New fellowship aims to increase Muslim representation in non-profit sector

Author Sharlene Gandhi

A Canadian fundraising consultancy has launched a new fellowship program to drive more diversity in the non-profit sector.

Sarah Ali, lead consultant at SA Digital, announced the LilyPad Fellowship on LinkedIn, a paid opportunity focused on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and systems change.

“Diverse talent, especially Muslim women of colour in all of our shades, often find ourselves jumping from position to position, looking to find a working home that values our lived experiences, and looking to find positions where our faith, ways of working, needs and unique strengths are valued for the gold they can be,” she wrote.

Ali and her team have helped numerous Canadian non-profit organizations with their digital fundraising strategies, including Amnesty International Canada and Medecins Sans Frontiers Canada. Internationally, she has worked with Greenpace International and Save the Children UK.

Ali has been vocal about the lack of Muslim representation in the sector, both in terms of staff and leadership, and meaningful engagement with Muslim donor communities.

Last year, Ali also wrote an open letter to the organizers of the AFP conference in Toronto, whose dates overlapped with Ramadan and Eid, meaning that many Muslim fundraisers could not attend.

According to data released by Statistics Canada in early 2024, only 10 per cent of board positions are held by visible minorities.

Senator Ratna Omidvar proposed a bill that would compel all charities and non-profits to report board diversity as part of their income tax filings, but as parliament is prorogued, the bill will no longer proceed.

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  • Sharlene Gandhi is the Future of Good editorial fellow on digital transformation.

    Sharlene has been reporting on responsible business, environmental sustainability and technology in the UK and Canada since 2018. She has worked with various organizations during this time, including the Stanford Social Innovation Review, the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University, AIGA Eye on Design, Social Enterprise UK and Nature is a Human Right. Sharlene moved to Toronto in early 2023 to join the Future of Good team, where she has been reporting at the intersections of technology, data and social purpose work. Her reporting has spanned several subject areas, including AI policy, cybersecurity, ethical data collection, and technology partnerships between the private, public and third sectors.

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