Building for tomorrow
Grants expire and campaigns rise and fall with the season. The needs of a child in care do not pause in between.
Who we are
The Muslim Foster Care Association is a Michigan-based nonprofit founded in 2016 by two foster mothers, Ranya Shbeib and Dr. Sameena Zahoor, to meet a critical need that was overlooked: culturally and religiously grounded foster care for Muslim children. Since 2023, MFCA has been led by Executive Director Khatija Moiz.
Our work is guided by three commitments — advocating for culturally responsive care within Michigan's child welfare system, serving both domestic Muslim foster youth and unaccompanied refugee minors, and recruiting and supporting Muslim foster families willing to open their homes. For ten years, that mission has been carried forward one child, one family, and one community partnership at a time.
Why we created the endowment
A decade of growth has taught us that the children and families who rely on MFCA cannot be served by year-to-year fundraising alone. As MFCA marks its tenth anniversary, our Board and leadership made a deliberate decision: to build a permanent financial foundation so that the programs we build today will still be here for the children who need them tomorrow.
The endowment exists to convert generosity into permanence.
Rather than being spent in the year it is given, each contribution is invested so that it continues to generate support for MFCA's mission for years and, God willing, generations to come. The program was designed so that every contribution is stewarded responsibly and aligned with the mission over time — protecting the fund's long-term sustainability while still allowing income to support today's programs.
Where we are going
Our tenth anniversary banquet, What Faith Built: 10 Years of Foster Care, marks the public launch of the endowment's next chapter. In the years ahead we are working to grow the corpus to a level that can reliably underwrite core programs — from Ramadan and Eid to Independent Living mentorship — regardless of the funding climate in any given year.
We are also laying the groundwork to share what we have built: a replication toolkit that will let the MFCA model of culturally responsive foster care take root beyond Michigan. A strong endowment is the foundation that makes that growth possible.
What a year of support looked like
Grant funding in 2025: $120,000 from Michigan LEO and $25,000 from Islamic Relief USA.
Pillars of the program
Five commitments that govern how the fund is held, invested, and spent.
Governance & stewardship
An endowment charter guides the fund's purpose, objectives, and role, establishing clear governance and a spending policy that balances current impact with long-term capital preservation.
Professional investment management
Assets are managed by a professional investment manager according to a formal Investment Policy Statement outlining objectives, risk allocation, and benchmarks for disciplined management.
Disciplined use of funds
Distributions follow guidelines set by the charter and spending policy, ensuring endowment income supports the mission while protecting the fund's long-term sustainability.
Oversight & accountability
The program includes ongoing monitoring for policy alignment. Annual statements are published for donors, maintaining trust and accountability.
Collaboration with experts
The program — from charter to reporting — was developed with external advisors, bringing institutional experience and best practices without added complexity for donors.
To learn more about supporting the Institutional Endowment Program, contact our Executive Director, Khatija Moiz, at donorrelations@muslimfostercare.org.
Give to the endowment
A gift here is not spent this year. It is invested, and it keeps giving.