Three markets. One question: are Muslims ready to give?
The brief that crossed three continents.
Save the Children had raised $70,000 through a three-week Islamic Philanthropy Fund campaign during Ramadan 2021. They knew the opportunity was vastly larger. The potential annual Zakat pool has been estimated at between $200 billion and $1 trillion. This represents estimated potential, not confirmed annual giving. The question was not whether the Muslim giving market mattered, but whether Save the Children could enter it credibly.
WAF was commissioned to find out. Across the UK, USA, and UAE, we conducted an extensive programme of qualitative research exploring Muslim donor behaviour, Zakat attitudes, trust dynamics, and the specific role a mainstream non-faith-based NGO could authentically play in this market.
Intelligence across three markets.
UNITED KINGDOM
Knowledge audit of all internal STC documents and past Zakat projects. Nine mass audience in-depth interviews. Four high-net-worth individual in-depth interviews. One creative focus group split into two breakouts. Recruited Sunni Muslims eligible to give Zakat who had donated to non-faith-based charities before.
UNITED STATES
Knowledge audit. Four in-depth interviews. Two focus groups. Recruited across Black American, South Asian American, North African, and Middle Eastern heritage communities. Cities covered: Los Angeles, Houston, Tampa, Richmond Virginia.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Knowledge audit. Six in-depth interviews across UAE nationals and expats. One creative focus group with UAE nationals. Mix of Emirati nationals and expats from India, Syria, and the wider region.
What three markets told us.
The research revealed a consistent set of patterns across the three markets, alongside striking market-specific differences that would shape any credible entry strategy.
10 out of 12 UK and US participants prioritised children and orphans as their top cause to donate to. Save the Children's core mission is directly aligned with the Muslim giving instinct.
TRUST IS EVERYTHING.
Across all three markets, the primary barrier to giving to a non-faith-based charity was trust. In the UK and USA, transparency about how Zakat is distributed and Muslim leadership within the organisation were the key unlocks. In the UAE, government licensing was the trust signal that mattered most.
THE SOCIAL GIVING LANE.
Every participant in the qualitative research said they were approached to give through personal networks: family, friends, and community. Word of mouth and personal connection consistently outperformed advertising as a giving trigger.
THREE MARKETS, THREE BEHAVIOURS.
UK and US donors gave online and valued 100% Zakat policies and impact reporting. Participants in the UAE research described giving as predominantly offline, via mall booths, SMS campaigns, bank transfer, or calling a hotline. Online card payments were not trusted in the UAE research. Any entry strategy would need to be built differently for each territory.
THE OPPORTUNITY IN DOUBT.
Participants across the UK and USA identified genuine frustrations with existing faith-based Muslim charities: governance concerns, lack of diversity in representation, and trust damaged by scandals. These points of doubt were directly identified as strategic opportunities for Save the Children to position itself differently.
Giving doesn't stay in one lane.
Finding from Friday's exploratory USA research sample
didn't give their Sadaqah to the same organisation they gave their Zakat to.
Friday interpretation
For charities, the competition isn't simply for a donor. It's for a place within a much wider giving portfolio.
The implication
Winning Muslim donors wasn't simply about making a stronger ask. It meant building the conditions for trust.
Four keys to credibility.
MUSLIM LEADERSHIP VISIBLE
Across UK and USA markets, participants wanted to see Muslims leading the distribution of Zakat. A Muslim board member, a Muslim administrator, or a credible Islamic organisation as a partner was consistently cited as the primary trust signal.
SCHOLARLY ENDORSEMENT
A trusted Islamic scholar or recognised Muslim institution endorsing the Zakat programme was a key unlock, particularly for high-net-worth donors. The recommendation was to partner with several scholars representing different schools of thought rather than relying on one voice.
TRANSPARENT IMPACT REPORTING
Participants wanted proof of past Zakat projects before committing to future ones. The Donation Tracker concept tested in creative focus groups received the highest appeal across all territories.
GOVERNMENT APPROVAL IN UAE
In the UAE market specifically, government licensing by Islamic affairs authorities was the primary credibility signal. A physical office or visitor centre in the UAE was also identified as essential to building trust with this audience.
A market hiding in plain sight.
Save the Children's cause, children in crisis, is one of the most naturally resonant causes in the Muslim giving tradition. Children and orphans ranked as the top giving priority across UK and USA research.
The barriers to entering this market are not about the cause. They are about credibility, communication, and cultural understanding. This research gave Save the Children the intelligence to address each barrier with precision.
“Working with We Are Friday was one of the best internal decisions we made for our Muslim and Gulf markets.”
Give them the freedom to choose the most needed country. I may choose a country that doesn't need the same help as another.
UAE research participant, Save the Children Islamic Giving Study, 2022