US DONATION INSIGHTS

• According to VOA, Islamic Relief USA received $19.3 million in zakat contributions in 2017.
• Belkacem Nahi, regional manager for Islamic Relief USA, states that zakat contributions range anywhere from "$25 to a $1 million, depending on the person’s wealth. People who give extra zakat will receive more of a reward from God, while helping those in need.”
• There are "Islamic regulations in place for determining how much zakat a person should give" and as such many Muslim organizations offer zakat calculators on their websites.

GLOBAL DONATION INSIGHTS

• Based on data collected from the United Nations, CNN Business reports that zakat contributions ranged anywhere "between $232 billion and $560 billion globally in 2015."
• Privacy in zakat is wide-spread. Further data illuminates that while the "six Gulf states alone were home to more than 5,000 people worth $30 million or more in 2016 (with an estimated combined riches at $994 billion.)" only "20 donations of $1 million of more" were tracked from that region in 2015. A Harvard Business Review report states that "calculating the amount of zakat generated in Arab countries is next to impossible. Most Arabs make their donations privately and informally, so there are no records."

BEHAVIORS OF ISLAMIC DONORS

• 64 % of donors pay zakat because it purifies their wealth.
• Benevolence and concern for the poor and the needy motivates 63% of donors.
• Interestingly, though privacy in donations is touted in may other sources, this study found that "37% (of respondents) feel that zakat organizations must acknowledge his/her contribution through a letter or a note or some other form of recognition."
• 40-41% of respondents feel that the central government should collect and distribute zakat.
• While 67% of respondents state they have a fair knowledge of how to estimate their zakat liability, 27% need professional advice and assistance.
• Individual zakat donors place a lot of value on audit with 58% opting for mandatory and independent financial audit and 65% for Shari’ah audit.

CLUSTER 1

• Conformist, frugal
• Responsible,
• Accountable
• Religious/dutiful
• God’s servants
• Traditionalist — parsimonious,
• Traditionalist — conservative
• Institutionalist
• Purist
• Knowledgeable,
• Individualist — anarchist

CLUSTER 2

• Greed-buster
• Traditionalist,
• Shari’ah-conformist
• Control-freak
• Informationseeker
• Shari’ah-conformist
• Recognition- seeker
• Propagator-of-faith
• Reformist
• Change-agent
• God’s-pleasureseeker

CLUSTER 3

• Tax-saver
• Skeptical
• Indolent-apathetic
• Tax-saver
• Cautious
• Compliance-freak
• Localist
• Reckoner
• Law-abiding

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• No data was uncovered that illuminated any details surrounding specific donations to Shari'ah organizations, as such donations (especially zakat) has been focused on.
• As there is limited information on these types of donations, it is not suggested that attempts be made to create either a demographic or psychographic profile.
• We were not provided a geographic focus for this project, so we assumed a broad approach and looked both at the US and globally to provide insights. If a more targeted approach is desired, for example, the United States, this would have to be clearly communicated to us in any reply.