Gifts flow slowly to Muslim groups: One Bay Area response

In the Middle East, Philanthropy Today is reporting that cash donations are flowing slowly to Muslim groups working in Lebanon because many people are afraid their donations could put them on government terrorism watch lists.

Here in the U.S., recent census data has revealed that the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities are among the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, California, and the San Francisco Bay Area. These communities have been facing, and continue to face, significant challenges following September 11, 2001. They have been targets of hate crimes, media stereotyping, and laws that focus primarily on Muslim communities.

In response, The San Francisco Foundation, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), and The California Endowment have responded by conducted a Bay Area community scan to educate the larger philanthropic community about the critical issues facing these communities.

One of the first actions to emerge as a result of this scan is the Post 9/11 Civic Engagement Fund, which is designed as a vehicle to support nonprofit organizations from the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities. This Fund will be administered by AAPIP in partnership with the Social Justice Program and FAITHS Initiative at The San Francisco Foundation. The June 1, 2006 application deadline has passed, but I'm sure they would gladly accept your donations.