Donation Policy

Charitable Donations

BIC accepts charitable contributions to support its religious, educational, community, operational, and development activities.

Donation opportunities may include support for:

• BIC's general operations and areas of greatest need
• Masjid and land development
• Construction and capital projects
• Sunday School and Islamic education
• Community programs and services
• Special fundraising campaigns
• Other charitable purposes identified by BIC

Donors should review the description of a campaign or donation fund before submitting a contribution.

Designated & Restricted Donations

When BIC expressly offers a donation fund or campaign for a specific purpose and a donor selects that fund, BIC will use the contribution for the stated purpose consistent with applicable requirements.

Examples may include a masjid construction campaign, Sunday School support, or another specifically identified project or program.

Donors should select the appropriate fund at the time the contribution is made.

If BIC is unable to use a restricted contribution for its designated purpose, BIC will address the contribution in accordance with applicable law, donor restrictions, and the requirements of the payment platform through which the contribution was made.

General & Unrestricted Support

Donations made to BIC's general fund, general support fund, Sadaqah fund, or another fund described as unrestricted may be used where BIC determines the funds are reasonably needed to advance its religious, educational, charitable, operational, and community purposes.

This may include programming, facilities, utilities, administration, maintenance, educational activities, community services, and other organizational needs.

Zakat & Special Religious Funds

A contribution should only be treated as Zakat if BIC expressly identifies the applicable donation fund or campaign as accepting Zakat.

If BIC establishes a Zakat-designated fund, contributions made to that fund will be administered separately and used for purposes BIC has identified as appropriate for that fund.

Donations to general support, construction, Sunday School, or other BIC funds should not automatically be assumed to qualify as Zakat unless BIC specifically states otherwise.

Donors with questions regarding their personal religious obligations should consult a qualified scholar or religious advisor.

Donation Refunds & Corrections

Charitable donations are generally treated as final once successfully processed, subject to applicable law and the circumstances described below.

BIC may review a request for a refund or correction when, for example:

• A donation was submitted more than once by mistake
• An incorrect donation amount was entered unintentionally
• An unauthorized or fraudulent transaction is identified
• A technical or processing error occurred
• An event or transaction requires a refund under applicable terms
• BIC cannot use a restricted donation for its designated purpose
• Applicable law otherwise requires a refund

Refund requests are reviewed individually and are subject to applicable law, payment-platform requirements, transaction status, and the circumstances of the contribution.

Donors should contact BIC as soon as possible after discovering a transaction error so that the request can be reviewed promptly.

Programs, Tickets & Other Payments

Not every payment made through a BIC form or payment platform is necessarily a charitable donation.

Payments for event tickets, program registration, tuition, merchandise, meals, memberships, or other goods or services may be subject to separate registration, cancellation, or refund terms.

The applicable event or program information should be reviewed before payment is submitted.

Donation Receipts & Tax Information

Donors may receive an electronic receipt or acknowledgment through BIC or the third-party platform used to process the contribution.

Where applicable, donation acknowledgments may include information concerning the contribution and whether goods or services were provided in exchange for the donation.

Donors are responsible for maintaining appropriate records and determining the tax treatment of their contributions.

BIC does not provide individual tax, accounting, or legal advice. Donors should consult their own qualified advisor regarding deductibility or other tax questions.

Online Donations & Zeffy

BIC currently uses third-party fundraising and payment services, including Zeffy, for certain online donations and transactions.

When you submit a transaction through Zeffy or another third-party provider, your transaction is also subject to that provider's applicable terms, privacy practices, payment-processing requirements, and technical limitations.

Payment card and banking information entered directly into the third-party payment platform is processed by that provider and its payment-processing partners.

BIC may receive information associated with the transaction, including the donor's name, contact information, donation amount, fund designation, transaction details, and other information made available to BIC through the platform.

Donor Information & Privacy

Information associated with donations is handled in accordance with BIC's Privacy Policy and applicable recordkeeping requirements.

BIC does not sell donor personal information for monetary consideration.

Information may be shared with service providers when reasonably necessary to process transactions, maintain records, issue acknowledgments, operate BIC systems, comply with legal obligations, or support BIC's organizational activities.

Changes to This Policy

BIC may update this Donation Policy periodically to reflect changes in our fundraising activities, payment platforms, programs, organizational practices, or applicable requirements.

The current version will be posted on this page and the “Last Updated” date will be revised when appropriate.

Donation Questions

If you have a question about a donation, fund designation, receipt, transaction, or refund request, please contact Barrington Islamic Center.

When contacting us about a transaction, please provide enough information for us to identify the donation, such as your name, transaction date, and donation amount. Please do not send complete credit-card or banking information.