The Role of Local Actors in the Development of Zakat Village : Religious Leaders and Village Government in Banjarwaru Village, Nusawungu Subdistrict, Cilacap Regency

This study aims to analyze the role of local actors, namely religious leaders and the village government, in the development of the Zakat Village Program in Banjarwaru, Nusawungu District, Cilacap Regency. Religious leaders serve a strategic function as agents of religious education by consistently delivering messages on zakat obligations through Friday sermons, religious gatherings, and community study forums. Their scholarly authority and spiritual approach have strengthened awareness and compliance among community members to fulfill zakat, particularly zakat mal, through official Zakat Collection Units (UPZ). Meanwhile, the village government plays a structural role through policies establishing UPZ in each prayer house, integrating zakat into the Village Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMDes), and providing institutional support. The government also promotes productive zakat distribution, skills training for beneficiaries, and systematic data collection of muzakki and mustahik. The synergy between religious leaders and the village government demonstrates that educational, structural, and economic collaboration can enhance community participation and realize more professional and sustainable zakat governance at the village level.