Mahmood Hassan

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• Mahmood Hassan
• Chairman, Islamic Aid
• Building support -
• direct mail fundraising

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• Whoever saved a life it would as if he save all
  of humanity
• Quran

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Building support - direct mail fundraising

• The story of Islamic Aid
• Background how things started?
• Where are we today?
• What we do and how we do it?
• What made it a success?
• Can lessons be applied elsewhere?

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My primary school as it is today
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Islamic Aid - background

• Came to the UK in 1988 for MBA
• Worked in the commercial sector
• Interest in charities in the aftermath of the
  Bosnian crisis in 1994
• Started my own business in 1998
• Introduced Islamic Aid in 2000
• 11th Sep 2001 - a business disaster for me but
  more focus on Islamic Aid

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Islamic Aid - mission

• Islamic Aid seeks to make immediate and lasting
  improvements to the lives of people affected by
  poverty, war and disaster

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Islamic Aid - our work

• Tahiras family A case study
• Family surviving on 6 per month
• Living a life of extreme hardship
• Cash help to meet immediate needs
• Joined Ujala School in her village
• Introduced to livelihoods programme
• Introduced to healthcare programme

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Tahira is now at high school, hoping to one day
become a teacher at Ujala School
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Islamic Aid - figures

• Raised 14 million to-date
• Recruited 55,000 donors
• Last year raised nearly 3 million
• In the first 8 months of current financial year,
  22 more than last year
• In the UK, employs 1 part-time staff with temps
  during fundraising peaks

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Islamic Aid - fundraising strategy

• Direct mail only control temptations
• Extensive use of the database of 1.2 million UK
  Muslims
• Ramadan mailing - main cold and warm mailing -
  targets almost all households
• Then, four mailings to donors only - education,
  healthcare, livelihoods and emergency relief

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Islamic Aid - fundraising strategy

• Very focused
• Excellent information management
• Targeted yet mass market approach
• Long copy cold mail appeals
• Creativity
• Template approach for material
• Analysis, evaluation of list and appeals
• 66 Gift Aid donations target is 70

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Islamic Aid - fundraising strategy

• Very efficient donations handling
• Follow up thank-you within 3 days
• Very warm and personal approach
• 24 hours donor support line
• No use of complimentary slips
• 92 per cent of donations traced to source
  campaign, appeal etc

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Islamic Aid - fundraising

• Most successful fundraising appeal
• Ramadan Appeal 2008
• Mailing to 483,000 warm/cold contacts
• Fundraising appeal total 1.1 million
• Received 12,500 donations
• Recruited 4,200 new donors
• 485 donors signed up to give regularly through
  direct debit 58,000 per year.

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Islamic Aid - future plans

• Further improving the quality of everything we do
  
• Organisational development
• Channel diversification - internet etc
• Geographic diversification - US...

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Can lessons be applied elsewhere?

• Case of Practical Action
• Different audience, message, size of charity and
  relationship (trustee)
• Focus, impact of materials, clear and targeted
  messaging
• Networking
• Lesson learning

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• When a man dies his actions come to an end
  except for three an ongoing charity knowledge
  that benefits others or pious offspring who pray
  for him.
• The Prophet Muhammed
• (peace be upon him)