Legacy & Major Gift Program
Assesses the formal program for legacy and major gifts, which operationalizes *Sadaqa Jāriyah*. This secures long-term sustainability, deepens donor trust through stewardship, and ensures enduring community benefit, fulfilling the organization's *Amānah* (trust) to its stakeholders. The program includes robust restricted-fund governance, conflict-of-interest controls, and risk-based due diligence to protect the charity’s reputation and ensure donor stipulations are honoured lawfully and Islamically.
| Metric | Legacy & Major Gift Performance Scorecard |
|---|---|
| Target | Retention >60%; Reporting Timeliness >90% |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Method | Composite: Count of enquiries/pledges, retention rate (%), stewardship timeliness (%), and restriction compliance (%). |
| Unit | Composite |
Level 1: Initial/Ad-hoc
Legacy and major gifts are accepted on an ad-hoc basis with no formal policy. Donor intent is informally noted, but stewardship processes are undefined, posing a significant risk to the Amānah (trust).
Level 2: Developing
A basic gift acceptance policy exists but is not consistently applied. The organization has started to consider a formal program, but roles, investment strategies, and long-term stewardship are not yet defined.
Level 3: Established
A formal, board-approved Legacy & Major Gift Program is established. Restricted/endowed funds are separately tracked in finance systems, and a Donor Intent & Restrictions Register exists. Annual internal review confirms expenditure matches restrictions; any proposed variation is escalated to trustees.
Level 4: Advanced
The program is managed proactively with a named Shariah adviser/board sign-off for investments. The IPS includes documented screening methodology (business activity + financial ratios) and a purification policy. The organization actively cultivates relationships with potential legacy donors and provides transparent impact reporting.
Level 5: Optimizing
The program is a model of excellence, incorporating sophisticated instruments like Waqf structures. A standard waqf deed template is used with clauses on corpus preservation and nāẓir appointment. Independent annual assurance (audit) confirms compliance with donor stipulations and Shariah investment principles.
Organisation Types
By Organisation Size
| Size | Applicability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Micro | exempt | Disproportionate; highly unlikely to have a formal major gift or legacy program at this income level. |
| Small | exempt | Formal CRM pipelines and strict stewardship SLAs are too resource-intensive; ad-hoc management suffices. |
| Medium | partial | Needs basic restricted fund tracking (Donor Intent Register) and a gift acceptance policy, but a full CRM-based pipeline can be scaled down. |
| Large | full | |
| Major | full |
Applicable When
- The organization is a non-profit or charitable organization
- The organization relies on donations and fundraising for its sustainability
- The organization seeks to ensure long-term financial stability
- The organization serves a community or cause that resonates with potential legacy givers and major donors.
Not Applicable When
- The organization is a for-profit entity with minimal philanthropic activities
- The organization is entirely government-funded and does not rely on private donations
- The organization is newly established and not yet focused on long-term fundraising strategies (though it would be good practice to consider early on)
Related Criteria
Discussion (1)
📋 **Version updated: 1.0.0 → 2.9.7** **Changes:** Updated islamic_references from mizan-297.json
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