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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    Philanthropy in Jordan
    (Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, Lilly Family School of Philanathropy, Indiana University, 2025) Abu Rumman, Samir; Supiyan, Yusri; Siddiqui, Shariq; Cheema, Jehanzeb; Wasif, Rafeel; Kesgin, Selman; Haque, Nazmul; Thapa, Sitashma
    The primary objective of this report based upon a nationwide representative survey (n = 1002) was to obtain information on charitable giving and volunteering patterns. The survey questionnaire included a demographic section followed by questions relating to charitable giving, zakat, volunteering, and waqfs.
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    Philanthropy in Kuwait
    (Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, Lilly Family School of Philanathropy, Indiana University, 2025) Abu Rumman, Samir; Supiyan, Yusri; Siddiqui, Shariq; Cheema, Jehanzeb; Wasif, Rafeel; Kesgin, Selman; Haque, Nazmul; Thapa, Sitashma; Al Shayji, Abdulrazzak
    The primary objective of this report that is based upon a nationally representative survey (n = 821) was to obtain information on charitable giving and volunteering patterns in Kuwait. The survey questionnaire included a demographic section followed by questions relating to charitable giving, zakat, volunteering, waqfs, and NG0s.
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    Philanthropy in Pakistan
    (Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, Lilly Family School of Philanathropy, Indiana University, 2025) Supiyan, Yusri; Siddiqui, Shariq; Cheema, Jehanzeb; Wasif, Rafeel; Kesgin, Selman; Haque, Nazmul; Thapa, Sitashma
    The primary objective of this nationally representative survey (n = 2000 ) was to obtain information on charitable giving and volunteering patterns in Pakistan. The survey questionnaire included a demographic section followed by questions related to charitable giving, zakat, volunteering, waqfs, and NGOs. The overall analysis of the survey results for Pakistan sheds light on motivations and preferences for charitable giving, views and practices revolving around zakat, trends pertaining to volunteering, and perceptions and engagements with waqfs and NGOs. For certain findings, Pakistan's trends are similar to those of other Muslim-majority countries (refer to the other country reports for comparison). First, in­-person giving remains the most preferable method of charitable giving. Second, the widespread belief in zakat as a means of poverty and hunger alleviation reflects the belief that zakat should be channeled to immediate relief. On the other hand, other findings seem to apply only to the context of Pakistan. The lack of popularity for alternative means of charitable giving besides giving directly to individuals, the lack of trust in giving to state institutions, general unfamiliarity with waqfs, and the perceptions of NGOs, among other things, reflect this distinction. Pakistani respondents are also relatively split on whether zakat is a mandatory tax (42%) or a nonobligatory charity (58%), reflecting the absence of an overwhelming consensus on this issue. Regarding volunteering, respondents acknowledged other factors besides prosocial motivations that drive them to volunteer. These reasons are self-oriented, and they range from warm glow to "strategic" decisions where individuals are motivated by how volunteering can improve their career prospects and enable them to network and to be able to explore and familiarize themselves with causes they support and believe in.
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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