Non-profit Organization Management: The Nora Islam Scholarship https://www.noraislam.org/

NBC News Story on Memorial and Scholarship: NBCDFW news 

Students wore orange to honor Nora, as it was her favorite color. I connected with a local print company who donated shirts to the campus. I organized a fundraiser where all the profits from the "Be Happy" shirts went into her memorial fund. This went on for multiple years, each year changing shirt colors and increasing the opportunity for donations to the memorial. 

Some of Nora's best friends planted flowers in honor of her. I connected with a community artist who created a mural at the campus to honor Nora and her love of reading. Through community partnerships with Home Depot, I was able to procure donations of various materials saving our campus money while supporting memorial efforts.

I organized a memorial day at our campus. Students were able to come out and listen to people speak about their friend, we had a tree dedication ceremony, there was live music, and students bought treats to raise funds for the scholarship effort. 

We were able to purchase a memorial to place under a tree that Nora's parents planted in our school gardens. 

Nora's parents requested I keep her pet hamster, Pumpkin. Pumpkin became a campus friend, and students enjoyed his loving nature. Pumpkin was able to stay with us for almost one year after Nora passed, and many students were able to enjoy his cuteness and remember their friend. 

I organized a Lending Library build day to create and decorate a library donated to Nora and to her legacy of friendship. 

 I got to know Nora through our Home Visit program initially. I was able to procure donations from numerous organizations so we had enough items to give to students in need. Above are photos showing a large haul of donated supplies and a student helping to organize donated shoes and coats for the scholarship. 

Through community partnerships and networking, I was able to donate a car, find a service center to repair and sell the vehicle, and organize the funds to be distributed to two nonprofits. This endeavor raised over $4,000 for the two nonprofit organizations. 

Nora's classmates are pictured above her Happy sign. A parent created and donated this to be featured on her friendship library. 

Students created artwork and cards for Nora's family. 

I spent many weekends purchasing supplies for students in need due to the funds we raised. For two full school years following this tragedy, no students at our campus who were in need of supplies had to find a way to purchase them. Students had all work supplies, materials, backpacks, lunchboxes, shoes, coats, and uniform materials provided through the scholarship. 

In 2019, our campus lost a beloved second grade student suddenly. In the aftermath of this tragedy, I started and managed the Nora Islam Scholarship. This scholarship provided materials, uniforms, and fee assistance to students in need. I organized numerous fundraisers to assist this cause, including arranging vehicle repair and donation to fund the scholarship, memorial design, muralist dedication, and community partnership donations to assist students and honor our former student.  Though tragic, this experience provided great experience in supporting students in more ways than the traditional classroom.