How AISDC uses Live Kiosk to fund vital humanitarian work in Bangladesh

Introduction

Growing up in Bangladesh, Mohammed Khan witnessed the everyday challenges faced by its most isolated rural communities firsthand. Poverty, lack of food and housing, and barriers to education are just some of the struggles that many Bangladeshi communities continue to face today. Women and children are often the most disadvantaged as, without basic education and real-world skills, they struggle to find work that might help them improve their circumstances.

After relocating to Canada, Khan had no intention of forgetting his roots – in fact, he promised to help improve the lives of people back home if given the chance. In 2021, this promise led to the formation of the Al Ihsan Social Development Center (AISDC).

In just five years, AISDC has grown from serving one student to over 500 – 137 of them being orphans who are cared for full-time on the property. Along with food and shelter, the facility offers daily classes in Islamic education and useful skills, such as computer literacy and sewing, with the mission of helping women of all ages become self-sufficient.

Many of them have gone on to start businesses, get married, and have children of their own. Every donation to AISDC goes toward the ultimate goal of uplifting the entire region through female education and literacy, job creation, and poverty alleviation.

Khan’s organization uses in-person fundraising events as their primary means of drawing in supporters and raising awareness about their mission. As they continue to serve a growing number of people and many unmet needs, raising more funds at these events through flexible giving methods became essential.

Mosque-goers need convenience after prayers

Every Friday (and every day during the holy month of Ramadan), Khan and his team travel to a different mosque to raise awareness and funds for AISDC. “People go to different mosques all over the USA, and when the prayer is over, they all rush to leave,” he says. Because attendees often come to pray in the middle of the workday or in between errands, they are eager to get back to their day afterwards. Khan quickly realized the urgent need for a fast, convenient, practically effortless means of donating that wouldn’t take up donors’ time.

While there was no shortage of interest in the cause – people were ready and willing to give – Khan also noticed that many of them didn’t carry cash. AISDC’s traditional cash donation box wasn’t enough to cater to modern-day givers who preferred to donate by card.

A quick & effortless in-person giving experience

The answer was Donorbox Live™ Kiosk . Its compact size and portability meant the tablet and card reader could easily travel with them to different mosques, and its wide range of payment options catered to everyone.

The real game-changers, though, have been the kiosk’s recurring giving feature and customization capabilities. “After a week or two, we added a recurring option. Within the main page, we now have one-time and recurring donation options. Since then, we’ve been getting a lot of recurring donations,” Khan says. Having a steady stream of monthly donors helps create sustained, predictable income for the organization and its mission.

To further speed up the checkout process, Khan made fields like email address optional. This means people can select a donation amount and payment method, give, and go – all in 30 seconds or less. Compared to the physical donation box and QR codes that AISDC used previously, this is a huge upgrade in convenience.

The kiosk has also allowed for more discreet giving, which is often preferred amongst AISDC’s Muslim donors. The easy usability of Donorbox’s giving kiosk means donors can navigate the giving process on their own without interference from AISDC staff.

More donations means more girls housed and educated

Since adopting Live Kiosk and adding the recurring donation payment option, AISDC has grown their loyal donor base significantly, with 62% of all donations attributed to recurring plans. “After almost every visit, we get one or two new recurring donors,” Khan says. “And those recurring donations provide a permanent form of income in case our fundraising doesn't [reach our goals].”

Since partnering with Donorbox, AISDC has increased donations by about ten-fold. Khan is optimistic that they’ll be able to soon surpass the half-million dollar mark on Donorbox. 2025 marks their first year of using Live Kiosk, which has already generated 10% of their donation revenue in just five months, and has contributed to a 92% growth in donations year-over-year.

This increase in donations and recurring donors means that AISDC can continue to care for orphaned children, feed and house Bangladeshi women and girls in need, and even expand to new facilities for education and shelter.

The Future

AISDC already has two events lined up for early 2026: one on January 10 in Seattle, Washington in the US and another on February 14 in Vancouver, Canada. These events create opportunities for Khan to tell real stories of young girls that have had their lives changed by AISDC, and to raise much-needed funds for the year ahead.

In the future, Khan and his team may explore engaging more international supporters in regions like the UK and Australia. After all, the stories of hope brought to young girls in the form of education, shelter, and food security are ones that resonate with people the world over, ensuring that the AISDC team will never have a shortage of open and willing hearts ready to lend a hand.

Donorbox features used

• Donorbox Live™ Kiosk
• Donor Portal
• Campaigns
• Crowdfunding
• Recurring Donations
• Donors Cover Fees