GROW MCF

THE EXPANSION PROJECT FOR THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF FOLSOM AND FOLSOM EDUCATIONAL ACADEMY

GROW MCF

Building Our Future Together

‏ مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا لِلَّهِ كَمَفْحَصِ قَطَاةٍ أَوْ أَصْغَرَ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ

“The one who builds a Masjid for the pleasure of Allah Almighty, Allah Almighty will build a house for him in paradise.” -Sahih Muslim

Welcome to a defining moment for the Muslim Community of Folsom (MCF) and the Folsom Educational Academy (FEA).

As our community flourishes, the need for a space that can fully accommodate our spiritual, educational, and communal activities becomes increasingly critical.

The Grow MCF Project is our collective response to this need, marking the beginning of a journey towards a future where our facilities reflect the vibrancy and potential of our community.

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We need your help to raise $3,500,000 by June 1st, 2024.

GOAL

$10,500,000

Collected Amount
0%

$10,500,000

Remaining Amount
0%

Full Amount Collected

The Property

Exciting News: Our vision has became a reality

We are thrilled to announce that we have officially signed the contract and entered escrow on our new dream property. This achievement is a dream come true, made possible by the grace of Allah (SWT) and your unwavering support. The Grow MCF Project is not just about expansion; it’s about building a future where our spiritual, educational, and communal needs are fully met.

Property Details:

Built in 1984 and renovated in 2000, our new approximately 84,756 square-foot office building offers ample parking, a beautiful setting on Lake Natoma, and easy access to CA-50. Surrounded by desirable amenities, including Willow Creek Plaza and Folsom Premium Outlets, it’s minutes from Historic Folsom.

The property features a new entrance, exterior paint, roof, upgraded electrical service, and advanced safety systems. Interior upgrades include a marble entry, skylights, premium lighting, carpet, exercise rooms, and multiple break rooms.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous contributions, dua’s, and dedication. This achievement is a testament to our unity and shared vision. But our journey has just begun, and we look forward to continuing this exciting chapter with you.

Our Story

The Foundations of MCF and FEA

From our humble beginnings to becoming a cornerstone of Islamic life in Northern California, MCF and FEA have been dedicated to serving the spiritual and educational needs of our community. Our journey has been filled with milestones that reflect our commitment to faith, learning, and unity. Today, we stand at the threshold of a new chapter, driven by the same mission that has guided us from the start.

The Urgency

Real Estate Demand in Folsom, CA

In the vibrant heart of Folsom, CA, the quest to secure real estate for our school and masjid faces a pressing challenge due to the fierce demand and limited availability of properties. This tight market scenario brings an urgency to our mission, emphasizing the need for immediate action to secure the first phase of our new property. The opportunity to establish a foundation for our community’s future is now, but the window to act is quickly closing. We urge our community members and supporters to recognize the critical moment we are at and consider contributing to our fund. Your generous donations will enable us to move swiftly in this competitive market, ensuring that our vision for a nurturing and inclusive community space becomes a reality.

Challenges

The Imperative for Expansion

Outdoor Prayer

Outdoor Prayer in the parking lot will not be available in the upcoming years during Ramadan due to cold winter weather.

Fire Lane Use & No Play Area

Fire lane use during most social/ youth events.
No play areas for school/ MCF.

Storage

No Space. We have to store many items at home due to the lack of space. Even the new sheds cannot fit all of the important academic, Islamic, and sports items.

Staff Bathrooms

Toilets surrounded by boxes used as storage. You have to step out so teachers can use bathrooms.

Community Exclusion

Facility limitations exclude many from events like Jummah and Eid prayers. Help us include everyone.

Crowded Classrooms

Overcrowding at our PreK-8th Islamic School means long waitlists and strained programs. We need your support to continue providing quality education.

Parking Problems

Parking at the school is strained with doubled enrollment over three years. We need solutions.

Program Limitations

Space shortage limits our community events and programs. Your support could expand our capacity.

The Need

The Imperative for Expansion

MCF’s journey has been marked by continuous growth, yet our current facilities no longer suffice. Overcrowded prayer halls and limited event spaces hinder our ability to serve the community fully.Similarly, FEA faces a pressing need for more classrooms to accommodate the increasing demand for Islamic education. Our shared struggle for space underscores the urgent need for expansion to continue our mission effectively.

Vision

Muslim Community of Folsom (MCF) 2.0

We aim to create a functional, inclusive, and inspiring space that enables us to continue serving and supporting one another as we grow and evolve as a community. Our expanded space will include a larger prayer hall, expanded school classrooms, kids and youth playgrounds, dedicated adult classes, dawah programs, and a multi-purpose room for various activities. We will also have sufficient parking for our community.

Our goal is to produce students in a safe, comfortable, Islamic environment that are high-performing citizens of society.  With expanded space, FEA school staff, administration, and the PTO will have the ways and means to offer the support that’s needed to get there.   Students will have the space to grow and pursue their interests.  They will have lab rooms, dedicated play areas, lunch areas, and personal space. Staff will have the space to work on new programs and collaborate with one another.

MCF / FEA 1.0

Prayer hall capacity 400

FEA KG-8th, 6761 sq ft Capacity: 140

Parking: 84 spots

Building: ~16,000 sq ft Land: 1.87 Acres

Limited space Overflow into fire lane

MCF / FEA 2.0

Prayer hall capacity 1000+ and larger MPR/Gym

Parking: 500 spots

FEA KG-12th, 40,000 sq ft Capacity: 400+

Building: 60,000+ sq ft Land: 7+ Acres

Full Time K-High school Private Accredited Isalmic School

Basketball court & outdoor kids play area

Most Popular Questions

MCF 2.0 is the name given to the vision for a new, larger facility and space which can accommodate our community’s growing needs for a bigger masjid and Islamic school. The current school and masjid at 381/391 S. Lexington Drive are considered MCF 1.0, and the 2.0 version denotes the next phase and chapter for this organization.

MCF’s vision for the future includes a masjid catering to 1000+ community members and an Islamic school for children in grades KG through 12th. A bottom-up analysis was done of what is required to support the MCF community into the next decade and the Real Estate Committee found that at least 60,000 sqft of building space and 5-7 acres of land with ample parking was needed. The potential future site meets these requirements in Folsom.

The present facilities at 381 and 391 S. Lexington Drive have reached their limit on capacity. Due to a lack of space, Masjid events such as Jummah, family nights, and youth activities overflow into the emergency fire lane. The parking lot is woefully inadequate and were it not for the generosity of the community at Lakeside Church, MCF would not have enough parking for Jummah or any other larger events. Additionally, FEA’s space is completely maxed out, and the waiting list of students gets larger every year. Families are being told that the only Islamic school in the area simply does not have space for their child.

Yes. Over the past few years, both MCF and FEA’s administrations have worked diligently to not only efficiently use the available space, but to also explore possible options to maximize our usage of the current site. Due to zoning and parking constraints, we are unable to construct extra floors on top of the current buildings. Some examples of improvements include usage of the fire lane during Jumma and Tarawih prayers, utilizing Lakeside Church parking, and sharing of spaces between MCF and FEA. We split the men’s musallah for all the events; the lack of a big MPR room disrupts the men’s prayer area that serves as a seating area for family nights. Unfortunately, we have outgrown these improvements and a new space is urgently needed.

Unfortunately, it is not only FEA which is running out of space. Both FEA and MCF have reached the limits of possible growth at 381 and 391 S. Lexington Dr. and in order for both organizations to continue to serve the needs of the growing Folsom community, they must expand.

While it may seem that MCF and FEA are two completely independent organizations, the truth is that both rely heavily on the other to maximize the usage of resources, minimize expenses, and most importantly, serve the same community: all of the Muslims families of Folsom. Separating the masjid and the school may seem like a tempting short-term solution, however this would be fraught with its own challenges, and in the long-term create not only a fractured community but also huge financial inefficiencies and a doubled burden on donors.

Currently, MCF and FEA benefit from economies of scale in that they both share indoor facilities such as a kitchen, multi-purpose room, play areas, and more. Additionally, both share the same parking lot.

In the MCF 2.0 outline, the masjid and school would benefit from sharing even more areas such as classrooms, babysitting rooms, a cafeteria, an auditorium, administrative areas, and playgrounds and sports fields. By sharing the same facilities, both organizations would be able to reduce their overhead and be able to provide world-class services to the entire community.

Insha’Allah, the MCF community can afford this project. The MCF Finance Committee has created fundraising projections which consider various factors such as historical donation levels, future community growth predictions, and increased fundraising potential when attempting to reach an annual target.

Additionally, the MCF Finance Committee is working on novel and creative ways to not only increase the number of active donors, but also the average donation per family. It is the belief of the MCF Joint Board that collectively these efforts will result in the community being able to afford the MCF 2.0 project.

Please email contact@mcfolsom.com with your question and/or comments. MCF’s Joint Board welcomes all feedback and is looking forward to transparently engaging with the community regarding any and all concerns or questions.

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