Fwd: Personal, Urgent Request - The Final Push: 59 hours left to make a difference (+ 7 FAQs)

Begin forwarded message:

From: Chris Blauvelt <chris.blauvelt@gmail.com>
Date: December 14, 2011 4:15:25 PM EST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Personal, Urgent Request - The Final Push: 59 hours left to make a difference (+ 7 FAQs)

As salaam alaikum,

Alhamdulillah we're in the final push to raise money to establish the first privately-funded Muslim Chaplain at a public university!

Thank you for everyone who has contributed thus far, here are the stats to date:

• 181 funders
• $21,955
• 59 hours remaining

Only $3000 left to reach our goal!  That translates to a ~$50 donation every hour, not too bad :D  More importantly though, let's get the number to 300 funders - it's a lot easier than it sounds, everyone just needs to give today and get 1-2 friends to do the same - it all ends on Friday!

A lot of people have had questions about the campaign, here are the most frequently asked ones:

1. Are you going to be doing this every year?  No, this is a one-time effort to engage students, alumni & local community to be aware of the new position and feel invested into its creation.
2. Will this always be a part-time chaplain?  No, our goal is to turn it into a full-time chaplain in a year and a half inshallah
3. How will this be sustainable then?  We have an incredible Board of Trustees and Alumni Association behind the effort, with plans to start fundraising as soon as next semester for the future
4. How are you selecting a chaplain?  The Board of Trustees has been working for a year now in collaboration with other Muslim chaplains, alumni and students on campus to develop the job description, bring in applicants, and review candidates.  Ultimately the student feedback is of the greatest concern.  To see who is on the Board of Trustees and Alumni Association visit here and here.
5. What if I want to be involved with the chaplaincy at UM?  We're always looking to get great people involved, and there is so much work to do - please contact me to become a volunteer or adviser to the project!
6. How can we do this at our University?  About half a dozen schools have asked us this, so we will be hosting a free conference/call webinar next week to help those alumni or students interested in doing this at there school get started.  If interested just email me directly
7. Who will the chaplain be?  Stay tuned! ;)

Wasalam,

Chris