Funding What Works: National Research, Minnesota Action, and the Case for Investing in Muslim Women-Led Nonprofits

Muslim women-led nonprofits are serving critical community needs across Minnesota and the country—with strong infrastructure, diversified funding strategies, and deep civic engagement. Yet they receive a fraction of philanthropic investment compared to peer organizations. What is driving that gap, and what are funders already doing to close it?

This session brings together national research and Minnesota funder practice to examine both the opportunity and the path forward. Nausheena Hussain, PhilD, will share findings from the first national systematic study of organizational capacity among women-led nonprofits serving Muslim communities—a survey of 292 leaders across all 50 states—including what the data reveals about infrastructure, leadership, resilience strategies, and the co-existence of discrimination and civic engagement. A facilitated conversation with Minnesota funders will follow, featuring those already funding collaborations, advocacy work, and capacity-building initiatives within this sector.

Intended audience

Foundation program officers, executive directors, grantmaking staff, and other philanthropic leaders interested in equity-centered funding practices, trust-based philanthropy, and underrepresented nonprofit populations.

Participants will learn

• What national data shows about the organizational capacity and leadership approaches of Muslim women-led nonprofits — and how it challenges common funder assumptions
• How peer Minnesota funders are applying research-informed approaches to their grantmaking in practice
• What structural barriers in current philanthropic practices may be limiting investment in this sector

Participants will walk away with

• A concrete framework for rethinking capacity assessment beyond budget size
• Practical examples of what changed grantmaking looks like from funders in the room
• An invitation to explore a pilot funding initiative—designed with Muslim women nonprofit leaders, not for them

Presenter

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Nausheena Hussain, PhilD, is the principal of Nissa Consulting, LLC, a consulting practice focused on organizational capacity building for Muslim women-led nonprofits. She earned her Doctorate of Philanthropic Leadership from Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, where she completed the first national systematic study of organizational capacity among women-led nonprofits serving Muslim communities. A practitioner-scholar with over two decades of experience as a nonprofit founder and executive leader, Nausheena brings both research rigor and on-the-ground expertise to her work. She is a board member of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, co-author of the U.S. Women's Philanthropy Report 2023, and the 2025 AFP Minnesota National Philanthropy Day Honoree.

Session details

Log-in details will be provided in your confirmation email.

For additional information, please reach out to Paul Masiarchin, [email protected].