In "Philanthropy & Social Responsibility for Development in Egypt," Marwa El-Daly of the Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation discussed the potential of local philanthropic organizations for social development. The lecture was made possible by support from the Legatum Institute.
Ms. El-Daly began the presentation by noting that there are currently no accurate estimates about the size and magnitude of philanthropy in Egypt, and how philanthropy is contributing to charity and development. She stressed the potential utility of faith-based philanthropic institutions such as zakat, sadaqat and waqf in confronting poverty, and explained the particular characteristics and distinctions between them. El-Daly stated that prior to the development of the modern state, approximately 30 percent of land in Egypt was endowed (via waqf), but that the state now manages all waqf via the Ministry of Awqaf.
El-Daly outlined the conceptual framework of her field research to understand the magnitude of local philanthropy and its role in development. She noted that there has been a shift in approaches to philanthropy from charity to development, where a rights-based approach is gradually eclipsing a more traditional sense of condescending pity.
Ms. El-Daly’s team surveyed 2000 households and 1200 philanthropic organizations, and found that while 62% of Egyptians donate annually, and local philanthropy is estimated to amount to 1 billion US dollars, most Egyptians conceive of philanthropy purely as charity.
Marwa El-Daly is the Chairperson of the Waqfeyat Al Maadi Community Foundation (WMCF), the first "community foundation" in Egypt. The Foundation’s mission and vision is to revive and modernize the waqf mechanism, and “to provide an innovative and sustainable model of Community Foundations that employ modern applications of waqf to channel and mobilize local resources in a certain geographical area."
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