National Waqf Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~£346,000 (charitable activities expenditure 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not specified
• Grant Range: Determined per funding cycle (not fixed)
• Geographic Focus: UK-based projects benefiting Muslim communities
• Total Assets: £3.38 million

Contact Details

• Website: www.nationalwaqf.org
• Email: enquiries@nwf.org.uk
• Phone: 020 3422 3333
• Address: 63 Woodgrange Road, London E7 0EL
• Application Portal: portal.nationalwaqf.org

Overview

National Waqf Fund (Charity No. 1197053) is a UK-registered charity established in 2019, with charity status awarded in December 2021. It describes itself as "the UK's first Public, Independent and purely Not-for-Profit National Waqf sustainably funding local causes benefitting Muslims." The organization revives the Islamic concept of Waqf (endowment), pooling donations and investing in Shariah-compliant assets to generate sustainable returns that are distributed as grants. The original principal is preserved in perpetuity, meaning the charitable impact grows over time. With total income of £1.91 million and assets of £3.38 million (year ending December 2024), National Waqf operates on principles of transparency, professionalism, compliance, and independence. Their operational costs are met through private donations, ensuring that donor contributions to the Waqf go directly towards the endowment fund. The organization addresses donor fatigue, unsustainable charity funding models, and the historical imbalance of UK Muslim charitable giving being skewed towards global humanitarian causes at the expense of local community needs.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

National Waqf operates cyclical grant funding with amounts determined when each funding cycle opens. They fund:

• Operational Costs: Equipment, utilities
• Core Costs: Salaries, rent
• Capital Costs: Property, land
• Direct Beneficiary Costs: Meals, transport

Applications submitted via online portal at portal.nationalwaqf.org

Priority Areas

• Spiritual Preservation and Growth
• Civic, Media, and Legal Engagement
• Youth Empowerment and Leadership
• Religious Awareness and Outreach
• Educational Excellence - Including infrastructure, training, and scholarship programmes
• Economic Relief and Empowerment
• Capacity Building - For socially and economically disadvantaged communities
• Racial and Religious Harmony - Promoting knowledge and mutual understanding
• Poverty Relief - Including medical aid, goods/services, and income-generation support
• Mental and Physical Health - Treatment and rehabilitation services

What They Don't Fund

• Projects outside the UK
• Projects not benefiting the Muslim community
• Organizations that do not align with Islamic principles and Shariah compliance
• They prefer addressing root causes over symptoms, so purely symptomatic interventions may be less competitive

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees (4):

• Mohmed Tahir Talati (Chair) - Appointed February 2023. Educated at Imam Zakariya Academy (IZA) London with Quranic memorization and 7-year Alimiyyah programme; serves as teacher at IZA, visiting Khateeb and Imam, and qualified accountant.
• Umer Suleman - Appointed December 2021. Co-Founder of National Waqf Fund. Economics graduate (Royal Holloway), further qualifications from Manchester Business School and Harvard University. Global Head of Risk, Compliance & Shariah at Wahed; Board member of UKIFC; adviser to Islamic Council of Europe finance arm. Named “one to watch” in London by Brummel magazine (2016).
• Wahid Azizi - Appointed February 2023. Qualified financial adviser and professional engineer with over a decade in chemical plant safety. Islamic studies training; instructor for Sabeel Development Programme; part-time Khateeb in Southampton.
• Muhammad Anas Muqtedar Khan - Appointed May 2025.

Shariah Board:

• Dr. Shaykh Sajid Umar - Mufti and Judge with Islamic Finance expertise; first British graduate of Shariah faculty at Al-Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University
• Mufti Muhammad Nurullah Shikder - LLB, Barrister-at-law, Imam at Tunbridge Wells Mosque; extensive Islamic finance and mortgage advisory experience
• Dr. Mufti Abdur Rahman Mangera - PhD Islamic Studies (SOAS); founder of Whitethread Institute; honorary fellow at Cambridge Muslim College

Staff: 3 employees, 20 volunteers

Executive Director: Sohail Syed

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. Due Diligence: Evaluation of financial health, compliance, leadership, and governance. May include interviews, site visits, and reference checks from partners or beneficiaries
2. KPI Agreement: Successful applicants agree Key Performance Indicators
3. Reporting: Periodic progress reports required against agreed KPIs before further grant payments

Decision Timeline

Not publicly specified. Grant amounts determined when each funding cycle opens.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly specified.

Application Success Factors

National Waqf's Stated Principles for Grant Awards:

• Addressing a real and strategic need
• Assessing the consequences of no funding and seeking to maximize positive impact
• Preferring to address root cause(s) above symptom(s)
• Formula-based analysis combined with executive team consensus

What They Value:

• Transformative initiatives with smart resource utilisation
• Projects demonstrating clear community impact
• Strong financial sustainability and governance
• Clear measurement frameworks for outcomes
• Alignment with their six focus areas (spiritual preservation, civic engagement, youth empowerment, religious outreach, education, economic empowerment)

Strong Applications Will Demonstrate:

• Clear articulation of how the project benefits UK Muslim communities
• Sustainable impact beyond the grant period
• Robust organizational governance and financial management
• Measurable outcomes with realistic KPIs
• Evidence of addressing root causes rather than symptoms
• Efficient use of resources (“smart resource utilisation”)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Unique Funder Model: National Waqf is an endowment-based funder, meaning they seek long-term, sustainable impact rather than one-off interventions - frame your application accordingly
• UK Muslim Community Focus: All projects must benefit UK-based Muslim communities; international work is not funded
• Root Causes Preferred: They explicitly prefer funding that addresses root causes over symptoms - position your project as systemic change
• Comprehensive Cost Coverage: Unlike many funders, they cover operational, core, capital, and direct beneficiary costs - don't be afraid to apply for full project costs
• Strong Due Diligence: Expect rigorous review of your organization's financial health, governance, and compliance - ensure these are in order before applying
• KPI-Driven: Performance measurement is central to their approach - build clear metrics into your proposal from the start
• Shariah Compliance Matters: As an Islamically-compliant organization with a dedicated Shariah Board, ensure your project and organization align with Islamic principles
• Cyclical Funding: Grant amounts and cycles vary, so monitor their website and portal for when applications open

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITY
• Altajir Trust
• Sabina Sutherland Charitable Trust
• The Beatrice Laing Trust
• David Pearlman Charitable Foundation
• Lancaster Foundation
• National Zakat Foundation (NZF)
• THE MAURICE AND HILDA LAING CHARITABLE TRUST
• The David and Ruth Behrend Fund
• The Lady Ryder of Warsaw Memorial Trust

References

• National Waqf Fund - Charity Commission Register - Financial data, governance information, charitable objectives
• National Waqf - Grant Giving - Application process, funding priorities, eligibility criteria
• National Waqf - Our Team - Leadership biographies and Shariah Board details
• National Waqf - Our Story - Organizational history, mission, and vision
• Charity Commission - Trustees - Current trustee appointments
• Companies House - National Waqf Fund - Company registration details
• Accessed: December 2025