Can I give my zakat to a charity or organisation to distribute on my behalf?

Yes, it is permissible to hand your zakat to a trustworthy agent (wakil) or a reliable zakat organisation to deliver it to the eligible recipients — the Prophet ﷺ himself sent collectors, as he instructed Muʿadh when sending him to Yemen that a charity is taken from their rich and returned to their poor, and Allah commanded His Messenger, "Take from their wealth a charity" (Quran 9:103). Make your intention at the time you hand the money over, and note that your obligation is only fully discharged when the funds actually reach a valid recipient, so choose a body that distributes promptly and strictly within the eight categories of Quran 9:60. Administrative costs should not be deducted from the zakat itself except within what the scholars allow for genuine ʿamilin (those employed upon it), so prefer organisations that fund their overheads from separate sadaqah. If you learn that the organisation misspent the money or never delivered it, many scholars hold that your obligation was never discharged and you must pay again, while others excuse a payer who reasonably chose a body that appeared trustworthy — which is exactly why due diligence beforehand matters.

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