Why we started

One shared belief: education shouldn't be optional

Ilmara Foundation began as a conversation among university students who kept coming back to the same problem: in Pakistan, a child's entire future can hinge on whether their family can afford a single year of school fees, a uniform, or a set of books. That felt solvable, at a small scale, if the right people were willing to fund it and stay accountable for it.

How we work

Fund specific children. Report specific outcomes.

We don't collect money for a general cause and hope it helps. Every donation is tied to a named intervention — a specific child, a specific school, a specific year — identified through a trusted local contact on the ground in Pakistan.

We track what that support actually produces: enrollment, attendance, and how the child is doing in school, and we share that back with the people who funded it.

What we believe

Transparency isn't a feature, it's the whole point

Ilmara is a student-led initiative built on direct relationships and honest reporting. Our Washington State nonprofit registration application is pending. Donations will open after our banking and payment setup is ready.

Current project

The Naseem Scholarship

Named in memory of Naseem, my grandmother — who spent her life making sure the people around her had what they needed, and who believed a child's future shouldn't depend on what their family could afford.

Our founding initiative sponsors a group of children beginning first grade in Pakistan, covering everything needed to keep them in school for the year: tuition, a uniform, and books and stationery.

We're partnering directly with a trusted local contact to choose the school and the children, so every donation traces back to a real seat in a real classroom — not a general fund.

Where the funds go

Every dollar, accounted for

Our team updates these allocations in USD, including education and operating costs. The remaining balance is recorded donations minus allocations.

Following along

Progress shared, not just promised

Once a child is enrolled, we'll follow their year closely — attendance, coursework, and how they're settling in — and pass that along to supporters every few months, in plain terms, alongside how funds were used.

Past projects

This is where we're starting

We haven't completed a project yet — this is our first. Once this school year wraps, its full outcome will be documented here.

Who's behind this

Meet the team

Founded by a group of university students, Ilmara Foundation brings together a team working to make education more accessible.

Get involved

We're finishing the details before we open donations

• Sponsor a child's educationFull donation details go live at launch — leave your email below to be first to know.
• Share Ilmara FoundationTell someone who might want to follow along or support this once we launch.
• Volunteer your skillsWe'll occasionally need help with outreach, design, or translation — reach out below.

Following the school year

Progress, shared openly.

Campaign reports will share how funds are used and how the school year is progressing, while protecting each child's privacy.

Your contribution

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Donation information

When donations open, your name, email, campaign, amount, currency, payment reference and payment status will support donation records and confirmations. Card and bank credentials are handled by the payment provider, never stored by Ilmara.

Communications and choice

Fundraising emails require a separate opt-in. Donation confirmations and relevant campaign reports are separate. You can withdraw fundraising consent using an unsubscribe link or by contacting aayan@ilmara.org.

Access and retention

Access to donor records is restricted to authorized administrators. Contact aayan@ilmara.org to request access, correction or deletion, or to withdraw consent. Records needed for payment reconciliation may need to be retained.

Children’s privacy

Public reports should not identify sponsored children or disclose sensitive details. Names, photos and other identifying material require appropriate guardian and school permissions before publication.

Questions

Contact aayan@ilmara.org.

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