Afer working with The Rural Preacing Corps (Corps Dakwah Pedesaan – CDP) an Islamic mission agency that is initiated and financed by students in Yogyakarta, the chairman of Daily Newspaper REPUBLIKA, Parni Hadi embarrassed by the initiative of students who funded their activities from their limited allowance. Then he was challenged to match the pure intentions of the students by doing more with hi
s authority as the leader of the largest newspapers belonging to Muslims in Indonesia, The REPUBLIKA Daily. In 23 June 1993, he asked all REPUBLIKA employees to pay their zakat by deducting their monthly salaries, and continually supported the CDP activities. He appointed Eri Sudewo, Head of Secretary of REPUBLIKA at that period to lead this collection activity. In 2 July 1993, Eri Sudewo formally formed this collecting zakat activity as the corporate social responsibility of REPUBLIKA. It was named DOMPET DHUAFA REPUBLIKA and he started to invite The Daily readers attention to get involved with this activity. By the support of REPUBLIKA readers, Dompet Dhuafa Republika started to grow and grab more attention from the publics. The success in getting support from the public at the begining of its development, could not be separated from the application of the transparancy principles that still rarely found in similar organisation in Indonesia at that time. In 10 October 2001 Dompet Dhuafa Republika was inaugurated as nationwide zakat institution by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. In 2005 Dompet Dhuafa started its global role by established its first international office in Hongkong, later on Australia and Japan in 2011 and Unites States of America in 2013. As a result of the agreement between Yayasan Dompet Dhuafa Republika with Center of Islamic Dakwah and Education (CIDE) New South Wales in developing an entity of zakat institution in Australia, Dompet Dhuafa Australia, Ltd. was established. It officially registered as Public Company limited by Guarantee by the Australian Corporations Act 2001 in 21 July 2011.
