New York City’s First Lady, Rama Duwaji, designed a T-shirt in 2024 intended to raise funds for Dahnoun Mutual Aid, a grassroots organization supporting displaced Palestinians in Gaza. The shirts, priced at $47 each and featuring a bird illustration alongside the Arabic phrase "Khair Ya Tair" ("Good news, oh bird!"), were sold through Everpress, a London-based platform that facilitates charitable fundraising by independent creators.

According to sources, approximately $2,000 in profits were generated from the sales and held in a "creator" account with Everpress. The platform reportedly contacted Duwaji multiple times to obtain her banking details so it could transfer the funds for donation to the charity, but the requests went unanswered. The funds have remained unclaimed in the account.

Former Everpress personnel described the platform’s process as one in which funds raised were first collected by the company, then disbursed to the creator for onward donation. They noted that Everpress, which ceased operations in May 2026, regularly partnered with well-known organizations like War Child and UNICEF. The charity money raised through Duwaji’s campaign, which followed the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, has yet to reach Dahnoun Mutual Aid, though the source indicated Duwaji had up to two years to claim the donation.

Officials from the mayor’s office emphasized that Duwaji did not personally retain the proceeds. Spokeswoman Dora Pekec stated that the T-shirts were sold exclusively through Everpress and that the funds were never in Duwaji’s personal accounts. Pekec said the money remains with Everpress and is slated to be forwarded to the mutual aid group.

Dahnoun Mutual Aid, which has publicly stated a fundraising goal of $2 million, has reported $1.1 million raised to date from various sources. The organization did not respond to requests for comment regarding the untransferred donation.

In promotional materials for the T-shirts, Duwaji described “Khair Ya Tair” as a symbol of hope and resilience, referring to the Palestinian Sunbird as emblematic of freedom and resistance to restrictions. She stated that all profits would support the provision of winter clothing for residents of North Gaza.

The incident highlights challenges that can arise in digital fundraising efforts, particularly when intermediary platforms are involved and subsequently cease operation before payments are disbursed.