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.
| Metric | Fundraising performance and compliance dashboard |
|---|---|
| Target | Targets set by channel and lifecycle: e.g., acquisition CPR may be higher with payback period targets; retention CPR lower. Include an explicit investment case defining acceptable short-term ROI trade-offs for long-term LTV. |
| Frequency | Monthly (ops), quarterly (board), annual (strategy review) |
| Method | Board-approved KPI set covering income, efficiency, donor health, mix, risk, and compliance |
| Unit | Mixed (%, ratio, count, £) |
Level 1: Initial/Ad-hoc
Fundraising is conducted on an ad-hoc, reactive basis. There is no documented strategy or formal plan.
Level 2: Developing
An informal or draft fundraising plan exists with some goals/activities but lacks board approval, KPIs, and systematic monitoring; implementation is inconsistent.
Level 3: Established
A formal, documented fundraising strategy is in place and has been approved by the board. It includes clear annual goals, identifies target donor segments, and outlines primary fundraising methods. A named strategy owner reports KPIs monthly to management.
Level 4: Advanced
The board-approved strategy is comprehensive and integrated with the organization's overall strategic plan. It includes multi-year financial targets, risk analysis, key performance indicators (KPIs), and is subject to a formal quarterly trustee review with reforecasting.
Level 5: Optimizing
The fundraising strategy is a dynamic, data-driven model of excellence (Iḥsān). It actively incorporates long-term sustainability mechanisms (e.g., waqf), uses test-and-learn cycles with forecast accuracy targets, and serves as a benchmark for ethical and effective stewardship.
Organisation Types
By Organisation Size
| Size | Applicability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Micro | exempt | Disproportionate for micro charities; basic income tracking is sufficient. |
| Small | optional | A simple annual budget usually suffices, though a basic plan is a nice-to-have. |
| Medium | partial | Requires a documented strategy and board approval, but risk appetite and reporting dashboards can be simplified. |
| Large | full | |
| Major | full |
Applicable When
- The organization requires external funding to operate or provide services
- The organization accepts donations or fees
Not Applicable When
- The organization is entirely self-funded and does not solicit donations
- The organization's operations are extremely limited in scope and budget, making a formal strategy unnecessary (rare case)
- Where entities are not registered charities (e.g., student societies), apply equivalent university/union policies and UK data protection/marketing law, and use proportionate governance.
Related Criteria
Discussion (1)
📋 **Version updated: 1.0.0 → 2.9.7** **Changes:** Updated islamic_references from mizan-297.json
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