Human Appeal Taps Trillion-Dollar Market with New Waqf Fund Model

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom – January 08, 2026 – Leading British humanitarian charity Human Appeal has announced a significant strategic pivot with the launch of The Waqf Fund, a new subsidiary designed to create a sustainable, long-term funding stream for its global projects. The initiative enters a global Islamic endowment market estimated to be worth between $700 billion and $1 trillion, leveraging an ancient principle of Islamic finance to address modern humanitarian needs.

The fund aims to transform the traditional charitable giving model by pooling donations into a professionally managed investment portfolio, generating perpetual returns for aid projects while preserving the original capital. This move signals a growing trend among non-profits to seek financial self-sufficiency and lasting impact beyond conventional fundraising cycles.

A Modern Approach to Ancient Philanthropy

At its core, The Waqf Fund is built on the Islamic concept of waqf, an endowed charitable trust where an asset is permanently dedicated to a philanthropic cause. Historically, this often involved physical properties like buildings or land. Human Appeal’s model modernizes this tradition by enabling cash donations of any size to be pooled into a central fund.

This fund is then invested in a diversified portfolio of halal, Sharia-compliant assets, with a primary focus on income-generating property. According to the organization, the model is designed to produce an average annual return of 7%. The genius of the system lies in its distribution and reinvestment strategy: the income generated, not the principal donation, is used to support charitable work. A significant portion of the returns will be allocated to Human Appeal's global development projects, which include water and sanitation, education, orphan care, emergency relief, and healthcare.

Crucially, a portion of the income is systematically reinvested back into the fund. This compounding mechanism ensures that the endowment grows over time, expanding its reach and impact year after year. For donors, this transforms a one-time contribution into Sadaqah Jariyah, or ongoing charity, creating a legacy that continues to provide benefits long after the initial donation is made.

"At The Waqf Fund, we are committed to secure, impactful waqf that supports charitable causes," said Professor Kamil Omoteso, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Waqf Fund, in the official announcement. "We operate within the Islamic principles of waqf and Sadaqah Jariyah to offer religiously compliant and spiritually rewarding methods of giving."

Tapping a Trillion-Dollar Sustainable Finance Market

The launch positions Human Appeal to tap into the vast and largely underdeveloped global Waqf sector. A joint report by the World Bank, INCEIF, and ISRA estimates the value of global waqf assets to be as high as $1 trillion, representing a massive source of potential capital for social and economic development. For decades, many of these assets have been underutilized, but there is a renewed global interest in reviving and professionalizing the institution of Waqf.

Human Appeal’s initiative is part of a broader movement to integrate Waqf with modern financial instruments. The competitive landscape includes various national and international bodies aiming to leverage these endowments, such as Awqaf Australia and Wahed Invest's iWaqf Charitable Trust. In countries like Malaysia, securities commissions have even introduced frameworks for Waqf-featured funds, signaling a growing recognition of their potential within the mainstream Islamic capital market.

By creating an accessible, professionally managed vehicle, The Waqf Fund aims to attract a wide range of donors, from individuals making small contributions to major philanthropists. This strategy not only diversifies Human Appeal’s funding sources but also aligns with the growing demand from Muslim donors for faith-compliant investment options that deliver tangible social impact.

Governance, Transparency, and Donor Impact

To build trust, The Waqf Fund is emphasizing strong governance and transparency. The entity is registered with the UK Charity Commission (No. 1208651) and operates as a subsidiary of Human Appeal, a well-established charity founded in 1991 with a history of collaboration with global bodies like the United Nations.

The fund's leadership has pledged to provide donors with clear insights into how their money is managed and the impact it generates, a key value proposition in an increasingly crowded non-profit sector. The structure ensures that the original capital is protected, with only the profits from investments being channelled into aid projects. This separation is fundamental to the Waqf principle of preserving the endowed asset in perpetuity.

The impact is channeled directly into Human Appeal's established programs across 25 countries. Whether it's digging a well, building a school, or providing emergency medical aid, the income from the invested donations will provide a steady and predictable funding stream, allowing for better long-term planning and sustainability.

"At Human Appeal, our motto is ‘Here for every human.’ We rely on our donors to enable us to continue to carry out our life-saving aid and development projects," stated Dr. Mohamed Ashmawey, CEO of Human Appeal. "The announcement of our new subsidiary, The Waqf Fund will support our goal of providing relief to the world’s most vulnerable communities."

The Future of Faith-Based Charitable Funding

This initiative represents more than just a new fundraising tool; it reflects a potential paradigm shift in how faith-based organizations finance their operations. By moving towards a self-sustaining endowment model, charities can reduce their dependence on the demanding cycle of constant fundraising and focus more on long-term, strategic program delivery.

According to one Islamic finance expert, "The challenge for modern Waqf funds is balancing the Sharia requirement of capital preservation with the need to generate meaningful returns. This requires sophisticated investment expertise and robust governance to manage risk effectively." The focus on low-risk, income-generating assets like property is a common strategy to meet this challenge, though diversification remains key to long-term stability.

The success of The Waqf Fund and similar initiatives could provide a powerful blueprint for other non-profits, both faith-based and secular, on how to build resilient and perpetual funding models. By blending ancient philanthropic traditions with modern financial discipline, Human Appeal is not only securing its own future but also pioneering a more sustainable path for the entire humanitarian sector. The model effectively bridges the gap between spiritual values and measurable, lasting impact on the ground.