TS-SFD-01
Trust & Stewardship
Strategic Fundraising & Development
CORE
Excellence
v2.9.7
Documented Fundraising Strategy
Evaluates the formal, board-approved fundraising strategy as a key instrument of Amānah (stewardship). This plan guides sustainable growth, ensures operational clarity, and builds trust. As a minimum, the strategy includes: context/SWOT, fundraising portfolio & target audiences, 1–3 year financial model (restricted/unrestricted), channel plan, KPIs, resourcing, governance, and referenced policies. The strategy must be proportionate to the charity’s size, income, and risk profile.
Assessment Questions
- Does the organization have a formal, documented fundraising strategy?
- Is the fundraising strategy formally approved by the board, and is this approval documented in meeting minutes?
- Who owns the fundraising strategy (named role) and what is the reporting cadence/escalation threshold to trustees?
- How is the strategy scaled proportionately to the charity's income, methods used, and risk profile?
- How does the strategy ensure the charity can meet annual report fundraising disclosures (SORP) and, where applicable, Charities Act 2022 s.162A statements?
- Does the strategy define clear, measurable goals, timelines, target audiences, and fundraising methods?
- How does the organization monitor the performance of its fundraising strategy against its goals and KPIs?
- Does the strategy address long-term financial sustainability (e.g., building reserves, endowments, or waqf) and include ethical fundraising guidelines?
- What is the board’s fundraising risk appetite and how is it reflected in the risk register/controls?
- How does the strategy ensure GDPR/PECR compliance (lawful basis, privacy notice, consent/opt-out logs, profiling)?
- How are third-party fundraisers/platforms selected, contracted, monitored, and audited?
- What is the target and actual unrestricted income ratio and donor concentration risk (e.g., top-10 donors %)?
- How are Gift Aid processes managed and monitored (valid declarations, audit trail, error rates)?
Evidence Requirements
- The official, board-approved fundraising strategy document.
- Board meeting minutes confirming the review and approval of the fundraising strategy.
- Performance reports, dashboards, or presentations that track fundraising KPIs against the strategy's goals.
- Documentation of the strategy review process (e.g., meeting notes, revised strategy documents).
- Fundraising risk register extract and board-approved risk appetite statement.
- Ethical gift acceptance/refusal policy and decision logs for declined/returned gifts.
- Third-party due diligence records and contracts (including Art. 28 DPAs and audit rights).
- Record of Processing Activities (ROPA) entry for fundraising and Legitimate Interests Assessment (if used).
- DPIA(s) for profiling/wealth screening/new platforms (if applicable).
- Privacy notice and PECR consent/opt-out logs.
- Sanctions/source-of-funds screening procedure and sample logs for high-risk donations.
- Gift Aid declaration templates, sampling logs, and HMRC claim/audit evidence.
- Annual report/Trustees’ Report fundraising disclosure extract (SORP) and fundraising complaints log.
- FPS suppression list handling procedure and logs (if applicable).
Scoring Guidelines
| Level | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5/5 | Data-driven strategy with continuous optimization (test-and-learn cycles), forecast accuracy targets, ethical assurance, and long-term sustainability mechanisms (e.g., waqf) demonstrably improving results. |
| 4 | 4/5 | Comprehensive, board-approved multi-year strategy aligned to the org plan with KPIs, risk analysis, and formal quarterly trustee review with reforecasting. |
| 3 | 3/5 | A basic board-approved strategy exists with annual goals and primary methods; includes a named strategy owner and monthly KPI reporting to management. |
| 2 | 2/5 | Fundraising is largely ad-hoc; a draft or informal plan exists but is not board-approved and lacks targets/KPIs or systematic monitoring. |
| 1 | 1/5 | No fundraising strategy. |
Related Criteria
Version
2.9.7
2025-11-05
Discussion (1)
Administrator
2026-03-07 11:07:52.577277
📋 **Version updated: 1.0.0 → 2.9.7** **Changes:** Updated islamic_references from mizan-297.json
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