In Indonesia, charitable donations and assets bequeathed in accordance with Islamic guidelines (i.e.,
zakat [alms],
infaq [voluntary contributions], and
waqf [endowments]) may be handled by government or non-government institutions. Historically, many such charitable collections were
ad hoc establishments that operated only in the final days of
Ramadan. Most handled small amounts, and mismanagement of finances was commonplace. ("wallet for the poor") was established on 2 July 1993 by the newspaper
Republika, based on discussions by four journalists: editor , as well as
Haidar Bagir, Sinansari Ecip, and Eri Sudewo. Inspired by food shortages in the
Gunung Kidul region of
Yogyakarta, the organization was intended to fulfil social obligations to the poor. To achieve this goal, an amount equivalent to approximately 2.5% of wages was collected from
Republika employees and journalists. Voluntary contributions were also sought from readers through a column published in the newspaper. By the end of 1993, had collected
Rp 88 million in contributions from readers, in addition to Rp 2 million per month in contributions from employees. For transparency, reports were published regularly in
Republika, showing the consolidation and distribution of funds. As contributions grew,
Republika established a charitable foundation to facilitate the management of these funds. In 1994, the Foundation was granted recognition by the
Ministry of Religious Affairs. In 1999, expanded the scope of its charitable activities to deal with
waqf. Although it began to handle such assets, its primary focus remained
zakat. In 2001, was recognized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs as a national
waqf organization. The amount of
waqf bequeathed to the organization increased, reaching Rp 822 million in 2002 and Rp 2.2 billion in 2006. On 14 July 2005, announced the establishment of the (Indonesian Waqf Fund), tasked exclusively with developing
waqf assets. won the
Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016, by which point it operated independently of the
Republika newspaper. In its citation, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation described the organization as "redefining the landscape of zakat-based philanthropy in Indonesia, unleashing the potential of the Islamic faith to uplift, irrespective of their creed, the lives of millions." The organization has also received numerous awards from the government of Indonesia, including for its contributions to healthcare and the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, consisted of 31 branches in Indonesia as well as five outside the country, including in Hong Kong, Australia, and the United States. It reported having raised Rp 426 billion (US$25.2 million) in 2025, reaching 3.6 million beneficiaries and disbursing some Rp 400 billion in charity. The
waqf endowment amounted to Rp 256.5 billion, with a 1.84%
return on investment. , is the largest
zakat organization in Indonesia, and one of the country's largest philanthropic organizations. , Parni Hadi is the chair of the board of trustees, with Rahmad Riyadi chairing the supervisory board, Amin Suma the
sharia board, and Ahmad Juwaini the main board. ==Programmes==