Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

Is there any point – or is it really worth it – to invest our time and energy in running any fundraising initiatives during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah?

Muslims are generally aware of the great rewards in doing extra acts of worship during these blessed days, but will they be willing to support yet another fundraising campaign, particularly one that comes soon after Ramadan?

Why it's Worth it

There are many reasons why a Masjid or Islamic School should consider having a fundraising campaign during the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah, particularly if they fell short of reaching their Ramadan fundraising target two months prior. Three reasons stand out:

  1. Less competition – Every Ramadan we hear from almost every Muslim-run organization asking for donations, and in recent years these organizations have extended their appeal online. But many organizations overlook carrying out similar fundraising initiatives during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. Even those who do something about it, limit their initiatives to their local congregation. This means that competition is much less, particularly online!
  2. Second chance – Has anyone of us gone through our donor database and segmented all those who donated this past Ramadan?
    What about those who didn’t donate this past Ramadan, what was their percentage out of one’s full donor list? If it is a significant
    percentage, then they deserve a second chance, wouldn’t you say so! Yes, it’s normal for people to react to a call to action after
    multiple reminders, so you can consider Dhul-Hijjah a natural reminder for Ramadan’s call to action.
  3. Timing is better – In recent years Dhul-Hijjah would come during the summer months. We all know that in the summer routines change; kids are out of school, we spend more time outdoors, and we travel. So, it’s a bit more difficult to grab peoples’ attention and convince them to donate to a particular cause. These years however, the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah come ahead of the summer months. Timing can directly affect the outcome of a fundraising campaign, so having these blessed days during the school year is a big plus and a fundraising opportunity that should not be missed.

Dhul-Hijjah is a well-timed opportunity to naturally continue what was started in Ramadan, as Ramadan is still relatively fresh in peoples’ minds.

10-Day Campaign - 2024 Edition

Here is a practical guide to running a 10-day fundraising campaign during Dhul-Hijjah that requires little to no planning. It is assuming Dhul-Hijjah in 2024 begins on the 7th of June.


Prepare your online and offline premises

Two days before the beginning of the campaign, make sure you’re ready!

Online

When you are actively fundraising and people are frequenting your website and social media pages more often than usual, you need to be prepared. At a basic minimum, make sure to have a:

  • Clear call to action (purpose of needed funds)
  • Donate button with a straightforward donation process
  • Donation meter that accurately reflects your collection to date

Offline

As far as your offline premises, which would primarily be your Masjid (or musallah) if you have one, transform it into an optimal state for influencing potential donors to donate. You can do that by designating clearly marked donation stations.

Fundraising Campaign First 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah

This may be what stands between you and another $20,000, $50,000, or even $100,000 that goes toward your Masjid or Islamic School project.