Muslim women-led nonprofits are engaging in advocacy despite facing a surge in Islamophobia
- Written by Nausheena Hussain, Doctoral Candidate in Philanthropic Leadership, Indiana University
Nonprofits led by Muslim women remain extensively engaged in a wide range of civic activities, even though 72% say they have experienced Islamophobia[1] in their work.
That’s one of the main findings of the study that we conducted[2] together. It is the basis of the applied research project – a type of dissertation – that one of us (Hussain[3]) completed for her professional doctorate in philanthropic leadership. It will be posted online[4] in mid-2026 to Indiana University’s scholarship repository.
We surveyed 292 Muslim women who lead nonprofits across the U.S. We connected with these organizations through national networks, including the Muslim Women Leadership Circle and Islamic Schools League of America. We interviewed people who lived in 18 states; the largest numbers of respondents were in California, New York, Florida and Texas.
About 19% of the nonprofits these women lead focus on religious and cultural programming. Another 17% are centered on education, while 16% focus on direct social services, such as family support and crisis intervention.
The other most common issues the nonprofits address include gender, healthcare, mental health, civil rights, anti-racism efforts, housing and environmental protection.
We found that 93% of these organizations engage in advocacy activities – actions aimed at influencing government policy or decisions. The organizations used an average of 3.6 different advocacy approaches.
Their most common approaches focused on building relationships with government officials. About 57% discussed obtaining grants or contracts with those officials, while 35% worked in planning or advisory groups. Roughly 54% said they regularly released research reports to the media, policymakers and the public, establishing themselves as experts on issues affecting their communities.
About 34% went beyond advocacy by engaging in some lobbying[5] for policy proposals they support, while 39% encouraged their organizations’ members to contact policymakers about issues affecting their communities, including civil rights protections, immigration reform and healthcare access.
The majority of these groups had experienced Islamophobia. We heard them describe those incidents in detail.
“Staff and volunteers have experienced anxiety, fear and trauma due to verbal harassment, microaggressions and bias incidents,” one of the Muslim women who lead nonprofits that we interviewed said.
Organizations also said their property had been damaged in acts of suspected vandalism. Another nonprofit leader said her organization had experienced “broken windows, graffiti and damaged signage.”
Why it matters
We conducted this survey from December 2024 through February 2025, a period when anti-Muslim discrimination surged to record levels[7], according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group. It compiled a list of 8,658 complaints[8] of anti-Muslim incidents in 2024, the most it has ever tracked.
Following the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, anti-Muslim hate crimes in major U.S. cities increased 18% in 2024[9] – marking the fourth consecutive annual rise. This climate of heightened discrimination persists: After our survey concluded, anti-Muslim incidents have continued at elevated levels[10] since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began in March 2026.
Research on civic engagement suggests that experiencing discrimination leads marginalized groups to become less engaged in civic life[11].
But these Muslim women leaders aren’t waiting to be invited into democratic processes. They’re building influence by cultivating relationships, producing research and engaging in direct advocacy.
The emphasis these leaders place on building ongoing relationships shows that they understand that lasting political influence requires sustained connection. Their work – including the research they produce and their lobbying efforts – demonstrates their resilience: They have remained civically active despite systemic discrimination.
What still isn’t known
This survey captured a snapshot of Muslim women nonprofit leaders’ civic engagement at one point in time. Future research examining these patterns over a longer period could indicate whether advocacy strategies shift as organizations mature, how leaders respond to changing political climates, and whether experiencing discrimination affects their civic engagement over the long term.
Studies covering a longer stretch of time could also track whether the relationship between Islamophobia and advocacy activity remains consistent over time, or if certain strategies become more or less effective when conditions change.
The Research Brief[12] is a short take about interesting academic work.
References
- ^ have experienced Islamophobia (theconversation.com)
- ^ we conducted (scholar.google.com)
- ^ Hussain (www.nausheena.com)
- ^ posted online (scholarworks.iu.edu)
- ^ engaging in some lobbying (theconversation.com)
- ^ Spencer Platt/Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com)
- ^ surged to record levels (arabamericannews.com)
- ^ compiled a list of 8,658 complaints (www.cair.com)
- ^ increased 18% in 2024 (phys.org)
- ^ anti-Muslim incidents have continued at elevated levels (www.aljazeera.com)
- ^ become less engaged in civic life (www.cambridge.org)
- ^ Research Brief (theconversation.com)
Authors: Nausheena Hussain, Doctoral Candidate in Philanthropic Leadership, Indiana University
