Ramadan is recognised for its spirit of generous charity, with estimates from the Muslim Charities Forum indicating that, in past years, UK donors have contributed over £130 million to charitable causes during the sacred month. Donations are anticipated to increase even further this year.

Even though Muslims engage in regular donations year-round, the bulk of fundraising within Muslim communities peaks during Ramadan. Thus, charities prepare and plan for the Muslim giving season as early as 4-6 months ahead of Ramadan.

In this article, we offer a checklist of key preparations charities should perform to boost their Ramadan fundraising efforts.

Key Components of Your Ramadan Preparation Toolkit

Let’s look at the key areas you need to focus on to ensure a successful fundraising drive (especially in Ramadan and generally throughout the year) and how you can make the most out of these. 

Preparation and Planning

Start ahead of Ramadan to give your various teams plenty of time to prepare and plan accordingly for Ramadan.

1. Gear up for Ramadan:

Maximise Your Donation Intake

Leverage the generosity of Ramadan by adopting the following strategic approaches to maximise donations.

1. Fundraising Events:

2. Crowdfunding:

1. A Personal Letter or Call: This is ideally from the CEO or a senior colleague catching up with the donor and thanking them for their continuous support.
2. VIP Invitations: If you have planned your events in advance, analyse your current data set to find events in proximity of your donors and send them a bespoke invitation (via phone, SMS or email)
3. Pay Them a Visit: A one-on-one visit may be time-consuming, but it generates greater rapport and a commitment to the donor that you hold them in high regard.
4. Suggest Matching Gifts: Encourage matching gift programs where the donor's contribution is matched by another entity, doubling the impact of their donation.

Ready Your Technology

Ensure that your charity tech stack can handle the increased charitable activity during Ramadan with the following checks.

1. Set Up Your CRM:

2. Internal Training:

3. Optimise Your Charity Website:

Amplify Your Mission

Leverage marketing channels to make your message heard by a wider target audience using the following essential practices:

1. Prepare Your Marketing Plan:

2. Utilise Digital & Print Marketing

Incorporate the following SEO tips in your Ramadan marketing campaign:

• Conduct targeted keyword research for Ramadan-related giving. Focus on "Ramadan charity", "Zakat donation", and other relevant phrases. 
• Schedule ads during peak online activity times in Ramadan based on your location.
• Don’t hesitate to adjust keywords, ad copy, and budgets in real time based on audience response and donation trends.
• Use remarketing ads to reconnect with visitors to your Ramadan pages who haven't donated, with tailored reminders of Ramadan's giving significance. Examples Include: "Missed out on giving?...”, “Your contribution can change lives…”, "Every moment counts….”
• Incorporate donor and beneficiary testimonials in your campaign copy.

Engage Your Donors

Engage your team of volunteers and call centres in your Ramadan campaign. Keep them well-equipped and motivated for Ramadan with the following key steps:

1. Activate Volunteers for Ramadan Campaign:

2. Streamline Your Call Centre Operations

Downloadable Ramadan Ready: Charity Checklist

You can download this checklist as a PDF for internal use with the following button. Also, share it across your charity for all the teams involved in making your Ramadan fundraising drive a success.

Elevate Your Ramadan Fundraising Efforts

Use this Ramadan fundraising checklist as your guide to enhance your fundraising this Holy month. An essential element to achieving your Ramadan fundraising goal is technology. Adopt processes and tools that help implement your fundraising strategy. Because each step taken towards optimising your fundraising not only benefits your charity but also deeply impacts the lives of those you aim to support.