Founder’s Corner
SNMC Journey (Part 5): Fundraising Dinners, Tools, and Growth
On June 3, 2007, SNMC held its first fundraising dinner, a milestone for the community. We received non-profit status in 2005 and CRA charity status in January 2007.
To be frank, we ourselves didn’t know what a fundraising dinner was. In 2005/06, we attended 8–10 fundraising dinners organized by different charity organizations; none was organized by a masjid.
We learned how tickets were sold, who the guests were, and how donations were collected. We faced several obstacles before and after the first fundraising dinner, as the SNMC team was unfamiliar with the process. We observed that masjids typically brought food potluck-style to general meetings in community centers and raised around $10k–$20k.
Two major masjids clearly stated that a fundraising dinner was a bidah. After our first dinner, one masjid even declared during Jumah that someone in Ottawa was doing bidah to build a masjid.
We had a significant issue within the SNMC team. Like other masjids, they wanted to hold the event at the Walter Baker Community Hall, bringing food and raising money. We explained how fundraising at Centurion Banquet Hall works—where people pay $40 for tickets, and so on. We convinced them to host the event at Centurion. We assured them, InshaAllah, that we would raise $250k–$300k and promised to cover any losses ourselves. Eventually, the SNMC BOD agreed.
We asked over 100 SNMC volunteers to sell five tickets each: $40 for adults, $20 for children. We also provided free daycare. My daughter printed 600 tickets at home, and the event date was fixed for Sunday, June 3, in consultation with the SNMC team and two masjids in Ottawa and Gatineau. After consulting experienced friends, we invited Sh. Ahmed Shehab from Toronto as the keynote speaker. Over the years, we tried various speakers but found Sh. Ahmed Shehab to be the most effective.
Starting in March 2007, we attended six fundraising dinners, sat at tables, and handed out five tickets each to unknown brothers willing to help, collecting their names and phone numbers. Eventually, we sold nearly 600 tickets. Over 500 multiethnic guests attended, and everyone was happy and surprised.
From January to March 2007, we spent three months preparing the first flyer and targeted city land through a real estate agent at Beatrice and Claridge for $750,000.
Before the first fundraising dinner, we used weekly meetings to discuss ticket sales, activity assignments, kids’ daycare management, money collection, donor calls, and thank-you letters.
We developed a policy for Friday collections, fundraising dinners, and trips: two people count cash, one person enters data into CRA Tax software, and another deposits the money in the bank for security and authenticity.
Inside the banquet hall, we faced seating arrangement issues. Finally, we divided the hall into three segments: brothers-only, sisters-only, and family. We rented Centurion Hall, known for hosting dinners, with Br. Munir Shah as the caterer. Alhamdulillah, from April to May 2007, we raised nearly $100k through cheques and cash before the event and another $100k at the dinner. Additional fundraising trips to Montreal and Toronto brought in another $50k, allowing us to meet our target. The SNMC team was delighted.
In 2008, we raised only $150k due to less effort. By early 2009, we had $400k cash in SNMC’s bank account, a significant achievement.
In 2009, two masjids requested SNMC to pause its project and give them the $400k for their ongoing projects. We loaned $50k to a third masjid with BOD approval and continued our annual June fundraising dinners until 2014, raising $100k–$150k each year.
By 2009, we had established an internet system at 3131 Jockvale Musallah, a city-owned building. SNMC created its now-famous email, info@snmc.ca, forwarding messages to key BOD members, and introduced the first SNMC cell phone, 613-898-SNMC (7662). We also hired our first admin officer, Br. Wais Siddiqui, who carried the SNMC phone. In 2009, SNMC launched its website, www.snmc.ca.
During Ramadan 2009, we borrowed two debit machines from a friend’s store, raising over $3,000. Encouraged, we worked with BMO and Moneris Canada to acquire two debit/credit machines. Some brothers were upset about using such machines in a masjid, but we explained that they were widely used and interest would be avoided.
Through another friend, we introduced PayPal for donations. Initially, issues arose with donations from the USA and overseas, but Alhamdulillah, they were resolved. SNMC also pioneered monthly auto-deduction donations directly from donors’ accounts to SNMC’s account.
From 2007 to 2014, we frequently updated SNMC pledge forms and banners. The last versions are still visible at SNMC. We also introduced SNMC t-shirts and green bags.
In 2015, at the new SNMC masjid and center, Br. Munir Shah offered a courtesy dinner to SNMC, as he had catered every year from 2007 to 2013 at Centurion Hall.
No one questions fundraising dinners now. Even the two opposing masjids adopted the practice. The last fundraising dinner was in 2015, after which it transitioned into an annual community dinner.
We also introduced three types of SNMC volunteer appreciation awards:
- SNMC Outstanding Volunteers
- UMO-OG (Ottawa Gatineau Muslim Organizations)
- Non-Muslims or mainstream supporters who helped SNMC or other Muslim organizations.
Volunteer appreciation became a cherished part of fundraising dinners. We also awarded SNMC scholarships to high school graduates during these events.
The next two episodes will cover Friday fundraising trips and getting SNMC’s Saturday School recognized by the Ottawa-Carleton School Board.