<![CDATA[Islamic Social Finance (ISF) has significant strategic potential to promote inclusive and sustainable development. However, zakat management continues to face institutional fragmentation, weak integration with Islamic commercial finance, and suboptimal utilization of digital technology and cross-sector collaboration. This study aims to explore and develop an innovative model of zakat institutions to strengthen sustainable finance integration within the Islamic financial system. The research employed an exploratory qualitative approach using a modified Grounded Theory strategy and was analyzed through the perspective of Ecosystem Theory. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 22 informants representing zakat institutions, Islamic banks, regulators, Islamic fintech companies, academics, muzaki (zakat payers), and mustahik (zakat beneficiaries). The data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. The findings identify five key determinants for developing a sustainable zakat ecosystem: (1) digital transformation as an infrastructure enabler; (2) interdependent multi-stakeholder collaboration; (3) the convergence of Islamic Social Finance (ISF) and Islamic Commercial Finance (ICF); (4) governance and institutional trust as the foundation of integration; and (5) the reorientation of zakat from a charitable approach toward impact-driven development. Based on these findings, this study proposes the Sustainable Islamic Zakat Ecosystem Model (SIZEM), which positions zakat institutions as ecosystem orchestrators that integrate stakeholders, technology, data, regulatory frameworks, and social-commercial financial instruments to create sustainable shared value. The novelty of this research lies in shifting the unit of analysis from linear stakeholder relationships toward a dynamic and co-evolutionary ecosystem perspective. Furthermore, it offers a conceptual mechanism that bridges ISF and ICF through a sustainable empowerment pathway, enabling the transformation of social capital into access to commercial financing. These findings demonstrate that the future effectiveness of zakat management depends not merely on the individual capacity of zakat institutions, but on their ability to orchestrate an integrated, trustworthy, and adaptive ecosystem. Such an ecosystem enables zakat to evolve into a strategic instrument for financial inclusion, mustahik empowerment, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the strengthening of a sustainable Islamic financial architecture.]]>
