Collidescope.io’s 5 in 3 Nonprofit Leadership Series: Mona Kafeel, Executive Director of Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation

3 min readOct 12, 2021

Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation’s mission is to empower, promote and support all women and their families through education, outreach, philanthropy and social services.

Welcome to Collidescope.io’s 5 in 3 nonprofit leadership series. We ask nonprofit leaders all over the world to answer 5 question about their nonprofit experience to create this 3-minute piece. Collidescope.io’s mission is to empower organizations to thrive, inspire, and serve the world. Though we primarily do this through technology, providing a platform to share the stories and experiences of leaders in the nonprofit space is also an important part of executing on that mission.

I am pleased to introduce Mona Kafeel. A proud mother of two young adults and a pet, she is a dedicated caregiver in her personal and professional life. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation; A nonprofit empowering women and their families through multifaceted programs. She is instrumental in creating trauma-informed and culturally specific domestic violence shelters in the Dallas area. Mona’s extensive work with the grass root community has led her to serve on multiple advisory boards including the Asian Advisory Committee to the Congresswomen Eddie Bernice Johnson, Public Policy Commission of Texas Council on Family Council, The City of Plano Senior Advisory Board and Collin County Council on Family Violence. She is an alumni of America Muslim Civic Leadership Institute at USC and Alumni Leadership Plano.

How did you get your start in the nonprofit space?

Parenting ~ Being a mother of young girl, it was very important for me to lead by example. I would take her to volunteer at food banks and homeless shelters, I would volunteer with her. With time, I realized that was my happy space as well, which made me change my career and move into non-profits

What is one challenge you’ve encountered while working in leadership for a nonprofit?

After fundraising, the most challenging work is to ensure that staff is not burnt out. Caregiving is one of the hardest things to do. The people in non-profits work for missions that solve so many social issues which truly change people’s lives.

What is one opportunity you’ve identified because of the changes due to COVID-19?

People are resilient! People are compassionate!

What is your most effective nonprofit fundraising medium?

One on one ask

What is one nonprofit fundraising rule you live by?

Fundraising is about relationships

Thank you for sharing your story Mona.

You can learn more about Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation and Mona below.