Direct Giving Still Dominates Over Online Zakat Distribution, Says Baznas

The National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) considers the high practice of direct giving, or the distribution of zakat, infak, and sedekah (ZIS) directly to beneficiaries, a phenomenon that remains dominant in Indonesia. As a result, Baznas and amil zakat institutions (LAZ) are required to continuously improve their performance and service so that the public sees greater benefits from distributing ZIS through formal institutions.

Baznas leader Rizaludin Kurniawan stated that from the outset, direct giving from donors or muzakki to beneficiaries or through non-formal institutions has indeed been quite large according to Baznas research. Therefore, the presence of Baznas and LAZ as licensed formal institutions that manage ZIS and socio-religious funds must continue to demonstrate good performance.

“So that the public can have the choice that entrusting ZIS through a formal institution is more principal and has a greater impact than giving directly,” Rizaludin told Republika on Tuesday.

Rizaludin stressed that Baznas and LAZ must be able to provide good service and experience for these donors and deliver a measurable long-term impact. Baznas cannot force people to switch to distributing ZIS through formal institutions, but Baznas can provide evidence that entrusting ZIS through Baznas will be better than distributing it independently.

Previously, in the National Ziswaf Survey 2026 conducted by Indikator Politik Indonesia from 20 January to 5 February 2026 involving 8,360 respondents, for infak and sedekah, 95.9 per cent of respondents who gave infak or sedekah in the form of money admitted to never having distributed it online. Only a small fraction used digital channels to donate.

In fact, public participation in infak and sedekah is classified as very high. The survey recorded that approximately 74.8 per cent of Indonesian Muslims gave infak or sedekah in the past month, with the majority distributed in the form of cash. A similar phenomenon is also seen in the payment of zakat mal. Among people who paid zakat mal in cash, 93.6 per cent did not make the payment through an online platform. Only a small fraction utilised digital services to fulfil this obligation.

The low utilisation of digital technology also applies to wakaf. Of the approximately 4.3 per cent of citizens who gave wakaf in cash, almost all, or 95.5 per cent, distributed wakaf directly (offline). Meanwhile, those using online channels amounted to only about 4.5 per cent, or equivalent to 0.2 per cent of the total Indonesian Muslim population.