Browsing by Author "Thapa, Sitashma"

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    Muslim American Zakat Report 2023
    (Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, 2023-08-29) Hughes, Micah; Thapa, Sitashma; Cheema, Jehanzeb; Ajmal, Mariam; Wasif, Rafeel; Siddiqui, Shariq; Paarlberg, Afshan; Noor, Zeeshan; Mofawaz, Mohannad
    Zakat, the third of the five pillars of Islam, refers to obligatory alms for all eligible Muslims and is required by God. Often described as an alms tax and a form of “financial worship,” an individual’s intentions determine whether a zakat act is charitable. The 2023 Zakat Report expands knowledge about everyday zakat practices among U.S. Muslims. This report branches out from existing zakat research as it aims to understand lived perspectives and contemporary techniques. Using an SSRS cross-sectional survey, we research U.S. Muslim nonprofit organizations offering tools (i.e., zakat calculators, social media, etc.) and opinions regarding how to perform charitable acts. This report also researches the link between socio-economic demographics and zakat giving. Our findings emphasize the importance of thinking beyond numbers when considering Muslim philanthropy and understanding practices beyond Western-centric definitions.
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    Ramadan, U.S. Muslims, and Zakat: Insights from a National Survey
    (Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2024-03-28) Siddiqui, Shariq; Thapa, Sitashma; Cheema, Jehanzeb; Ahmed, Tulip
    Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, observed by Muslims through fasting from dawn to dusk. In 2024, it began in early March and ends in early April. This report explores the link between Ramadan and zakat, a mandatory form of almsgiving and one of Islam's five pillars. A survey of 1,136 U.S.-based Muslim adults revealed that the majority prefer giving zakat during Ramadan, often through fundraising iftars or community prayers. Demographic trends show that Muslim women, married individuals, those in the $50,000-$75,000 income bracket, and the 30–39 age group, particularly registered voters, have a higher propensity to give zakat during this period. Additionally, higher religiosity levels correlate with increased zakat giving during Ramadan, offering insights for nonprofit and Muslim faith-based institutions.
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    Türkiye Giving Report
    (Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2024-10-01) Kesgin, Selman; Haque, Nazmul; Thapa, Sitashma; Cheema, Jehanzeb; Wasif, Rafeel; Siddiqui, Shariq; Durak, Muhammed Burkay; Abu-Rumman, Samir
    Türkiye is a nationalist, secular, parliamentary democracy, which has a unique geographic passageway between the continents of Europe and Asia. Türkiye is recognized as one of the leading donors of humanitarian aid when measured in proportion to its national income. The tradition of charity (almsgiving) is deeply rooted in society which inherited from its long and old glorious past, especially from the Ottoman empire. Moreover, Islam along other religions play crucial role in philanthropic endeavors. Foundations, charities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are considered formal forms of philanthropy in Türkiye, while informal philanthropy is based on community-based spontaneous acts charity. This report aims to understand charitable giving trends across major urban centers in the Republic of Türkiye. The survey was conducted in various urban cities with 1,210 adult respondents with a questionnaire focusing on demographic characteristics, charitable giving, zakat, and volunteerism. The report explores the motivations behind both general charitable giving and Zakat giving. The report indicates that the majority of giving is in-kind while a significant number of donors engaged in volunteering activities in time of disaster. The report also addresses the trust issues related to civil societies and charities among individuals.
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    U.S. Muslim Women’s Philanthropy Report 2023
    (Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, Lilly Family School of Philanathropy, 2023-12-27) Hussain, Nausheena; Cheema, Jehanzeb; Thapa, Sitashma; Toosi, Massumeh H.; Hughes, Micah; Siddiqui, Shariq
    Philanthropy plays an important role in the daily life of U.S. Muslims. The Muslim American Zakat Report 2022 found that Muslims gave an estimated 4.3 billion dollars in zakat. Despite these impressive numbers, a large gap in understanding U.S. Muslim demographics and dynamics exists. U.S. Muslims, especially Muslim women, are not adequately researched nor their giving patterns understood. This report departs from existing literature on U.S. Muslim women that centers topics such as stigma, negative stereotypes, and discrimination, and, instead, sheds light on Muslim women’s philanthropic behaviors and generosity by analyzing survey data on demographic characteristics, religious beliefs and practices, donation and zakat giving, and volunteerism