This toolkit offers a practical Capacity Assessment for Fundraising Toolkit to help organisations set up, strengthen, and systematise their fundraising function. It enables them to reflect on the current fundraising practices, systems, and capacities.
It supports the organisation to:
- Identify existing strengths and areas for improvement
- Surface gaps that require attention
- Make informed and strategic fundraising decisions
- Prioritise practical improvements aligned with your mission and long-term goals
- Strengthen internal clarity, confidence, and direction in fundraising.
Who will use this tool?
- This tool is designed for:
- Leadership teams
- Fundraising staff
- Finance or programme leads
- Board members involved in fundraising
- It is recommended that 3–4 team members complete the exercise together to bring diverse perspectives.
- The exercise is ideally conducted in person over a 2.5–3 hour session.
- Before beginning:
- Briefly align on what “fundraising” means for the organisation (e.g., grants, individual donors, CSR, partnerships, membership fees).
- Review basic organisational information such as recent financial reports, donor lists, proposals, or fundraising plans.
- This helps ensure everyone assesses from the same reference point.
The toolkit consists of two sections, both designed to build fundraising self-awareness and confidence within the organisation.
Section 1: Self-Assessment Sheet
This chapter offers a starting point to pause and take stock of how fundraising currently happens within the organisation. Through simple questions and a scoring card, this section supports a shared understanding of what is working well and where strengthening is needed.
Section 1- Download excel file
Section 2: Reflection and Way Forward
Building on the assessment, this chapter nudges the users to identify their strengths and areas of improvement through reflection. Guided questions encourage the coalition and members to explore internal patterns, assumptions and experiences that affect fundraising function. This space is designed for meaningful conversation, collective sense-making and moving forward with clarity.
Section 2- Download word file
