The fund's early years were dominated by research and policymaking, with limited projects that distributed gifts, in-kind assistance and humanitarian aid to impoverished communities. In 1984, the Fund created its first Community Development Centres in Madaba (a form of community engagement that would become the hallmark of the group). QAF CDCs began springing up throughout the country during the 1980s, delivering aid and services to communities that were otherwise on the periphery of society.