Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are volunteer-led committees within Yayasan Salam Malaysia that focus on key issues like children, the environment, and marginalized communities. Each SIG is headed by a senior volunteer and committee who plan activities aligned with the organization's strategies. SIGs assist with headquarters projects, pursue their own initiatives, and fundraise independently. Lessons learned include strong volunteer commitment and ideas, though coordinating overlapping activities and resource scheduling across multiple SIGs can become complicated.

1. The One Thing I Have to Share:
Special Interest Groups and Salam e-initiative
Ghani Ibrahim
Chief Operating Officer, Yayasan Salam (Malaysia)

2. Yayasan Salam Malaysia
www.salam.org.my
www.facebook.com/YayasanSalam

3. Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
SIG Children, SIG Environment, SIG Marginalized Community, SIG
Technology, etc.
Structure :
Headed by a senior volunteer, a committee and interested members.
Selection of head and committee annually by members. SIG heads will
receive special recognition at annual VRC, and become LIBAS members
Committee appoints subcommittee and team leader for programs and
activities. A committee called ‘Nucleus’ to oversee long term programs
Activities :
Based on group interest, inline with corporate strategies
Assist projects by Hq
Create own projects/activities
Raise own funding

4. Lesson learned
Healthy competition among SIGs
Team leaders show commitment and try to out perform others
Brilliant ideas and proposals by SIG volunteers
Pool of talents, potential leaders
Produce brilliant reports by SIGs and teams
Social media as main communication channel
Strong sense of belonging to their SIG
Overlapping of activities / program (scopes and dates)
Resource scheduling become more complicated