GiveDirectly provides cash-transfers to those who need it most, and launched their program in Yemen last year. This year for Ramadan, Giving What We Can is excited to support GiveDirectly’s Yemen Zakat Fund.

“75% of Yemen lives in extreme poverty.

• For 8 years, Yemeni families have been caught in a civil war, forcing many to flee their homes. Today, over 75% of the country lives in extreme poverty.

• In Aden, the largest city in the south, 274,000 individuals do not have enough to eat and are not receiving food security assistance. Food in southern Yemen is available but increasingly expensive.

You can give live-changing funds directly to Yemenis in need

• Since August 2022, GiveDirectly has provided monthly cash support to 2,000 families in Aden, Yemen to spend on whatever they need most: food, businesses, health treatment, etc. We aim to reach 4,200+ households before the end of this year.

• Giving money lets families choose for themselves how best to meet their needs and build resilience.”

Read more about GiveDirectly's Zakat fund to support Yemenis

GiveDirectly have had their Yemen program certified to collect Zakat. Zakat is one of the Muslim pillars of faith that requires Muslims to give 2.5% of their wealth to help those in need. This fundraiser will allow donors to give to GiveDirectly’s Yemen program following the principles of Zakat. 100% of funds donated through this fundraiser will go to GiveDirectly’s Yemen program as we have secured private donors to cover the processing fees normally charged by Stripe.

Giving What We Can’s mission is to create a world where giving effectively and significantly is a cultural norm, and we recognise the longstanding tradition of the global Muslim community who donate significantly to help others.

FAQs:

Which countries can I donate to this fundraiser from?

Donors from all over the world can donate to this fundraiser. Regarding tax deductions, donations through this fundraiser are tax deductible in the US and NL, and are eligible for GiftAid in the UK.

Can I donate to this fundraiser if I’m not Muslim?

Yes! All donors can donate to this fundraiser.

Planning to donate a large amount?

If you’re considering a large donation, please contact us to discuss how we might be able to cover the cost of processing fees. Currently, private donors have agreed to cover the cost of Stripe’s processing fees until we reach $1million in donations.

Please get in touch with us if you'd like to consider covering the processing fees for additional donations.

Has this Giving What We Can or this fundraiser been certified to collect Zakat?

No, we have not been certified to collect Zakat, but 100% of any donation made through this fundraiser will be donated to GiveDirectly’s Yemen program which has been Zakat certified (more information here).

Why are you covering the processing fees for these donations?

In order for a donation to be qualified for Zakat, 100% of the donation must go to the program, therefore to support our mission of making effective giving a cultural norm, we have found private donors to cover the processing fees to make this option available to donors who would like to give Zakat through us.