Become a "Founder" of the ING Endowment

Become a “Founder” of the ING Endowment

Salam alaikum/greetings of peace:

As you may know, since 2012 ING has discontinued the practice of holding fundraising events that feature a preacher exhorting people to give. This practice felt very uncomfortable for many of our donors, including some of the ING board members and staff. Thankfully, ending this practice did not affect our revenues.

In 2015, in order to serve our donors better, we’re starting a new type of event that will be held exclusively for our donors and their guests.

Please save the date Saturday, May 9, 2015 , for this first-of-its-kind event. It will be held at 7pm at the Santa Clara Marriott, 2700 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA, open only to “Founders” of the ING Endowment, and will feature an update on our extraordinary accomplishments. More details on the event will follow separately.

How does one become a “Founder” of the ING Endowment?

As previously announced, ING began an endowment in the fall of 2014, and all donations from August 2014 forward have been distributed between the endowment and current operations. The percentage distributed depends on the amount contributed or pledged, unless the donor directs otherwise. More info here.

Until we reach our first milestone, anyone who donates $100 or more to ING will be called a “Founder” of the ING endowment, since ING will be earning money from your donation in perpetuity.

Additional titles and attributions will be given to donors at higher levels.

Please consider investing in ING by donating today. Donating before the end of year is also tax-deductible for the current year.

The importance of ING to your children and the future of American Muslims:

To put it briefly, ING’s value lies in providing a national, grassroots medium for diverse American Muslim voices that are alternatives to the “Media Muslim.”

It’s no understatement to say that these are difficult and challenging days for Muslims, with new bad news coming nearly every week. From the horrific actions of groups like Boko Haram, ISIS, and the recent attack in Peshawar, to the criminal actions of individuals such as the recent hostage taking in Australia and attacks in France, it appears that there is no end to the deranged and criminal actions of extremist Muslims that continue to paint our religion with a broad and negative brush.

But one bright light at the end of the tunnel is American Muslims, who as a group make up one of the brightest and most talented and prosperous groups of Muslims in the world. We have the creativity, dedication and know-how to combine the best that is in America with the inspiration and spirituality of our faith to create an alternative that is viable, beautiful, and hopeful.

ING has been and continues to be at the forefront of this effort with its educational programs and initiatives to foster understanding, dialogue and peace. ING seeks not only to educate Americans of other faiths about Islam at a time when it is being demonized both by those within and outside the faith but also to promote the literacy of American Muslims about their own faith through certification of our speakers and through our youth program. These two equally important goals together create a symbiotic relationship that enables us both to visualize and embrace a vision of Islam that stands apart from the false archetype imposed on it by extremists within and Islamophobes without, a vision that calls us to spirituality, pluralism and harmony.

Through our presentations, interfaith panels, online curriculum, diversity trainings, Affiliate network (now grown to 22 states), youth program and more, ING is helping to create uniquely American Muslim identities and presence that replace the “Media Muslim” and the voices of hate.

Your partnership and support has helped us to give a voice to American Muslims for the last 22 years, and with your donation to our endowment, we will continue to expand and grow in many more ways.

Sincerely,

Maha Elgenaidi
Trustee and CEO