Malaysia is a country rich in culture and heritage, with over 2700 years of history. It has a population of over 30 million people, and is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Asia.

The country is also a regional powerhouse, with a strong economy that has created economic opportunities for many Malaysians. However, as the economy continues to grow, the gap between rich and poor has also widened significantly in recent years.

This is evident in the large numbers of people living in poverty and in vulnerable situations such as homelessness or domestic violence. The charity sector plays a big role in addressing these challenges, by providing essential services and support to vulnerable people across the country.

Here is a list of some of the best charities to donate to in Malaysia in 2023:

1. Persatuan Cinta Gaza Malaysia

Persatuan Cinta Gaza Malaysia, CGM, is a non-governmental organization (NGO) and it was founded by as aspiring Malaysian, nadir Al-Nuri, who has remained stationed and is currently the only Malaysian citizen in Gaza. His reason to launch this NGO was to provide assistance and relief to refugees affected by conflict in the Middle East.

malaysia gaza charity

2. JIWA Awal Malaysia

JIWA Awal Malaysia acknowledges charity efforts by sharing similar values of compassion through humanitarian assistance, youth and socioeconomic skills development, social awareness, education, health and competency of the B40 group to improve their living standards so that they can be self-sufficient members of their society and bridge poverty gaps.

3. Global Leadership Network

The Global Leadership Network helps to bring leadership development to upskill and develop communities around the world. They do this through the Global Leadership Summits, which inspire and activate people to take transformative action.  Their global leaders network connects people and organisations through educational programmes as well as conferences and networking opportunities.

4. MAD Movement

MAD Movement is a social enterprise that grows young people into leaders, builds communities of love and enables community transformation. This is done through numerous initiatives at schools, youth centers and by mobilizing volunteers for NGOs.

5. HOSPIS Malaysia

Hospis Malaysia is a charitable organisation providing professional community palliative care to those with life-limiting illnesses (such as cancer, AIDS, organ failure or progressive neurological conditions.) The organisation also supports their loved ones through this difficult time by offering counselling and support services. Apart from supporting those in need, they are also involved in educating the public about palliative care and the different services available to those in need in the community.

cancer malaysia charity 2023

6. Special Olympics Malaysia

Special Olympics is an international movement for people with intellectual disabilities offering sports training and competitions in a variety of Olympic-type sports.A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). The program offers people with ID a global community of support that reaches over 4 million athletes in more than 170 countries in all regions of the world. The program changes lives by enabling persons with ID to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy and friendship.

7. Hopes Malaysia Wellfare Association

Hopes Malaysia is a Malaysian charity based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah focusing on sustainable community development projects to meet the basic needs of the underprivileged, marginalised Sabah community, working to help families better livelihoods. The main focus of Hopes Malaysia is to assist families living in extreme poverty to escape poverty by providing assistance with food, clothing, healthcare and education for their children.

8. 448 Foodbank Malaysia

Hunger is a significant problem in Malaysia as well as internationally, with many people living without access to sufficient nutrition. The 448 Foodbank Society is striving to address this problem by distributing food and essentials to those who are struggling financially. The number 448 refers to contributing 4 hours a month and accumulating 48 hours a year – the minimum number of hours one should spend helping other people, according to 448 Foodbank.

9. Malaysian Federation of the Deaf

The Malaysian Federation of the Deaf or MFD is a non-profit social organisation for the deaf in Malaysia. MFD currently services the needs of approximately 10,000 deaf individuals all over the country and is the largest non-governmental organisation serving the deaf in the country. MFD is an organization that formed by Deaf themselves on 8 December 1997. ​MFD have been given mandate to represent the Deaf to voiced out their rights in Malaysia and provide various kind of services to ensure that they are able to live equally.

10. DID Academy

DID Academy is aimed towards providing education and training to strive social inclusion for the disabled community in Malaysia.  The purpose of the organization is to create employment and livelihood opportunities for disabled people as well as to promote acceptance and integration of persons with disabilities in society through training programmes and employment assistance programmes. DID Academy seeks to create opportunities and enhance the social participation of persons with disabilities by offering inclusive education and training programmes relevant to the needs of the society and also by developing a pool of qualified manpower with disabilities for entrepreneurship and employment.

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11. Shelter Home for Children

Shelter Home mission is to provide abused, abandoned and neglected children a childhood and a future by protecting, guiding, healing them with the ultimate aim of reuniting them with their families. Staff of SHFC are dedicated in providing quality residential care for the children they house and support with professional guidance and counseling with the goal of re-uniting the children with their biological family when possible. SHFC also provides a service to the community by providing information to the public regarding domestic and family violence and other issues that affect the welfare of children and families.

poverty malaysia charity 2023

12. National Autism Society of Malaysia

NASOM is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation formed in 1986. NASOM’s mission is to advocate for the rights of people on the autism spectrum and provide opportunities for them to learn and lead productive and fulfilling life. NASOM helps to educate and empower families to understand and cope with the challenges posed by autism. NASOM also strives to educate the public about autism, both among the public in general and the educational, medical and related professionals in particular. NASOM’s activities include providing services to families and individuals with autism and training the autism community in Malaysia on essential autism skills. NASOM also provide support to government bodies, such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in their efforts to develop policies and programmes that address the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

13. National Cancer Society Malaysia

National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1966 providing education, care & support services for people affected by cancer.  It has helped more than 100,000 Malaysian cancer patients facing the crisis of cancer treatment in our country through holistic care and individualized support. NCSM has structured its programs in line with its mission to be ‘the leading organization dedicated to prevention, control, cure and rehabilitation of cancer’. Since it was set up, NCSM’s mission remains the same – to provide care and support for cancer patients and cancer carers including cancer prevention and health promotion, education and welfare services to ensure the best quality of life for people living with cancer.

14. Great Heart Association Malaysia

Established in 2010, Great Heart Charity Association is a tax-exempted, non-profit charity association in Malaysia. They aim to provide assistance to their beneficiaries in the form of financial and in-kind aid. This assistance could be in the form of medical assistance, financial aid and other assistance needs that meet the beneficiaries’ requirements. They also aim to promote well-being and improve the lives of those in needs. Their overall vision is to alleviate the sufferings of their recipients through kindness and compassion.

15. YOKUK

YOKUK-A Foundation for the Disabled & Underprivileged is a charitable foundation established to alleviate the plight of the people with disabilities and to give them a meaningful life. They provide therapy services to the disabled and unprivileged.  They have a team of experienced and certified therapists who are able to provide therapeutic services to those in need. Their team of therapists come from various backgrounds with different specialties. The Centre also provides therapy services to the community together with talks and trainings. Through their services, they seek to improve the welfare of the underprivileged groups in Malaysia and to help them live a fulfilling life despite their disabilities.

autism malaysia 2023 charity

16. Teach for Malaysia

Teach for Malaysia believes that all children in Malaysia deserve the opportunity to attain an excellent education. Founded in 2010, Teach For Malaysia is a member of the Global Education Network, Teach For All, a collective spanning over 50 countries worldwide. In Malaysia, Teach For Malaysia works towards promoting excellent teaching practices and providing educational leadership to communities facing systemic challenges such as inadequate resources and limited access to quality teachers. Teach For Malaysia recruits outstanding young graduates from top universities and trains them to be future leaders in the education system. Teach For Malaysia’s mentors and teachers are committed to changing the lives of the students they serve and in the process develop deep respect for our diversity as a nation.

17. Discover Muay Thai

Discover Muaythai is a Social Business initiative for underprivileged youths to lead a life of dignity and independence by developing character and positive values through Martial Arts. Discover Muay Thai aims to help young people improve their physical and mental well-being while achieving self-development goals. Youngsters with disabilities, orphans and those from underprivileged families are given opportunities to develop character and gain self-esteem through participation in Martial Arts classes in a safe and supportive environment. In addition to daily training exercises, participants are exposed to life skills training including health & nutrition education, career guidance and entrepreneurial skills development. Furthermore, participants are equipped with soft skills needed to become productive members of the community.

18. myHarapan

myHarapan is dedicated towards empowering young Malaysians by supporting youth projects and initiatives that contribute to current nation-building efforts. myHarapan understands that young Malaysians are the agents of change who will shape the future of our nation so we equip them with knowledge, skills and motivation to step up and play their part in achieving the country’s vision. Through collaboration with several partners – from non-profit organisations to government agencies – myHarapan provides a platform for our youth to showcase their talents in areas such as volunteerism, social entrepreneurship and innovation. myHarapan also shares youth-led innovations and stories via print, online and digital media platforms to inspire young people to make a positive difference in society.

19. MAKNA National Cancer Council Malaysia

MAKNA mobilizes resources in order to provide curative, preventive, research and support services to underprivileged cancer patients, their families and caregivers, high-risk groups and the general public. It seeks to enhance the quality of life of cancer patients by promoting early detection, provision of adequate treatment and care for cancer patients from all backgrounds irrespective of financial status. It also strives to prevent the suffering, pain and loss of loved ones by increasing awareness and reducing the fear of cancer, leading to a greater acceptance of people with cancer in local communities. MAKNA currently supports patients through mobile oncology clinics, community-based support groups, peer support for caregivers and educational programmes on cancer prevention and management. The vision of MAKNA is to be a centre of excellence for providing cost-effective cancer care services that promote optimum well-being and quality of life of cancer patients in Malaysia.

20. MCRD Malaysia

Methodist Crisis Relief and Development (MCRD) was founded as relief organization with the mission to provide timely humanitarian aid to the victims of natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has evolved into a development organisation that seeks to strengthen the lives of low-income communities through education and sustainable income-generating projects. At the centre of MCRD’s work is the sustainable empowerment of the community by building people’s capacity to be self-reliant and resilient in the face of adversity. To date, MCRD has initiated and supported many high-impact initiatives aimed at promoting a culture of giving back among the Malaysian community.

homeless malaysia 2023 charity

21. IMARET

The Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM) is the common platform for Malaysian Muslims health-related personnel from different fields to meet, and to share ideas, working together to face numerous issues and challenges the Ummah faces. IMAM also helps medical professionals acquire a strong grounding in the faith foundation of Islam, which not only enables them to practice medicine better but helps them develop their characters as well. In addition to the wide range of benefits to both doctors and patients provided by IMAM, it is hoped that the organization can also serve to inspire all Malaysians to live good and productive lives. IMAM’s vision is to be the leading unified voice for all Malaysian Muslims in providing a platform and space to share knowledge, provide support and strengthen bonds among Muslim doctors nationwide.

22. Masala Wheels

Masala Wheels helps marginalized communities, primarily at-risk youths through F&B entrepreneurial initiatives. By creating a space for youth to thrive and prosper, we seek to empower them and transform them into productive members of the society who contribute to the nation’s growth and stability. They run several social enterprises such as our social enterprise cafe, where they provide training to underprivileged youth while also providing them with meaningful employment.

23. Fugee Org

Fugee Org champions equality and access by and with refugees to bridge learning gaps and nurture self-reliance to build a truly inclusive society. Fugee Org envisions a future where children are cared for, heard, valued and loved regardless of their circumstances or backgrounds, in a nurturing and safe environment where they can learn and grow at their own pace.