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After decades of giving to charity, a growing number of Catholics are starting to put their philanthropic billions into profitable investments instead. The new aid model is also backed by Pope Francis. Catholic investment funds are increasingly investing in projects in emerging economies and earning a return while also doing good. Impact investing is growing in popularity among investors who want to support development goals such as clean energy, education and healthcare. According to the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), $228 billion was managed in impact investments worldwide in 2017, double that of 2016. An organisation spearheading the new mission is Catholic Relief Services (CRS). CRS has lent $1 million to banks in El Salvador that lend on to city authorities to spend improving and expanding their erratic water services. CRS aims to give 300,000 people reliable water access in the next three years while also earning single digit returns from the loans.

Singapore-based fintech firm Finterra has developed a crowdfunding platform that uses blockchain to create smart contracts that would be linked to specific Waqf projects. Cash Waqf is a type of Waqf which is categorised as movable Waqf. It aims to promote service to mankind by establishing the endowment using money as opposed to using immovable assets. The idea of Waqfcoin lies on the principles of cash Waqf. Blockchain technology can be used to build trust in Waqf management and to ensure accountability. The technology could also provide a comprehensive global database on Waqf, which can be easily created and maintained in a transparent manner.

The Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) has adopted a three-year Endowments Investment Policy. The board meeting was attended by senior board members who reviewed the achievements of AMAF’s newly appointed Charity Work Committee, Investment Committee, and Endowment Development Committee. In addition, it also reviewed the executive regulations of the Dubai Waqf Law No. 14 of 2017 (Dubai Waqf Law) and Dubai Law No. 9 of 2007 establishing Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation. The Charity Work Committee presented the financial budget for charitable work in 2018, which has exceeded AED74 million to date. Philanthropic projects during the Year of Zayed included the voucher initiative for needy families worth AED700,000, the AED150,000 Umrah initiative, and the AED450,000 Fund for Cancer Patients. AMAF also joined the project of "Modon Al Khair" to contribute AED500,000 towards the construction of homes for low-income people.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has backed a campaign to raise money to boost free legal services to disadvantaged people. The money is being raised on a crowdfunding site for an application that could be made accessible through advice centres and even food banks. According to Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, the former president of the Law Society, £25,000 has been raised for the project so far and £2,000 more is needed to launch the six-month pilot this September.

Al Jalila Foundation has received a donation of Dh3 million from Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) to support it’s Aawen (treatment) programme. Since its inception in 2013, Al Jalila Foundation has supported 467 patients from 36 nationalities, including 190 children, and invested Dh34 million to provide relief to patients who suffer from chronic illnesses. The treatment costs for patients, newborn to 90 years of age, have ranged from to Dh20,000 to Dh250,000 per individual.

The Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has donated Dh20 million ($5.4 million) in Zakat money to the Ras al-Khaimah Charity Association. The association will distribute the funds to those eligible for Zakat though legitimate channels during the month of Ramadan. Abdul Razzaq Al Abdullah, head of the Community Services Department of the DIB, handed the donation cheque to Abdulaziz Al Zaabi, chairman of the charity association. Al Zaabi thanked the DIB’s management for its generous support and considerable donation.

UNHCR, the UN's Refugee Agency, is counting on the generosity of Muslims to allocate their Zakat to refugee families before the end of the Holy Month. UNHCR provides much-needed cash assistance to extremely vulnerable Syrian refugee families without any alternative sources of income. Zakat contributions this year have already saved 1,152 refugee families in Jordan and Lebanon from falling deeper into debt and poverty, and from the risk of exploitation. However, 5,465 families are still in urgent need of sustainable cash assistance. A contribution of approximately Dhs/ SAR 8,000 ($2,000) feeds, clothes and houses an extremely vulnerable family for a year. According to UNHCR Head of Private Sector Partnerships Houssam Chahine, Zakat allocation is guaranteed to make an immediate difference in the lives of refugee communities in the Middle East.

While both men and women embrace impact investing, a recent report found that men are more likely to replace charitable giving with impact investments. The report comes from the Women's Philanthropy Institute and is entitled How Women and Men Approach Impact Investing. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the study also found that while 82.5% of men and 81.3% of women were aware of the nascent field of impact investing, women were more interested in learning about it. Also, women are more likely to make impact investments in addition to their current charitable giving, as opposed to replacing it. According to the report, impact investors tend to be younger, more educated, and have higher incomes, while married women are more likely to participate in impact investing than married men.

Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation’s (AMAF) new strategic plan for 2018–2020 has been approved by its Board of Directors. The strategic plan covers 18 main objectives that collectively aim to achieve AMAF’s mission and expand the number of people benefiting from its charity work. The objectives are also aligned with the pillars of Dubai Plan 2021 and the emirate’s Smart Government goals. AMAF Secretary General Ali Al Mutawa said the new strategic plan would implement several initiatives to realize the foundation's primary goal of providing care to minors, protecting and investing their finances, growing endowments, and encouraging society to engage in charity.

Religion-based philanthropy entails sharing and assistance activities conducted without discrimination between ethnicity, religion or race. In Indonesia it is increasingly common for philanthropic agencies to collaborate and develop interfaith partnerships to carry out humanitarian missions in conflict and disaster areas. For example, The Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation assists the community of pesantren and builds housing for Muara Angke residents, who are predominantly Muslim. The catholic Karina Foundation develops emergency response and disaster risk reduction programs. Islamic Philanthropy Institutions such as Dompet Dhuafa, Lazismu, Rumah Zakat, PKPU, Aksi Cepat Tanggap, Wahid Institute, also work together and readily help non-Muslim communities. Interfaith philanthropy is especially important in the current environment in which the unity of Indonesia is under attack by religious separatists. Many institutions collaborate on running programs. Through collaboration, suspicion can be minimized and the programs can be run optimally.

A growing number of humanitarian aid organizations are having trouble finding banks willing to work with them. Notably, many humanitarian organizations working in Syria and Yemen report having difficulties with payments. In some cases, nonprofit organizations (NPOs) have been denied bank accounts or have had their existing accounts closed. More frequently, they have had their transaction delayed. Unable to rely on the formal banking system, some NPOs have resorted to transporting cash or turning to money transfer operators. Banks’ aversion to working with NPOs may stem from the fear of facilitating illicit finance, terrorist financing and sanctions violations. Policymakers should consider expanding the use of humanitarian exemptions. Banks may adopt sector specializations, so that they have dedicated staff who understand how NPOs operate. A standardized customer due diligence template tailored to NPOs would be useful for establishing mutual expectations. Another solution would be tracking aid transfers on a permissioned blockchain network that would give banks greater confidence and lead to easier access to finance.

The Rental Disputes Center (RDC) has received a generous donation of AED 500,000 from Emirates Islamic Bank to support insolvent tenants in rental claims disputes. The RDC has already set up the "Yad Al Khair Committee" to study the cases that require support from the donation. Awatif Al Harmoodi, General Manager of Operational Quality & Processes at Emirates Islamic Bank, said Emirates Islamic Bank is keen to expand its corporate social responsibility strategy to cover all segments of the UAE and will continue to cooperate with the RDC.

London, United Kingdom | September 10-12, 2018 -

@Note: Looking forward meeting you in person! Partners, sponsors and delegates with question may contact me personally - gassner@islamicfinance.de

Topic: Building Resilient Ecosystems: Philanthropy's Response to Inequality and Societal Tension

A N5 million zakat fund was distributed by the Jaiz Zakat and Waqf Trust Foundation (JZWTF) last weekend in Lagos, Nigeria. The Chairman of the occasion, Professor Lai Olurode, described the zakat distribution by JZWTF as very important because it showcases the practicality of Islam. Olurode, who is also the Chairman of the University of Lagos Muslim Community, remarked that education was a very important key element in poverty eradication. The chairman requested that Jaiz management should recognise the University of Lagos Muslim Community as an institutional beneficiary of zakat fund. He said the community required a minimum of N2.5 million to maintain the mosque every month, excluding stationeries and salaries of workers among other needs.

In 2013, 2014, and 2016, the UAE was the world’s biggest international donor, disbursing billions of dollars each year. In 2015, it had the fourth highest aid per capita in the world. Most westerners have no idea that the UAE is so active in foreign aid. Around 90% of its foreign aid is developmental with the rest going on humanitarian and religious/cultural assistance. The recipients are primarily developing Arab and Islamic countries, including Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan. A key factor is a difference in Islamic and secular westerner attitudes to charity. When Islamic banks in the Gulf region are solicited for funds to support civil society projects, they often donate only on the condition that their donation be anonymous. Going forward, transparency efforts must continue. However, the UAE must also work hard to protect the dignity of its aid recipients via appropriate levels of discreetness.

Values and norms can be positively utilized in achieving development goals where commercial interests are not good stimulators. Redistribution of resources is vital to enhance income as well as the capacity to earn sustainable incomes. This requires income support programs, basic health and education as well as microfinance to build small enterprises. In economics education, results suggest that expenditure can be on self-consumption as well as on consumption of others including dependents, family, neighbours, etc. If an individual prioritizes certain ethical goals over self-aggrandizement, then theorizing should not assume it away. Philanthropy should not be envisioned in the framework of reciprocity alone. People may have a strong desire and willingness to help others even when not reciprocated. There is plenty of evidence that people help strangers, pay anonymously in charities, and sacrifice their wealth and even their lives in the pursuit of being a good person.

Summit will explore intersection of #fintech, #ESG and #Islamicfinance. #RFISummit17

January 24, 2017, Zurich, Switzerland –

Bringing together a diversity of perspectives is critical for continuing the growth occurring within responsible finance. On this premise, the Responsible Finance & Investment Summit 2017 will convene in Zurich, Switzerland from 3-4 May 2017 around the theme “Building Bridges, Expanding Impact”.

Recent estimates from industry stakeholders show continued growth in responsible finance assets in many geographies and sectors. Responsible investment in Europe grew by 42% during the past 2 years, while in the U.S., assets grew by 33%. In Islamic finance, which has a global presence with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, growth in the last 2 years has been 21%. Identifying actionable areas for collaboration will support continued growth towards a more sustainable financial system.

Silatech founder and chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser witnessed the signing of a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with its partners to support the Arab youth. HH Sheikha Moza also chaired the first meeting of the new Board of Trustees of Silatech at which Silatech’s annual performance 2016 and strategy and achievements report 2016 were presented. Silatech signed an agreement with QNB Africa to empower Youth in Sudan with Sama Al Shabab Portfolio. This way QNB Sudan will direct 12% of its portfolio towards financing youth enterprises. Another MoU to employ Tunisian youth was signed in order to create 50,000 jobs by 2020 and reduce migration of Tunisian competencies abroad. In another agreement, Silatech partnered with the World Congress for Muslim Philanthropists to develop the first innovative Micro-waqf platform to connect youth entrepreneurs with donors and investors.

The humanitarian sector has long struggled to determine how to provide assistance during a crisis. Recently, the sector has begun experimenting with digital financial payments. In Afghanistan the World Food Program (WFP) has issued e-vouchers and mobile money to cover food aid. In Lebanon aid organizations have created points of access and developed a fully functioning distribution network, allowing refugees to use their pre-paid cards in more transactions than ever before. Whereas in the past humanitarian organizations focused on financial networks in times of crisis, the new approach focuses on developing a more lasting system. More and more humanitarian organizations are considering how payment networks can evolve into a system that facilitates savings, credit and insurance.

Grameen Foundation and Freedom from Hunger have joined forces to form a single unified organization. Its mission is to enable the poor, especially women, to create a world without hunger and poverty. Both organizations have roots in the earliest movements for microfinance, and today conduct programs that tackle poverty and hunger from multiple directions. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh endorses the integration under the banner of Grameen Foundation. To better execute the integration, a newly reconstituted Board of Trustees will draw half of its membership from each organization. The new Executive Staff includes members of each organization. Over the coming months the two organizations will bring together their core programs and develop new approaches.