A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Help Create a Permanent Home for Rochester’s Sudanese Community

The Sudanese American Association of Southeast Minnesota is working to purchase a permanent community home at 911 11th Avenue NW in Rochester, Minnesota.

URGENT PURCHASE MILESTONE $160,000 needed by August 30, 2026 The full purchase price of the Sudanese Daar is $525,900.

This is a rare opportunity to create a permanent home that brings us together. The Sudanese Daar will preserve our identity, strengthen our relationships, and serve our children and future generations. Even while living far from Sudan, we can build a place in Rochester that feels like home.

  • 501(c)(3) public charity
  • Tax-deductible contributions
  • EIN 92-2844059
Aerial view of the proposed Sudanese Daar property at 911 11th Avenue NW in Rochester, Minnesota

OUR FUNDING ROADMAP

One Urgent Deadline. One Long-Term Goal.

Our immediate priority is to raise $160,000 by August 30, 2026. This is a critical milestone toward the $525,900 total purchase price needed to purchase the Sudanese Daar.

IMMEDIATE MILESTONE

$160,000

Needed by August 30, 2026

This is the amount our community must raise by the deadline to keep this historic purchase moving forward.

FULL PURCHASE GOAL

$525,900

Total cost to purchase the Daar

Every contribution to the immediate milestone also advances the full goal of securing a permanent home for our community.

Collective giving can make this possible. Whether someone gives $25, $100, $500, $1,000, or another amount, each gift helps move us closer to the August 30 milestone.
SAASEM community members gathered in Rochester with Sudanese and United States flags
SAASEM brings people together through culture, education, service, and community life. A permanent Daar will give that work a lasting home.

WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

A Long-Term Investment in Our Community

Owning a permanent community home is an investment whose benefit can continue for many years. It will serve Sudanese families in Rochester and neighboring communities while creating a stable foundation for programs, gatherings, and service.

No matter the size of your contribution, your gift brings us closer to turning this shared dream into a real and lasting home.

Together, we can build a home that brings us together. Every dollar makes a difference. Every donor becomes part of the story of the Sudanese Daar.

LIVE CAMPAIGN PROGRESS

Watch Our Community Move the Goal Forward

This live Givebutter display updates as donations are recorded. It shows the current amount raised, overall progress toward the $525,900 purchase goal, and public supporter activity.

If the live display does not load in your browser, open the live progress page directly.

MORE WAYS TO GIVE

Choose the Giving Method That Works Best for You

Givebutter is the preferred online option because it provides secure payment processing, donor information, campaign tracking, and an emailed receipt. We also welcome Zelle, checks, and larger bank-transfer gifts.

MAIL OR DELIVER

Check

Make checks payable to: Sudanese American Association of Southeast Minnesota

Write Sudanese Daar in the memo. Contact SAASEM for the current secure mailing or delivery instructions.

Request check instructions

LARGER GIFTS

Direct Bank Transfer or Wire

For a large gift, grant payment, or organizational contribution, contact SAASEM for verified ACH or wire instructions.

For donor protection and fraud prevention, complete account and routing details are not displayed publicly on this webpage.

Request secure transfer instructions
Help us keep the live campaign total accurate. After giving by Zelle, check, or direct bank transfer, please email [email protected] so the gift can be recorded in the campaign and an acknowledgment can be issued.
Call (507) 900-9006

MORE THAN A BUILDING

We Call It the Sudanese Daar—Because Daar Means Home

The Daar will be a place where our community can gather, celebrate holidays and national occasions, teach children and youth, support families, organize charitable and social activities, and strengthen the bonds that connect us.

Children and Youth

A place for tutoring, mentorship, leadership development, cultural learning, and positive youth activities.

Families and Elders

A welcoming space where families gather and elders pass on language, stories, knowledge, and traditions.

Culture and Education

A permanent home for educational programs, workshops, celebrations, community conversations, and lifelong learning.

Service and Connection

A central place where community organizations, volunteers, partners, and neighbors can meet, organize, and serve.

OUR SHARED STORY

A Home That Preserves Who We Are and Serves Those Who Come After Us

For years, Rochester’s Sudanese community has gathered wherever space was available— borrowing rooms, sharing facilities, and adapting temporary spaces so families could stay connected. In those spaces, we celebrated, supported one another, taught our children, welcomed newcomers, and kept our culture alive.

Today, we have a rare opportunity to move from temporary gathering places to a permanent home of our own. The property at 911 11th Avenue NW can become a welcoming Daar for community gatherings, social occasions, holidays, national celebrations, educational and cultural programs, family events, volunteer service, and charitable activities.

A permanent Daar will be more than a building. It will be a place where children can grow with a strong sense of identity, where youth can learn and lead, where elders can pass on knowledge, and where families can support one another through moments of joy and hardship.

We are building for those who are here today—and for the generations who will come after us. Together, we can create something permanent through collective care.

COMMUNITY VOICES

Hear Why the Sudanese Daar Matters

The photographs below reflect SAASEM’s real community life—children celebrating, young people building confidence, families preserving culture, and neighbors coming together. This section is ready for short video testimonials from the people who will use and sustain the Daar.

Children and families gathered at a SAASEM community celebration COMMUNITY VIDEO COMING SOON Hear from SAASEM families about what a permanent home would mean for their children.

Each community voice tells the same deeper story: the Sudanese Daar is not simply a property. It is a home for belonging, learning, service, culture, and connection.

Videos feature youth, parents, elders, volunteers, and Rochester partners sharing why this permanent home matters and inviting others to help reach the August 30 milestone.

Community voices added with permission
Young people participating in a SAASEM outdoor youth activity

FUTURE VIDEO

Youth and Family Voice

A personal story about mentorship, friendship, learning, confidence, and having a place where young people know they belong.

A SAASEM community member standing before the Sudanese flag

FUTURE VIDEO

Culture, Heritage, and Elders

A story about preserving language, history, cultural identity, and intergenerational wisdom for children growing up in Minnesota.

Children receiving certificates during a SAASEM community educational event

FUTURE VIDEO

Education and Community Service

A story about educational support, volunteer service, community programs, and the opportunities a permanent space can make possible.

Sudanese community voices Each testimonial is a personal call for a Daar—a permanent home that preserves our identity, serves our community, and supports future generations.

WHAT THIS HOME MAKES POSSIBLE

A Lasting Home Where Our Community Can Thrive

The Daar will give our community a dependable place for everyday connection and for the important moments that shape family and community life.

  • Children and young people can learn, grow, and remain connected to their heritage.
  • Families can gather for social, cultural, and educational activities.
  • Elders can share their knowledge, stories, and traditions.
  • New community members can find connection and belonging.
  • Community organizations and volunteers can meet, organize, and serve.
  • Sudanese culture can be celebrated and shared with our Rochester neighbors.
  • Future generations can inherit something permanent that was built through collective care.

COLLECTIVE GIVING

Every Gift Has a Place in This Campaign

Whatever the amount, your contribution brings us closer to making this dream real. A gift of $10, $25, or $50 is meaningful. Monthly gifts create steady momentum, while larger gifts help us move toward the August 30 milestone more quickly.

For those who view this contribution as sadaqah jariyah, this is an opportunity to support a lasting community resource whose benefits, insha’Allah, can continue across generations.

For friends, neighbors, businesses, faith communities, foundations, and community partners, this is an opportunity to invest in a stronger, more connected, and more welcoming Rochester.

HELP US REACH $160,000 BY AUGUST 30

Three Ways to Make a Difference

1

Donate

Choose a one-time or recurring contribution at a level that is right for you.

2

Share

Send the campaign to family, friends, coworkers, businesses, and community partners.

3

Invite Others

Ask at least three people to join you in supporting the Sudanese Daar.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DONORS

Transparency and Tax Information

The Sudanese American Association of Southeast Minnesota is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) and as a public charity under Section 509(a)(2).

Federal Employer Identification Number: 92-2844059

Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donations to this campaign support the effort to purchase and establish the Sudanese Daar. Campaign organizers will provide updates about fundraising progress and major property-purchase milestones.

Questions: [email protected]

THE DEADLINE IS AUGUST 30, 2026

Help Us Raise the $160,000 We Need Now

The total purchase price is $525,900. Our immediate community-wide challenge is to raise $160,000 by August 30 so this historic opportunity can move forward.

Every donation strengthens the foundation. Every share brings another person into the effort. Every supporter helps us build a home for those present today and for the future of our children.

Donate to the Sudanese Daar