Two ways to give
Directly or through a zakat charity?
Both are valid. Each suits a different situation.
Directly or through a zakat charity
Both are valid if the zakat reaches people who may receive it (Quran 9:60). The difference is reach, checking and records.
You can give your zakat through DonateOpenly, with every payment shown in the open. Some charities say every pound reaches the cause: see what a 100% donation policy means.
Giving directly against a zakat charity
| Giving directly | Through a zakat charity | |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | People you know near you | Places you cannot reach yourself |
| Checking need | You judge it yourself | The charity assesses it |
| Privacy | The person may know it is you | The charity stands between |
| Records | Keep your own note | A receipt, marked as zakat |
Giving to relatives
Zakat to a needy relative you don’t already support counts twice, as charity and as keeping family ties (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 658).