is to speak to them about supporting your work in the same way as you do with any other donor - but connect it with their faith.
Talk like you and in your organisational tone of voice, talk about your work and why it’s important, but put it in the context of faith-based giving or Sadaqah.
This doesn’t have to be using faith-focused language or detailed terminology; we know that Muslim donors are inherently charitable, so speak about why your cause matters in a way that's authentic to you.
So, who is doing it well?
There are several non-Muslim organisations approaching Islamic Charitable giving really well. Below are a couple of examples that stood out to us:
ActionAid UK
The first is ActionAid. This year they ran a small value exchange campaign on their website offering a Digital Ramadan Recipe Book and the opportunity to donate Sadaqah Jariyah to ActionAid during the month of Ramadan.
There are several things that make this campaign a great example:
Firstly – it’s small and simple! There is no need to jump in at the deep end and feel you need a whole Zakat-eligible program before speaking to Muslim donors. This campaign simply sat on ActionAid’s homepage and gathered valuable and relevant leads organically.
It shows an approach that attempts to understand and connect with the audience - offering a recipe book that feels relevant and appropriate to the Muslim audience during Ramadan.
It feels authentic to ActionAid and is in their own voice.
- There is no attempt to use religious language or messaging beyond key terminology.
- They have included FAQs that answer questions on why they as an organisation have made the decision to fundraise around Ramadan.
-They are honest and clear about where the money is going and that is it Sadaqah Jariyah, not Zakat.
UNHCR Canada
Over the last few years, we have developed many Islamic giving appeals as part of our wider DRTV program with UNHCR Canada. They now have an established Islamic giving program on TV that runs across many of the Islamic and diaspora channels in Canada. Potentially the most interesting of these appeals are the Sadaqah adverts:
These appeals entail adapting one of the existing Regular Giving DRTV creatives to include an updated call to action that has a ‘Sadaqah’ ask.
UNHCR Canada, Winter Emergency
There are many benefits to this approach:
Firstly, as itis a Sadaqah appeal, it doesn’t have the same restrictions as a Zakat appeal and feels appropriate to run throughout the year. It’s a great way to ‘start small’.
Secondly, although going on TV with a new test can feel like a big commitment, it is actually one of the best platforms to test on:
- By using an existing Regular Giving Advert the messaging will still feel authentic and appropriate for your cause and there are minimal costs or creative amends needed
- It is actually one of the easiest ways to conduct audience targeting - The benefit of TV is that you can effectively ‘target’ a Muslim audience in a way that you can’t with other platforms (such as paid social), through bespoke religious or diaspora channels.
- Particularly in Canada and the UK, there is a wealth of these channels available - enough to sustain a creative test with a spend of up to £10k.
On average, these appeals receive an ROI of over 2 for UNHCR Canada.
So to conclude, more charities should be considering speaking to Muslim audiences; they are a substantial group of active and generous donors who shouldn’t be ignored. But the key to this approach is building connections with them in an authentic and ethical way. It’s vital that your organisation learns and understands the significance and nuance of Islamic Giving as well as not ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ of Ramadan and ensuring that you remain true to your own organisational voice.
If you found this article interesting, or would like to hear more about how Islamic giving could work for your organisation - please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Bio
Poppy is a Creative Strategist at DTV and has worked in fundraising for more than 5 years. Poppy works closely with a large range of charities globally, developing creative propositions and approaches for a variety of campaigns and products in the sector.