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    Sarah Ali, Founder & CEO at SA Philanthropy
    Author

    Sarah Ali

    Founder & CEO

    Sarah Ali is the founder and CEO of SA Philanthropy, helping mission-driven organizations raise more and scale their impact. She has over a decade of experience across digital-first giving, institutional fundraising, and funder engagement.

    StrategyLeadershipIslamic PhilanthropyDigital StrategySector InsightsFundraisingDigital Fundraising

    Topics

    Strategy(11)Faith-based giving(5)Digital fundraising(4)Donor relationships(4)Brand and storytelling(2)

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    News & media(11)Sector benchmarks(10)Government & regulators(3)Academic & research(3)Platform documentation(2)
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    13 articles published

    Articles by Sarah Ali

    A planning whiteboard covered with grouped notes from a Wikimedia Deutschland design thinking workshop
    StrategyOctober 28, 20267 min read

    What Belongs in a Nonprofit Development Plan?

    An annual fundraising plan template for US nonprofit leaders who need to connect income targets with staff capacity, donor relationships and board decisions.

    Workshop participants discussing inclusive design in a working session
    StrategyAugust 21, 202611 min read

    How Do You Choose a Fundraising Agency?

    Most agency selection processes are decided on chemistry and a deck. This is the diligence sequence, the questions, and the contract terms that separate an agency that will raise money from one that will bill you.

    Worshippers gathering at a mosque during Ramadan
    Islamic PhilanthropyJune 29, 20269 min read

    Is Your Charity Zakat-Ready?

    Muslim donors ask one question before they give their Zakat: is this charity actually compliant? Here's the documentation that answers it, plus the free checklist scholars and donors expect.

    A woman using a laptop at a coffee shop
    Digital StrategyMay 29, 202611 min read

    How Do Nonprofits Generate Leads Online?

    A working nonprofit funnel does three things in order: it earns the email with a lead magnet people actually want, it nurtures the relationship in the first week, and it makes the donation feel like the natural next step. Here is how to build each stage.

    A historic charitable donation box in Barnstaple
    Sector InsightsMay 25, 202612 min read

    Why Are Donor Numbers Falling?

    Overall giving grew 5.0% in 2025, the sector's strongest revenue year in five years. But the donor base shrank for the fifth year in a row, and new donor retention is still flat. Here is what the FEP Q4 2025 data actually says, and what to do about it.

    A pen resting on printed legal documents
    FundraisingMarch 4, 202615 min read

    How Do You Start Planned Giving?

    Most nonprofits ask only for cash gifts, while much of donors' wealth is held in assets and estates. Here's how to stop asking for pocket change and start inviting donors to build a legacy.

    Jewish and Muslim student volunteers helping rebuild homes in Alabama
    LeadershipOctober 29, 202516 min read

    Should Charities Collaborate or Compete?

    Sarah Ali joins The Muslim Nonprofit Show to discuss why Muslim nonprofits must shift from scarcity to abundance, embrace collaboration over competition, and prepare for a trillion-dollar wealth transfer.

    Participants at an inclusive design workshop at the Queensland Anti Discrimination Commission
    LeadershipOctober 7, 202515 min read

    What Does Real Inclusion Look Like?

    In this guest podcast episode with Mallory Erickson, Sarah Ali explores why token inclusion isn't enough, how identity shapes fundraising leadership, and why play is the antidote to burnout in the nonprofit sector.

    Participants arranging sticky notes during a design sprint workshop
    StrategyMay 18, 202519 min read

    What Is the Framework for Winning Creative?

    Creative isn't magic. It's a system. Here's the four-step framework we use to consistently produce high-performing fundraising ads and campaigns.

    A historical handwritten waqf document associated with Abi Ishaq Jbenyani
    StrategyMarch 12, 202519 min read

    What Is a Waqf in Modern Fundraising?

    Modern charity treats giving as a transaction. Islamic endowment law (Waqf) treats it as infrastructure. From a 7th-century well that still funds projects today to the financial architecture behind the Ivy League, here is the blueprint for perpetual impact.

    A woman working on a laptop at a table in her home office
    StrategyJanuary 15, 202515 min read

    How Does SEO Help Nonprofits Raise More?

    SEO has a goldmine of strategies that nonprofits can borrow to boost donations. From mastering messaging to optimizing donor journeys, here are 11 tactics to try.

    Plates of food prepared for a communal Ramadan iftar
    Digital FundraisingOctober 1, 202417 min read

    How Does Muslim Giving Work Online?

    Sarah Ali joins The Small Nonprofit Podcast to unpack digital-first fundraising, culturally competent donor engagement, Ramadan campaign strategy, and why Muslim giving is reshaping the philanthropic landscape.