Human Appeal launches Islamic endowment fund
Howard Lake | 8 January 2026 | News
Human Appeal has created a new subsidiary, The Waqf Fund, to increase long-term charitable funds for its projects around the world.
Waqf, an Islamic endowment that involves the permanent transfer of wealth for a charitable purpose, is a common form of good deed recommended in Islamic teachings. A report published jointly by the World Bank, INCEIF and ISRA estimates that the global value of waqf assets range between $700 billion to $1 trillion.
The Waqf Fund will see donations pooled into a central fund that is invested in halal, Sharia-compliant assets such as property. The original capital is preserved, and income from it will serve to fund Human Appeal’s projects.
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A single donation to this fund will grow in value year after year, “even beyond a lifetime”, with annual returns being reinvested.
Income generated from each donation is allocated across the active initiatives for each focus of the charity (such as water and sanitation, education and healthcare), ensuring projects receive a fair share. A portion of the income is reinvested to grow the fund further, to expand its reach and long-term impact.
Three types of Islamic gift
Zakat is an obligatory annual contribution. Sadaqah Jariyah is a voluntary ongoing charity. Waqf is a perpetual endowment where the asset remains intact, and only its returns benefit others.
Professor Kamil Omoteso, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Waqf Fund, said:
“We operate within the Islamic principles of waqf and Sadaqah Jariyah (long-term charitable contribution) to offer religiously compliant and spiritually rewarding methods of giving. As a trusted choice for Muslim donors who wish to make ongoing charitable donations in line with their faith, we are pleased to announce our new outfit as a subsidiary of Human Appeal.”
- What makes a Muslim donor click? (11 March 2020)
- Dedicated online giving platform for Muslim charities launches (9 April 2018)
- Islamic Relief takes to the buses with its Ramadan campaign (23 April 2018)
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.