as'salaamu alaykum,
As we enter into this 27th night of Ramadan, I'm reaching out to ask for your support of our project to get our own independent, permanent space at launchgood.com/OurOwnSpace.Â
We have two generous donors alhamduilllah who have agreed to match up to $2.6 Million on all contributions to our permanent space project until the end of the Ramadan! That's more than half of our $5M goal for this first phase. Be sure to give as much as you can at at launchgood.com/OurOwnSpace to help us max out on this gift or use one of the ways to donate listed under the button below. We have updated giving methods which makes it easier to donate stocks and crypto as well.Â
In case you missed it, my announcement email on the project is also below for more details on the project and how we will use the space inshallah.Â
Help The IC Get Its Own Space | Donate Today
WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE
Like many of our other initiatives, this space will function under its own non-profit. The Zakat Fund of NYC will serve as a fiscal sponsor in the interim inshallah and will send tax receipts for all contributions made in this first phase of fundraising. Â Outside of the launchgood, you can contribute through: Â
Wire Transfer: if you are interested in this option, please contact Imam Khalid Latif at [email protected] and wire transfer information will be provided. Â Â
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Benevity: If your workplace uses Benevity for corporate giving, you can find both the Zakat Fund of NYC or New York Zakat, Inc. listed - each will take you to the same organization. You can pick the "Help Build Our Islamic Center" project and your employer may even match your donation, doubling or tripling its impact inshallah.
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Check: checks can be made payable to our fiscal sponsor at  New York Zakat, Inc. and mailed to: Â
The Islamic Center at NYU Â
238 Thompson Street, rm 491
NY, NY 10012 Â Â
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Stock: You can make stock contributions now through the zakat fund of NYC's website at https://zakatfundofnyc.org/icspace by clicking the support button towards the top of the page.  It will take you to this page https://donorbox.org/help-the-ic-get-its-own-space which has an option for stock and another for standard donation.Â
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Crypto: You can also make a crypto contribution now through the zakat fund of NYC's website at https://zakatfundofnyc.org/icspace by clicking the support button towards the top of the page.  It will take you to this page https://donorbox.org/help-the-ic-get-its-own-space which has an option for crypto and another for standard donation.Â
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Qard Al Hasan: Â Qard hassan is a loan extended on a goodwill basis in which the borrower need only pay back the amount they borrowed, with no interest. If you are interested in making a contribution in this regard, please contact Imam Khalid Latif at [email protected]
Help The IC Get Its Own Space | Donate Today
As we enter into the last nights of Ramadan, Im reaching out to you to announce a new project that will be a huge milestone for our community: our own permanent space. Â Â
If you've been around the IC the last couple of months, you've likely heard me mention that this was something in the works. Now more than ever it is crucial that we have spaces for our community that we own, operate, and run ourselves. The IC has played a vital role for so many alhamdulillah but New York City needs its own stand-alone Muslim institution in Manhattan and I believe we are poised to give it that inshallah. Â Â
Post-COVID there are many large commercial spaces that are vacant throughout NYC.  We've looked at many of these around Washington Square Park, Union Square, and other areas nearby that range from 10,000 sq ft to 25,000 sq ft.  Alhamdulillah, some seem to meet our growing community's needs well and we anticipate moving forward on a location in the near future inshallah.  Our hope is to raise at least $5M in this first phase of fundraising inshallah and we are launching a crowdfunding campaign tonight at launchgood.com/OurOwnSpace. Â
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Help The IC Get Its Own Space | Donate Today
I write to you on this blessed night to request your help in making this project a reality. Â Please give what you can and share the link with others to encourage them to give as well. Â Like many of our other initiatives, this space will function under its own non-profit. The Zakat Fund of NYC, officially registered as New York Zakat, Inc., will serve as a fiscal sponsor in the interim inshallah and will send tax receipts for all contributions made in this first phase of fundraising. Â
Below you'll find more info on:Â
Help The IC Get Its Own Space | Donate Today
HOW WE WILL USE THE SPACE
We envision a center that will meet the growing needs of our community, its ever-increasing diversity, and demographic shifts. Â
The number of Muslim students at NYU has gone up substantially in the last few years in addition to the number of college students from around NYC that use our center in lieu of their own facilities and programs on their campuses. Â This number exists in the thousands and our facilities and spaces at NYU will continue to provide much-needed support on campus to them in addition to what the space will provide. Â
Our non-student community has grown substantially as well in size and its own diversity. Out of ~30,000 visitors to the IC in the last couple of years:
Keeping this in mind, we envision a space with the following usages: Â
These spaces will allow for us to develop our programming and operations in many different areas including: Â
Help The IC Get Its Own Space | Donate Today
WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE
Like many of our other initiatives, this space will function under its own non-profit. The Zakat Fund of NYC will serve as a fiscal sponsor in the interim inshallah and will send tax receipts for all contributions made in this first phase of fundraising. Â Outside of the launchgood, you can contribute through: Â
Wire Transfer: if you are interested in this option, please contact Imam Khalid Latif at [email protected] and wire transfer information will be provided. Â Â
Â
Benevity: If your workplace uses Benevity for corporate giving, you can find both the Zakat Fund of NYC or New York Zakat, Inc. listed - each will take you to the same organization. You can pick the "Help Build Our Islamic Center" project and your employer may even match your donation, doubling or tripling its impact inshallah.
 Â
Check: checks can be made payable to our fiscal sponsor at  New York Zakat, Inc. and mailed to: Â
The Islamic Center at NYU Â
238 Thompson Street, rm 491
NY, NY 10012 Â Â
Â
Stock: You can make stock contributions now through the zakat fund of NYC's website at https://zakatfundofnyc.org/icspace by clicking the support button towards the top of the page.  It will take you to this page https://donorbox.org/help-the-ic-get-its-own-space which has an option for stock and another for standard donation.Â
Â
Crypto: You can also make a crypto contribution now through the zakat fund of NYC's website at https://zakatfundofnyc.org/icspace by clicking the support button towards the top of the page.  It will take you to this page https://donorbox.org/help-the-ic-get-its-own-space which has an option for crypto and another for standard donation.Â
Â
Qard Al Hasan: Â Qard hassan is a loan extended on a goodwill basis in which the borrower need only pay back the amount they borrowed, with no interest. If you are interested in making a contribution in this regard, please contact Imam Khalid Latif at [email protected]
Help The IC Get Its Own Space | Donate Today
I've been blessed to serve our Islamic Center community in my capacity as chaplain and executive director since 2005. Â Prior to that I did my undergrad at NYU from 2000 to 2004. Â What started with dozens of us is now in the tens of thousands alhamdulillah. Â Not a week goes by without multiple people taking their shahada at the IC. Â We've helped raise millions of dollars to assist people in need around the world. Â Our community growth has included the development of a domestic violence agency and shelter for survivors of abuse, a robust weekend school for children, a charitable fund that channels zakat to serving families in need in our community, and so much more. Â Our students are graduating with a strong connection to their Islam and going into the workforce proud to be Muslim. We've been a consistent voice on numerous media platforms, received awards of all kinds and throughout it all have provided consistent community and space for so many. Â If you've been to iftars or any of our Ramadan programming you have likely seen the rooms filled to capacity. Â Jummah has been overflowing to multiple rooms for years. Â In a city and society that is quite hard to be Muslim, so many of us have been blessed to find a connection to Allah and to each other at the IC. Â Imagine what we could do if we had a space of our own. Â Â
Please do give what you can at launchgood.com/OurOwnSpace and keep this project, our community, and each other in your prayers, especially in these blessed days and nights of Ramadan. Â May Allah grant us success and ease in this and all of our endeavors, be pleased with this effort and put khayr into it, and help us to build with courage, foresight, love, hope, and all things that are good. Â Ameen.
I'm grateful for each of you and am looking forward to building this with you all for us and for all those who will come after us. May Allah accept. Â Ameen
- Khalid
                              Â
Imam Khalid Latif
University Chaplain | Global Spiritual Life at NYUÂ
Executive Director | The Islamic Center at NYUÂ
Senior Fellow & Co-Founder  | Of Many Institute for Multifaith Leadership
Adjunct Assistant Professor  | NYU WagnerÂ
212.998.4712Â