1-07-2025 4:30pm

SCORE Mentor Helps Client Increase Revenue for Muslim Awareness Nonprofit

Donnella Tilery Editor

Growing up in New York City, Bangladesh native Nazma Khan faced discrimination and bullying because of the head covering, called a hijab, that she wore.

In middle school, her peers referred to her as a ninja. By college, in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she was called Osama bin Laden.

“I’m a mother,” Khan said, referencing a man convicted of killing a Muslim family out on a walk. “I’m scared to walk my children on the street because I could be targeted.”

Khan, of Middlesex County, is passionate about educating her neighbors and the world at large on the importance of the head covering that Muslim women wear in public as part of their religious beliefs. To that end, she created World Hijab Day, which since its inception on Feb. 1, 2013, has been recognized and celebrated in more than 150 countries.

“I did it for the sake of changing the world one person at a time,” she said. “I am a person who’s trying to make this world a better place for my children and the next generation and just leave a legacy.”

On Feb. 1, women of all backgrounds are encouraged to wear the hijab. To further her mission, Khan, in 2018, established the World Hijab Day Organization as a nonprofit with the goal of dismantling bigotry, discrimination, and prejudice against Muslim women.

By 2022, Khan began mentoring with SCORE Central Jersey mentor Linda Boughton, whose 35-year career in the nonprofit realm provided her with insight on how best to generate revenue from the anti-bullying talks and diversity and inclusion workshops that Khan had been offering at no charge. Initially, Khan requested insight on applying for and obtaining grants, but Boughton steered her in the direction of operating a self-sustaining organization through paid programming and corporate sponsorships.

“She is well on her way toward the growth phase,” said Boughton, who had previously worked for Cultural Vistas, taking the organization from “almost nothing” to $20 million. “That’s a great joy for me.”

In addition to the monetary insight, Khan credits Boughton with helping her structure her organization, as well as the board of directors, including better defining their roles and responsibilities.

“Passion doesn’t always get sustained. This is where SCORE comes in,” Khan said. “She has been my guiding star. I am so blessed.”

SCORE’s ongoing mentoring will ultimately help Khan, and her team of global volunteers continue to reach the masses on their mission to open minds and hearts.

“We are completely unseen. We get rejected,” Khan said of Muslim women. “Our voices need to be heard.”

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped 17 million entrepreneurs start or grow a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free mentoring, workshops, and educational services to 1,500+ communities nationwide. With more than 30 members throughout Somerset, Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, SCORE Central Jersey provides thousands of mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business workshops. For more information about starting or operating a small business, or finding a mentor, visit SCORE Central Jersey at https://www.score.org/centraljersey.