Dear Dowie,
Following our conversations, we've been thinking about how we can help you take Building Bridges to the next level.
We genuinely believe in what you're trying to achieve, and we'd love to help you build something that can support itself financially so you can spend more of your time doing the work you love.
The biggest challenge we identified was your time. You're travelling, recording podcasts, meeting people and trying to build your own organisation alongside everything else.
We want to help take some of that pressure off you.
Rather than simply giving you advice and leaving you to work everything out yourself, we'd like to put some of our team and resources behind you.
Here's what we're proposing.
1
What We'll Help You With
Fundraising and Campaign Management
We'll help you build and run your online fundraising campaigns, including:
- Helping plan your fundraising strategy
- Setting up your fundraising pages
- Managing the campaign behind the scenes
- Helping organise donation processing and payment systems
- Monitoring how the campaign is performing
- Helping prepare for Ramadan and other agreed fundraising periods
- Exploring other ways to generate ongoing funding, including Meta advertising campaigns
All donations will be received directly by Building Bridges. Criterion will help manage the fundraising systems and campaigns, but the money will go into your organisation's account.
The idea is that you can focus on speaking to people, sharing your message and doing the work, while we help take care of the technical side.
Monthly Strategy Meetings
Once a month, we'll sit down together for a strategy meeting.
You're welcome to come to our office in High Wycombe.
During these meetings, we'll look at how things are going, what challenges you're facing, what opportunities are coming up and what we should focus on next.
That's 12 strategy meetings over the first year.
We'll also use these meetings to explore ways to grow your fundraising beyond Ramadan, including paid advertising, regular monthly giving and other opportunities that could help Building Bridges become financially sustainable.
Filming and Studio Support
You'll have access to our studio for three planned filming sessions throughout the year, including two sessions ahead of Ramadan.
We'll help you with the filming setup and give you direction so the content looks and sounds professional.
These sessions can be used to record campaign material and other content that supports the mission.
Your Main Fundraising Video
We'll work with you to create your main fundraising video.
This includes:
- Helping write the script
- Making sure your message is clear and compelling
- Filming the video
- Professionally editing the finished video
- Preparing it for use on your fundraising page and campaign
Professional editing is included for the main fundraising video only.
We want someone watching that video to understand what Building Bridges is, why it matters and why they should support it.
2
How the Partnership Would Work
There is no monthly fee and no upfront management fee.
We don't want you worrying about paying us every month before you've even got the funding coming in.
Instead, we'd like to work on a percentage of the online fundraising campaigns we help manage.
The arrangement would be:
15%of the first £100,000 raised
10%of anything raised above £100,000
This applies only to donations actually received through the fundraising campaigns we agree to manage together during our first 12 months.
For example, if we helped raise £100,000, £15,000 would go towards Criterion and £85,000 would remain for Building Bridges, before any separate campaign expenses.
If we raised £150,000, Criterion would receive £20,000 and Building Bridges would retain £130,000, again before separate campaign expenses.
Anything you raise independently, outside the campaigns we manage together, remains entirely yours.
That includes donations from your own personal contacts, independent speaking engagements and other fundraising activities.
The contribution to Criterion helps cover the people, equipment and resources involved in supporting your campaign and goes back into Criterion's work.
Advertising and External Costs
Any advertising costs, payment processing fees, software subscriptions or other external expenses will be covered by Building Bridges.
We'll help you understand what is needed, recommend suitable options and guide you through the process.
Nothing involving additional expenditure will be undertaken without your agreement.
3
Your Recurring Donations
This is an important part of the arrangement because we want you to build something that lasts.
Let's say our partnership begins on 10 November 2026.
For the following 12 months, until 9 November 2027, the agreed percentage applies to donations actually received through our jointly managed campaigns.
That includes monthly donations collected during that period from supporters who signed up through those campaigns.
10 November 2026 to 9 November 2027
The agreed percentage applies
From 10 November 2027
Everything belongs to Building Bridges
From 10 November 2027 onwards, all future donations belong entirely to Building Bridges.
For example, if someone starts donating £20 a month during Ramadan 2027, Criterion's agreed percentage would only apply to the payments received during our first 12 months.
After that, the full £20 each month remains with Building Bridges, even if that supporter originally signed up through a campaign we helped create.
There are no ongoing commissions after the first year.
If we both decide we'd like to work together again for another Ramadan, we can discuss a fresh agreement.
Our aim is to help you build a base of supporters that can continue funding your mission for years to come.
4
What We're Working Towards
Our goal is not simply to help you raise money once.
We want to help you build something that lasts.
Over time, we'd love to see Building Bridges reach a point where:
- You have a reliable base of regular supporters
- You can dedicate more time to your mission
- You can record more content closer to home instead of constantly travelling
- You have the resources to grow your organisation
- You can eventually bring other brothers into the work
Most importantly, we want you to become financially sustainable and increasingly independent.
5
What Happens Next
If you're happy with the direction, we'll sit down and agree on the practical details.
We'll work out what needs to be ready for Ramadan, arrange your filming dates and put together a plan for launching the campaign.
We'll also make sure the fundraising arrangements, payments and responsibilities are properly agreed in writing before anything goes live.
This initial partnership will run for 12 months. Towards the end, we can sit down together, look at what we've achieved and decide whether we'd both like to continue.
There are no guarantees about how much we'll raise, but we will work together to give the campaign the best possible chance of success.
6
A Final Word
Dowie, we genuinely believe in what you're trying to do.
You've spent years speaking to people, challenging misconceptions and helping others understand Islam.
We don't want to change that.
We want to help you build the foundations so you can do more of it, without carrying everything on your own shoulders.
And if we can help you get to a position where Building Bridges supports itself and you have more time to dedicate to the mission, that would be a wonderful outcome.
May Allah put barakah in our efforts and allow this to become a source of lasting good.
With love and respect,