Organising a fundraising circuit

Many mosques were born of the solidarity of other mosques. The round of mosques, where an association presents its project to other communities and holds a collection there, remains one of the surest ways to gather funds to build. Here is how to run it methodically, in respect of the law and of those who welcome you.

In the centuries of the golden age, mosques, schools and hospitals were often funded by the waqf, assets placed in perpetual endowment for the service of the community. Building a place of worship has always rested on the patient, organised pooling of a community's means.

The principle: the agreement of the host mosque

It all starts with a request. The association carrying the project contacts another mosque, presents its need, and asks permission to hold a collection during a prayer, most often on Friday. Nothing is done without this agreement.

The way of collecting is agreed next, and customs vary. Some host mosques announce the collection to their faithful, gather it themselves, then pass it on to the project. Many, however, prefer not to take in money on behalf of another association, so as not to burden their own accounts. They then ask the visiting association to come with enough collectors, and often with its own card terminal, to gather the donations directly.

Whatever the arrangement, one point protects both parties: a document signed by both associations at the end of the collection, recording the exact amount raised. It serves as shared proof and feeds each one's accounts. Agree on all this in advance, to avoid the slightest misunderstanding.

What the law says about the collection

A private collection, held inside a mosque with the agreement of the host association, is an exchange between the faithful and calls for no particular formality. Things change when you address the public more widely.

If an association appeals to the public's generosity to support the exercise of worship, through a campaign, an online appeal or repeated collections, it comes within the frame of the law of 7 August 1991 and the law of 24 August 2021 (loi du 24 août 2021). Beyond 50,000 euros collected this way over the financial year, a threshold specific to worship set by a decree of 23 December 2021, two obligations apply: a prior declaration to the prefect of the department of the registered office, and the keeping of an annual account of the use of resources, which states what the donations serve. A breach is punished by a fine. Below the threshold, these formalities do not apply, but transparency about the use of the funds remains the best guarantee.

A collection on the public highway follows a distinct regime: it requires authorisation from the town hall or the prefecture. Finally, for donors to receive a tax reduction, the association must be able to issue a tax receipt, which our guide on the tax receipt sets out.

Preparing your round

A round is prepared like a campaign. First spot the mosques to approach, starting with your network and your region: the tool below lists them around a town, and the Noor town pages list them one by one. Make contact ahead of time, never on the spot, and ask for agreement before announcing anything. The calendar matters: Friday gathers the most people, and the month of Ramadan is a time of heightened generosity. Prepare a clear presentation of the project, its budget and the planned use of the donations, so that everyone knows where their money goes.

• The list of mosques to contact, sorted by proximity and by existing link.
• A short presentation file: the project, the budget, the progress, the use of the donations.
• The agreement of each host mosque, the date chosen and the collection arrangement agreed.
• Enough collectors on the day, and if needed your own card terminal for donations by card.
• The document to be signed by both parties, which will record the amount raised.

The ethics of the approach

Trust is the real capital of a round. It is won by courtesy toward the mosques that welcome you, by respect for their own needs, and by the absence of any pressure on the faithful. It is kept by transparency: reporting on what was collected, what was spent, and the progress of the building work. A community that sees its gift turn into walls will give again, and speak of it around them. An opaque collection, on the other hand, closes doors for a long time.

Spotting the mosques and tracking the round

Two actions come back constantly: finding the mosques to approach, then keeping a trace of each contact. The tool below does both. It spots the mosques around a town you look up, then you add them to a notebook that tracks the progress of each step. Everything stays in your browser, with no account, and exports to be printed or shared.

Frequently asked questions

To go further

This page complements our guides on organising donations and the tax receipt, along with our overview, Building a mosque in France.

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