Penny Appeal USA Summer 2020 Scholarship Recipients

September 17, 2020

Earlier this year, the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership partnered with Penny Appeal USA to provide a new scholarship for leaders working in nonprofits established by American Muslims. The scholarship was awarded to two recipients in our Summer 2020 Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program, Ghazala Salam, Founder and Board Member of Muslim Caucus Education Collective and Rameez Abid, Communications and Development Director at ICNA Council for Social Justice.

The purpose of this scholarship is to advance inclusion, build leadership capacity, and support the growth of the American Muslim nonprofit sector. Oussama Mezoui, President and CEO of Penny Appeal USA, explains “Over the past hundred years Muslim philanthropy in the United States has resulted in a vibrant Muslim American philanthropic sector comprising of places of worship, schools, advocacy organizations, humanitarian agencies, interfaith work, civic engagement, and other social good organizations. As the number of Muslim Americans entering the nonprofit field as employees and board members continues to grow, our scholarship aims to provide practitioners with access to some of the nation’s best nonprofit teachers and leaders.”

Now, more than ever, nonprofit leaders are looking for skills that will help them lead and manage their organizations during times of uncertainty. “Penny Appeal has taken on a lead role in showing the value of investing in people. Penny Appeal is providing a path for individuals who seek the knowledge to successfully grow their nonprofits. Without access to leadership skills taught in this program, a nonprofit may never reach its full potential,” Salam said.

The pathway provided by Penny Appeal USA is an important step in increasing the number of leaders from underrepresented communities in the nonprofit sector and building the capacity of their organizations. One way this capacity is built during the Certificate Program is through the capstone management project. Salam’s capstone project is a case study that documents governance best practices at a Muslim-led nonprofit, while Rameez Abid’s capstone project analyzes the effectiveness of different management strategies and recommends ways for his own organization to maximize impact.

Penny Appeal USA has renewed this opportunity, and will be funding a full tuition scholarship for Georgetown University’s Summer 2021 Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program. As the population of American Muslims continues to grow, it is vital to include their voices in public service, advocacy and nonprofit leadership. Abid remarked on the continuation of this scholarship, saying it is “an opportunity for the Muslim community to keep up with the latest research in the field. Minority communities in particular need to stand together and support each other through such programs so that we may all move ahead and succeed.”

Dr. Luisa Boyarski, Associate Director of the Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, expressed her enthusiasm for continuing the scholarship. “Not only does the scholarship invest in advancing nonprofit leadership at a time when many nonprofits are trying to adapt to challenging circumstances, but it has also given our faculty the chance to learn more about the critically important work of Muslim-led nonprofits who provide a range of services and support a number of causes.”

You can learn more about applying for the Summer 2021 Penny Appeal USA scholarship here.