Create Your Own Scholarship
“Create Your Own Scholarship” allows individuals and organizations to establish a scholarship in their name, defining the criteria aligned with ISF’s mission without having to start a non-profit or doing the heavy legal and administrative paperwork.
Scholarships are appealing ways for mosques, individuals, families, businesses, or other groups of people to strengthen their community. Many people recognize that the key to their success in life is due to the education they received, and they want to make it possible for others to benefit from a good education. ISF makes it possible for generous, caring members of the community to support talented young American Muslims who are passionate about making a difference.
WHY WOULD I WANT TO ESTABLISH A SCHOLARSHIP?
There are many different motivations for establishing a scholarship. Check out the top eight reasons below. Which one applies to you?
Support Education
You personally believe in ISF’s mission and want to directly support young American Muslims who are changing the narrative about Islam
Honor a Loved One
You have a parent or loved one who is passionate about social equity and you want to give them a meaningful gift, a scholarship established in their name, that has a big impact
Establish a Memorial
You want to honor a parent, child, or loved one who was passionate about social justice and education, but who passed away
Involve Your Business
You want the community to see that your business or organization gives back and cares about the issues that affect all of us
Recognize a Community Member
You want to honor a person (imam, teacher, volunteer leader, etc) who has made a big impact in your life or in the community by giving a scholarship in their name
Establish a Sadiqa Jariya
You want to establish an ongoing charity, a gift that keeps on giving, for yourself or a loved one to make a lasting and significant impact in this life and the next
Help Build a Better Country
You recognize the importance of representation and a voice in the media and public policy, and you want to do your part to ensure your children grow up in a better world
Support Change in Public Policy
You realized the importance of having Muslims in the fields of government, law, and policy and you want to support students to become a voice in this arena
Support Change in Film
The lack of accurate and equal representation of American Muslims in film and television leads to hostility and bias that hurts us all. You want to support writers & filmmakers who are changing that
Support Change in Media
You know the harm of bias in media & journalism and you want to make a significant impact in this industry by supporting scholars who are changing the narrative
WHAT ARE THE STEPS?
There are five easy steps to establishing a named scholarship and it can be done in less than ten minutes! You can read below to understand the process step-by-step.
Step One: SELECT A PROGRAM
A) Annual Scholarship(s)
Sponsor annual scholarship(s)
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- The minimum amount for scholarship sponsorship is $3,000.
- Law scholarships start at $5,000
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B) Endowment + Scholarship
Start a Legacy program by starting an endowment fund. The minimum contribution to initiate an endowment is $50,000. Scholarship(s) will be awarded after the first year upon the accumulation of investment funds.
Step Two: CUSTOMIZE AMOUNT
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- Scholarships are $3,000 – $10,000 (Law scholarship begin at $5,000)
- Minimum endowment funds are $50,000
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Step Three: NAME SCHOLARSHIP
Donors may name the scholarship after themselves or in honor or memory of another person, family member, loved one, or an organization. For example ISF-Khan Scholarship.
Step Four: DEFINE CRITERIA
(We prefer to select the field and region ourselves based on the incoming applicant pool, but to value our sponsors, they will be given the option to customize their award.)
You have the choice to pick major and region/school as criteria so long as it is aligned with ISF’s mission.
Scholarship Field: Donors may decide to select a specific ISF supported major for their sponsored scholarship. For example, ISF-Khan Journalism Scholarship
Scholarship Region: Donors can choose a region where they like to award their scholarship. For example, ISF-Khan Greater Boston Region Scholarship
Step Five: SELECT PAYMENT PLAN
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- Pay in one installment
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- Scholarships: Pay in full and one installment due on May 1st of each year.
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- Endowment: Pay as soon as you can to increase the investment funds. Please contact us for more information and for how to set up your fund.
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- Pay in one installment
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- Select installment payments
We offer various payment options to make scholarship sponsorship convenient and affordable. Please contact us for more information about how to schedule your installment payments.
- Select installment payments
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- Raise donations from friends and family.
ISF will collect funds from donors and provide tax-deductible receipts. Please contact us for more information.
- Raise donations from friends and family.
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BONUS STEP: SIT BACK & RELAX
Enjoy the satisfaction of offering a scholarship without going through the hassle of setting up a non-profit. You will be introduced to your sponsored student in August and will receive bi-annual updates for the first two years and annual updates afterward.
Schedule Call
I would like to schedule a quick meeting with ISF’s Director to discuss my scholarship
Get Started
I am ready to go! Take me to the donation form to establish my scholarship today
Learn More
I’d like to read some more detailed information before I move forward
QUESTIONS?
We appreciate the opportunity to explain our program and look forward to working with you on this project. Should you have any questions regarding sponsoring a scholarship or setting up an endowment, please make an appointment here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does it cost to establish a scholarship?
The minimum amount for scholarship sponsorship is $3,000. The minimum for a law scholarship sponsorship is $5,000. The minimum amount to sponsor an endowment fund is $50,000.
Is the scholarship continuous?
Yes. Most sponsors truly enjoy seeing the incredible work of the scholars they support and decide to renew the scholarship to fund a new applicant each year, thus spreading their impact and ensuring it grows and compounds with each new scholarship season. However, you have the option to opt-out of renewal if you do not wish to continue your sponsorship the following year.
What are the criteria for a scholarship recipient?
Muslim or active member of the Muslim community; Enrollment at an accredited university in the U.S. by the Fall semester; Majoring in an ISF supported major; Maintaining a minimum 3.0 Grade Point Average; A Citizen or Permanent Resident of the U.S.; An undergraduate (junior/senior) or of graduate standing (includes Ph.D.)
What is the goal of the selection process?
Our goal is to select students who have a passion to influence public opinion and public policy that is impacting American Muslims. ISF will use its web-based application & scoring system that can process apps at scale. The ISF Selection Committee consists of experienced judges in ISF-Supported fields. Each applicant will be evaluated by two judges. For example, each journalist student will be evaluated by two journalists and each law student will be evaluated by two lawyers. The Selection Process consists of four stages: Filtering of complete applications by ISF Staff. Application Evaluation by the ISF Selection Committee. Interviews by ISF Selection Committee members. Group decision by members of the selection committee and selection of top applicants in each major category. During the first, second, and third stage of selection, applicants will go through an academic and character evaluation. The Academic scoring section includes the applicant’s GPA and School Ranking scored by ISF staff and added to the final score. The Character scoring section will be evaluated by the Selection Committee and consists of the following sections: Universities and Colleges Attended Employment History List of Awards and Scholarships Community and Service Activity Essay Questions Letters of recommendation Transcripts Resume Video introduction The fourth stage of selection includes remote interviews to evaluate the applicant’s public speaking skills, long term vision, and fit for ISF’s mission.
Can I choose the scholarship recipient?
In order to maintain fairness and consistency in our selection process, all recipients must undergo ISF’s stringent selection process and be chosen based upon their ranking as explained in the selection process section above.
Can I split the cost of the scholarship with someone else?
Yes! It is very common for families to combine resources to fund a scholarship in a parent’s name, or a school to pool funds to sponsor a scholarship in the name of a teacher or administrator, even volunteer groups, mosques, and organizations sometimes collect and pool funds to set-up an honorary scholarship in someone’s name.Please reach out to us for more info on how to share the cost of a scholarship fund.
Will I sign an agreement to set up a scholarship?
Yes! We will send you an agreement once you confirm your scholarship sponsorship.
Do you have a flyer or brochure I can print out to post or share?
Who do I make the check out to?
Make checks payable to the Islamic Scholarship Fund. Include in the Memo: Name of your scholarship. Mail checks along with the completed application form to: Islamic Scholarship Fund 1935A Addison St Berkeley, CA 94704
Can I complete this process online?
Yes. You do not need to print and mail anything, and scheduling a call with the Program Director is not required. To complete the entire process online in just a few minutes, click here.
I have questions, how can I reach you?
We appreciate the opportunity to explain our program and look forward to working with you on this project. Should you have any questions regarding sponsoring a scholarship or setting up an endowment, please make an appointment today.
Can I access the most recent ISF Annual Report?
Yes, the ISF 2019 Annual Report is available here.
Schedule Call
I would like to schedule a quick meeting with ISF’s Director to discuss my scholarship
Get Started
I am ready to go! Take me to the donation form to establish my scholarship today
Learn More
I’d like to read some more detailed information before I move forward