B"H
Q. A woman in the community has come upon hard times and she asked our mosque to help her out. Can the mosque set up a fund to help this woman in distress?
Short Answer: Yes, but with 3 qualifications.
Long Answer: Faith based organizations are often called open to help those in distress. They can do so if:
- The stated Purposes of the Registered Charity allow for the alleviation of poverty;
- The activities must be available to a wide segment of the public; not just to members of the organization;
- A donor cannot stipulate that the donation go directly to an individual or family.