FAQs

Answers to your most frequently asked questions.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Questions

How do you pronounce “Baitulmaal” and what does it mean?

Baitulmaal is pronounced “BAY-tul-mal” with the “mal” like Mallory. Baitulmaal literally translates from Arabic into English as “House of Wealth” but its meaning is that of an “Institution of Charity.” Essentially, Baitulmaal is your home for charity.

What does Baitulmaal do?

Baitulmaal serves as a bridge between the compassion of our donors and the needs of our beneficiaries. Baitulmaal provides life-saving, life-sustaining, and life-enriching humanitarian aid to under-served populations around the world regardless of faith or nationality. Our vision is a world with more hope.

Where is Baitulmaal located?

Baitulmaal is headquartered in Dallas, Texas (meet the national team here). We also have offices in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey as well as international offices in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East.

Where does Baitulmaal work and what are some of its programs?

Our compassionate donors enable Baitulmaal to RESPOND to emergencies, SUSTAIN families, and empower communities to THRIVE in countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, India, the Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, South America and the U.S. 

In addition to responding to emergencies with immediate aid such as food, water, medicine, hygiene kits, and assistance with evacuations or debris removal, Baitulmaal also provides long-term solutions to long-standing problems such as access to clean drinking water, resources to combat disease and malnutrition, and programs to strengthen and support communities.

Programs include:

      • Distributing nutritious food packages
      • Repairing damaged homes, hospitals, and schools
      • Supplying hospitals with antibiotics and medical supplies
      • Sending winter aid packages to displaced communities
      • Installing solar panels in schools for renewable energy
      • Promoting sanitation and hygiene by digging deep water wells, installing desalination plants, and filling water tanks
      • Conducting vocational training in communities
      • Providing food for seasonal programs such as Ramadan food packages and iftars as well as Udhiyah meat distribution.
      • And much more

How do you get aid to countries that have blockades in place?

Charitable organizations are working together under the umbrella of large humanitarian forums. This enables us to take advantage of help through the United Nations. The UN relies on these forums to facilitate humanitarian aid distributions. This is not to say that getting aid to certain countries is without difficulties. But we work hard to get aid to where it is needed and have been blessed with being able to do so.

What type of orphan programs do you have? 

Baitulmaal facilitates one-to-one orphan sponsorships of Syrian, Palestinian, Yemeni, Kenyan, Somali, Lebanese, and Jordanian orphans. Sponsorships span a minimum of one (1) year (through either a monthly or one-time, one-year donation) and cover an orphan’s nutritional, health, educational, psychological, and social wellbeing. Donors are assigned an orphan and receive updates on their support. 

Baitulmaal also offers a general orphan support program for donors who want to support other efforts to help orphans grow and thrive around the world outside of the sponsorship program. 

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Questions about Donations

What percentage of my donation goes to those in need?

Baitulmaal is a 501 (c)(3), tax-deductible, zakat-eligible charity.

A portion of your donation (6.43% in 2024) goes toward reasonable administrative costs (3.17%) and other support expenses (3.26%) to ensure the delivery of charitable services. The percentage of donations that go toward programs is 93.57%. For zakat donations, 100% of zakat funds are allocated toward zakat-eligible programs.

What is gift-in-kind? 

A gift-in-kind is a non-cash donation. At Baitulmaal, these often come in the form of donated: 

      • Hospital beds
      • Medical equipment
      • Healthcare supplies
      • Medicines

How are gift-in-kind donations accounted for? 

Gift-in-kind donations are non-cash, but they have monetary value. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we are required to assign a Fair Market Value (FMV) to all gift-in-kind donations and account for this value under Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP). 

For large or complex donations, Baitulmaal obtains independent third-party valuation reports prepared by qualified professional appraisers in accordance with recognized professional appraisal standards.

Can I dedicate my gift in honor or in memory of someone? 

Yes, we have a dedication option on our online donation form. Simply check the box and select “in honor” or “in memory” and enter the name or names of who you want to dedicate your gift to. 

I want to donate to PayPal, but how do I make sure my donation goes to a specific country or program?

Our donation form is fully integrated with PayPal. You can donate with the confidence that your gift intent will be recorded and honored. 

Do you accept Crypto currency donations?

Yes! You can learn more here.

I have questions about my donation. Where can I get help?

Please reach out to donorcare@baitulmaal.org (you’ll be assigned a donor care specialist soon). 

I want to raise funds for Baitulmaal. How can I do that?

You can start a fundraiser on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/fund/baitulmaal/ or like, share, and add our link in your bio. 

You can also ask your supervisor or human resources department if your employer has a gift matching program. Many employer gift matching programs will match your donation, essentially doubling your impact. 

What other ways can I be involved?

Here are a few more ways to keep the compassion going:

Have any more questions? We’ll get you answers! Feel free to send us an email at info@baitulmaal.org.

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Questions about aid in Palestine

Do you have people actually in Gaza and the West Bank?

Yes. Baitulmaal has been blessed with having field workers in Palestine for more than a decade supporting healthcare in the West Bank and operating 400 water tanks in Gaza, in addition to other aid programs. Having resources inside Palestine enables Baitulmaal to quickly respond to the needs of Palestinians in times of crisis.

How are you responding to the current crisis in Gaza? (October 2023)

Baitulmaal has been on the ground in Gaza from the onset of the current bombardment, distributing aid such as food packages, mattresses, blankets, pillows, floor mats, baby formula, hygiene supplies, and other aid to families in need. Warm meals were distributed to injured victims in hospitals and their families, as well as to displaced Palestinians seeking refuge in shelters. Baitulmaal has also facilitated clean water access to approximately 44,500 Palestinians sheltering in schools and displacement centers. Psychosocial supports like toys, activities and friendly faces were also provided to hundreds of displaced children. In Ramadan, Baitulmaal operates Baitulmaal Kitchen in northern and southern Gaza, providing warm meals and clean water to thousands of men, women and children. Baitulmaal humanitarian aid trucks have also successfully entered Gaza through Rafah border crossing, delivering 430 tons of aid including flour, food packages, hygiene kits, shelter items, winter supplies, and more. (As of March 2024). Baitulmaal currently operates The Hope School and The Hope Bakery in Gaza, in addtion to mobilizing emergency medical missions in coordination with the WHO. For the latest updates and photos, please check our News and Updates on the website, visit our Palestine page, and follow us on social media.

If the borders are closed, how are you getting aid into Gaza?

Baitulmaal had staff and aid stock within Gaza at the onset of the current bombardment, which allowed us to mobilize aid quickly to people in need while the borders were closed. Baitulmaal also prepared multiple humanitarian aid convoys in Egypt that have successfully passed inspection and made it into Gaza among the limited number of aid trucks that have been allowed in. As of March 2024, more than 430 tons of aid has been delivered to Gaza, with more on the way. Currenlty (2026), Baitulmaal procures goods from the West Bank. Please follow us on social media for the latest news and updates.

What have you done to help Palestinians?

Since its inception, Baitulmaal has delivered humanitarian aid to Palestine, including:

I am currently sponsoring a water tank in Gaza. What is the status?

At this time, weekly water tank refills may have been interrupted due to the current crisis, but clean water access is still an ongoing effort in Gaza. Baitulmaal is redirecting resources to operate water stations located in schools and shelter centers in Al-Zawaideh, Deir-Al-Balah, Al-Maghazi Camp, Al-Nuseirat Camp, Al-Khawalda, and Al-Sawarha. This ensures efficiency and clean water access to as many displaced families as possible. So far, approximately 44,500 Palestinians have access to these clean water stations. Once the situation allows, Baitulmaal will conduct an assessment on the status of existing water tanks and any future needs. We anticipate that more water tanks will be required in the near future. To learn about current clean water deliveries and how to help, visit the Gaza water access page here.

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Questions about aid in Ukraine

What’s happening in Ukraine?

      • Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022
      • Russian military forces have bombed homes,
        hospitals, schools, and other civilian targets 
      • 1M refugees flee Ukraine in the first week
      • 4M refugees as of March 29, 2022
      • Mostly women, children, and elderly

What kind of aid is Baitulmaal sending?

Medical supplies are in urgent need, so Baitulmaal sent $2M in emergency medical aid and set up a general relief tent on the border of Ukraine in Romania. We are assessing the evolving situation and may send additional aid packages as needed.

What about refugees in other parts of the world?

Baitulmaal provides aid to refugees in many parts of the world including the Rohingya in Bangladesh, Palestinians and Syrians in Jordan, Turkiye and Lebanon, Uyghurs in Turkiye and internally displaced people in Yemen and Somalia, as well as Ukrainian refugees at the border of Ukraine.

As a faith-based organization, shouldn’t Baitulmaal focus on helping only Muslims?

The Quran teaches us that “whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” (Quran 5:32). 

As people of faith and people of conscience, we have a duty to respond to human suffering whenever and wherever we can regardless of faith, ethnicity, or nationality. 

There is no shortage of human suffering, so there should be no shortage of our compassion. 

Aren’t governments sending humanitarian aid?

Aid pledged by governments around the world, if it materializes, can take months to reach people in need. NGOs like Baitulmaal operate with speed through field operations positioned and ready to respond.

How do you track and monitor that the aid is actually getting into the hands of those who need it the most?

Baitulmaal has reporting requirements for field workers and third parties who help us deliver aid. This includes detailed documentation of the amount of aid, the number of beneficiaries as well as the costs and other social impact metrics. We also require photographic evidence of the aid deliveries as an additional measure.

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Questions about Social Influencers

Does Baiutlmaal work with social influencers? 

Yes. We welcome social influencers with engaged followers to help spread awareness about Baitulmaal’s work. If you are a social influencer and want to share Baitulmaal’s mission with your followers, please reach out to us at https://baitulmaal.org/contact/. 

Does Baitulmaal pay social influencers? 

Baitulmaal may pay social influencers a flat fee as fair compensation for their time, content creation, and platform engagement on behalf of the organization. Baitulmaal does not pay commissions or percentages of donations raised to influencers, ambassadors, or any other individual or entity engaged in promoting the organization’s work. 

Do any social influencers volunteer their time? 

Yes. Some social influencers volunteer their time to promote Baitulmaal’s mission to their followers. We welcome different levels of engagement with social influencers and recognize the value they can provide to humanitarian work. 

Do you take social influencers to the field where you provide humanitarian aid? 

Yes. Such engagements help spread awareness about Baitulmaal’s mission and the social impact our donors fund. Baitulmaal covers the social influencers’ travel expenses associated with these trips.

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