A 2024 fundraising campaign organized by Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has drawn scrutiny following a report alleging that proceeds from a T-shirt fundraiser intended for a Gaza aid organization were never transferred to the designated charity. The campaign, which raised approximately $2,000, aimed to support Dahnoun Mutual Aid, a Gaza-based organization providing assistance to displaced Palestinians.
"At no point were the proceeds in the First Lady’s account. The proceeds remain at Everpress HQ and will be sent to the mutual aid organization." — Dora Pekec, Mayoral Spokeswoman
According to a report by the New York Post, Duwaji initiated a limited-edition T-shirt campaign in 2024 through the London-based fundraising platform Everpress. The shirts featured artwork depicting a bird and the Arabic phrase “Khair Ya Tair,” translated as “Good news, oh bird,” which Duwaji described as symbolizing hope and representing "freedom and defiance of restrictions and borders." The campaign explicitly stated that 100% of the profits generated would be donated to Dahnoun Mutual Aid.
The New York Post, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that the approximately $2,000 raised through the campaign remained in an Everpress creator account. The source indicated that the company was unable to transfer the proceeds due to a lack of banking information from Duwaji. Efforts by Everpress to contact Duwaji via email and Instagram reportedly did not receive a response. The standard operating procedure for Everpress was to transfer campaign proceeds to the creator, who would then be responsible for donating the funds to the designated charity. The source further noted that Everpress employees could not independently verify that the funds had been donated.
New York City Hall has disputed any implication that Duwaji personally retained the funds. In a statement provided to the New York Post, mayoral spokeswoman Dora Pekec clarified the situation. "The shirt was sold via the third-party site Everpress HQ, which allows independent creators to sell clothing without upfront costs," Pekec stated. She added, "At no point were the proceeds in the First Lady’s account. The proceeds remain at Everpress HQ and will be sent to the mutual aid organization."
This statement from City Hall comes after Everpress announced earlier this year that it would cease operations due to financial challenges. The fundraising campaign organized by Duwaji concluded in 2024, providing creators a window of time to claim their proceeds before the platform began its winding-down process. Despite City Hall's assurance, the New York Post reported that Dahnoun Mutual Aid's public fundraising page did not list a donation from Duwaji. Dahnoun Mutual Aid has reportedly raised over $1.1 million toward a stated $2 million goal but did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.
Rama Duwaji, 29, is a Brooklyn-based Syrian illustrator and animator whose artistic work, according to her artist profile, focuses on portraiture, movement, and communal experiences. As of the time of the report, there was no public indication that the approximately $2,000 in fundraising proceeds had been transferred to Dahnoun Mutual Aid. City Hall maintains that the funds are still held by Everpress and are expected to be sent to the organization, suggesting that the delay is administrative rather than intentional withholding. The situation highlights the complexities that can arise in online fundraising, particularly when third-party platforms face operational changes or when communication channels between creators and platforms become strained. The eventual transfer of these funds to the intended beneficiaries remains a point of public interest.
