Students listening and talking during an intimate evening gathering hosted in Jeddah.

Partners and support

A dignified role for institutions that make this possible

The Rihla Fellowship is being built as a fully funded experience so that a student's ability to take part is never determined by their family's ability to pay. That requires partners: philanthropic, corporate, institutional, and academic.

Jeddah · 2024

Members of the cohort listen and connect during an intimate evening hosted in Jeddah.

The need

Muslim American students at the country's most selective universities are asked to represent a world that most of them have encountered only through text. Very few have the means, the structure, or the guidance to encounter it directly.

The pilot journey demonstrated both the appetite and the feasibility: a substantial share of its costs was covered by outside supporters, and students who could not otherwise have travelled did.

The cohort seated on the floor around shared platters at a welcome dinner in Jeddah. — Jeddah · 2024The cohort gathers for a welcome dinner at the beginning of the journey in Jeddah.

Ways to partner

Three ways to make the fellowship possible

Funding the journey

Fellow sponsorship
Cohort sponsorship
Airfare support
Accommodation
Ground transportation
Meals

Shaping the programme

Learning partnership
Institutional visits
Mentorship
Post-return programming
Evaluation

Building the institution

Programme operations
Alumni development
Travel partnership
In-kind support

Who we work with

Students seated with local hosts in a majlis for an evening gathering. — Jeddah · 2024Fellows join local hosts for an evening gathering centered on conversation, hospitality, and community.

Students gathered around a shared breakfast table in Jeddah. — Jeddah · 2024Fellows gather around a shared breakfast table during the opening days of the pilot journey in Jeddah.

Funder brief

The fellowship in six lines

The need: Direct encounter with the Muslim world for students who cannot otherwise access it.
The model: Preparation, a ten-day journey centred on Umrah, and a structured return.
The pilot: A student-led 2024 Yale Umrah journey of approximately thirty students.
The participant: Muslim American undergraduates at the eight Ivy League universities.
The selection: A four-stage process weighing character, curiosity, faith, and service.
The funding: Designed as a fully funded fellowship; support is sought per fellow and per cohort.

Start a partnership conversation

Or write directly to partners@rihlafellowship.org.