1. Muslim NGOs emerged after the decline of empires and need to establish clear values, goals, strategies and systems of monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective and sustainable social welfare. 2. There is a balance needed between the unprofessionalism of past individual charity and the commercialism of business-oriented NGOs. NGOs must have clear measurable goals and appreciate metrics while maintaining values-driven motivation. 3. Strategic thinking, leadership development, and thinking systemically are key to ensuring effective delivery of social services through Muslim NGOs into the future. Clear processes for governance, transparency and succession planning are also important.

1. Muslim NGOs
The Balance between Unprofessionalism &
Commercialism

2. History
1. No historic examples because the State was
responsible for social welfare
2. Charity was personal and individual oriented –
people gave to those they knew personally
3. Record keeping, data gathering, monitoring
effectiveness; not practiced systematically
2
Muslim NGO is a post-empire phenomenon

3. Sustained charity???
1. Lack of vision, leadership and systems
2. Sporadic disbursement – Ramadan etc.
3. Prevents planned development
4. Must create endowment funds
3
Create systems to ensure on-going development

4. Business NGO
1. Clear measurable goals
2. Employees join for material
reasons
3. Motivation related to received
benefits
4. Output measured &
measurement appreciated
5. Strategic focus, consistence
1. Goals not clear or measured
2. Employees join for emotional
reasons
3. Motivation related to perceived
benefits
4. Output not measured & allergy
to measurement
5. Event driven, sporadic activity
4
Need for greater clarity of perception about NGO

5. 5 – Key Areas to Focus on
1. Clear values and goals
2. Strategy & Strategic thinking
3. Metrics & Process Review
4. Leadership & Successor development
5. Thinking systemically
5
Only clarity of thought leads to effective delivery

6. Clear values & goals
1. What do you stand for (Core Values)?
1. How are these visible in your work (life)?
2. Why do you exist (Purpose)?
1. What will happen if you cease to exist?
3. What is your goal (Vision)?
1. Who does it help & what will it do for you?
6
Visible values because people listen with their eyes

7. 7

8. Strategy & Strategic Thinking
1. Strategic thinking means to be proactive
2. Strategic thinking means to act before the need
3. Strategic thinking must permeate the organization
4. Strategic thinking means investment in people
8
What are the indicators of your strategic focus?

9. 9

10. Metrics & Process Review
1. What you don’t measure you can’t guarantee
2. What are your processes for good governance,
transparency and accountability?
3. What (Who) is your benchmark?
4. What are your processes for recruitment,
compensation, recognition, severance?
10
Systems spell success or failure – not passion alone

11. 11

12. Leadership & Successor development
1. What does ‘leadership’ mean in your context?
2. Who is your benchmark for leadership?
3. What are the processes to identify successors &
groom (mentor) them to take over?
4. What is the system to ensure that succession
happens in a logical, timebound manner?
12
How many levels of leadership - ready in your NGO?

13. Indicators of this…
1. Specified retirement age
2. Formal Leadership Development/Mentoring
program with measurement metrics
3. Dissent, creativity encouraged and rewarded
4. Change is encouraged and embraced
13
Without these it is only a wish, not an intention

14. 14

15. Thinking Systemically
1. Think (see) systemically, not event driven, ideology
driven or personality driven
2. What are you doing to educate your people to think
systemically?
3. How are you building perspective in your people?
15
Do you have perspective yourself?
How do you know?

16. 16

17. Problems and their solutions
For those who are willing to try
17

18. Allergies to cure
1. Allergy to measurement of results
2. Allergy to financial transparency
3. Allergy to work reporting & following rules
4. Allergy to being questioned
5. Allergy to succession planning & development
18
Do you have ‘untouchables’ in your organization?

19. Dilemma of ‘Givers’
1. Exploitation (emotional blackmail) becomes the
natural response to the ‘servant leader’
2. ‘Give without expectation’, ‘Your reward is with
Allah‫,’ﷻ‬ ‘Obey elders without question’, ‘Shut up’
3. While they laugh all the way to the bank
19
Learn how not to become a monkey collector

20. HBR Cover story
1. Don’t confuse generosity with selflessness
2. Don’t accept substandard in the name of
kindness
3. Effective givers recognize that every ’No’, frees
you up to say ‘Yes’ when it matters most
20
Recognize your own worth and appreciate it

21. HBR Cover story
1. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.
2. Amplify your impact by looking for ways to help
multiple people with a single act of generosity.
3. Find ways to give without depleting your time and
energy because your needs are equally important
21
WHOM TO HELP: HINT – NOT EVERYONE

22. Even if you are, stand up!!
22

23. Tarbiyya
1. Who is your Mentor/Musleh?
2. What is your criterion for picking him?
3. What is your Tarbiyya program and its metrics?
4. How do you involve everyone in it?
23
You can only give what you have
so what do you have?

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