1. Our promise to you

Kashmir Welfare Foundation transforms lives across Azad Kashmir through healthcare, education, food security, clean water, emergency relief, orphan support and sustainable livelihoods.

None of this work would be possible without the trust and generosity of our supporters. This page explains what happens when you donate, the standards we hold ourselves to and the difference between our Zakat promise and the way we manage other charitable donations.

We will never knowingly mislead you about where your money goes.

We will be clear about the purpose of an appeal, how funds are managed and what may happen if circumstances change. Where we make a mistake, we will correct it openly.

2. Amaanah and Islamic responsibility

We regard charitable donations as an Amaanah: a trust that must be handled with honesty, care and accountability.

This means we aim to make decisions based not only on what is legally permitted, but on what is responsible, fair and faithful to the intention of the donor.

Integrity

We do not treat donations as ordinary income

Donations are entrusted to KWF for charitable purposes. They must be recorded, protected and used responsibly.

Accountability

We expect to be questioned

Donors have the right to ask how funds are used. We welcome reasonable scrutiny, feedback and challenge.

3. Our 100% Zakat promise

100% of your Zakat is allocated to eligible Zakat recipients.

KWF operates a dedicated 100% Zakat donations policy. Zakat is treated separately from general charitable income and is distributed only for valid Zakat purposes in accordance with recognised Islamic principles.

We do not intentionally use Zakat to meet ordinary UK administration, fundraising or general operating costs.

Read our full Zakat Policy for details about eligibility, assessment, governance, distribution and oversight.

Where processing charges are taken directly by a payment provider before funds reach KWF, or where another unavoidable external deduction applies, KWF will seek to manage this in line with the approach explained in the Zakat Policy.

4. General donations

For many years, KWF operated a 100% donations policy across all charitable giving. This was made possible because businesses and supporters generously covered most of the charity’s operating costs separately.

Many of those costs are still supported externally, and KWF continues to operate a volunteer-led, low-cost model. However, we can no longer responsibly promise that every non-Zakat donation will always be delivered under a 100% donations policy.

Why we are being open about this

It would be unfair and misleading to continue making an absolute 100% claim when some legitimate costs of delivering safe, compliant and effective charitable work may need to be met from general charitable funds.

Our intention remains unchanged: to ensure that the overwhelming majority of every non-Zakat donation reaches charitable work and creates meaningful impact.

Based on our current operating model, we are confident that more than 95% of donations continue to support the end charitable cause. This figure should be reviewed regularly against KWF’s actual accounts and delivery costs.

5. Why our position has changed

The cost of operating a responsible charity has increased significantly. Even a volunteer-led organisation must maintain systems that protect donors, beneficiaries and the charity itself.

KWF does not currently operate with a large salaried UK fundraising team, expensive offices or high-cost fundraising agencies. We continue to work from a modest community base and rely heavily on volunteers and business support.

However, charitable delivery now requires greater investment in governance, technology, safeguarding, financial controls, data protection and regulatory compliance.

6. What responsible charitable costs may include

Delivery

Field operations

Transport, storage, local coordination, verification, monitoring and distribution.

Protection

Safeguarding

Policies, checks, training, reporting systems and protection of children and vulnerable people.

Governance

Compliance

Accounting, independent examination, insurance, legal advice and regulatory duties.

Technology

Secure systems

Website hosting, donor portals, cybersecurity, payment systems, backups and software.

Finance

Payment costs

Bank charges, card processing, currency conversion and unavoidable transaction fees.

Accountability

Reporting and oversight

Evidence gathering, beneficiary records, audit trails, impact reporting and complaints handling.

These costs are not separate from charitable impact. They help ensure donations are distributed safely, lawfully and effectively.

7. Where your donation goes

Donations may support one or more of KWF’s charitable programmes, including:

Healthcare

Medical camps, screening, referrals, medicines and community health services.

Food security

Food packs, cooked meals, Ramadan support and emergency food assistance.

Clean water

Water systems, wells, filtration, repair and community access.

Education

School support, learning materials, sponsorship and educational opportunity.

Emergency relief

Rapid support following disaster, displacement, extreme weather or crisis.

Sustainable livelihoods

Income-generation support, tools, equipment and pathways towards independence.

8. Restricted and unrestricted donations

A restricted donation is given for a clearly defined purpose. Where an appeal creates a legal restriction, KWF must use those funds for that purpose.

Examples may include a named water appeal, a specific emergency, a Zakat fund or a defined sponsorship programme.

Unrestricted donations may be used by the trustees where the need is greatest within KWF’s charitable purposes. They are especially valuable because they allow KWF to respond to urgent needs, support underfunded work and meet essential delivery costs.

Campaign images and suggested amounts

Unless a campaign expressly promises that a donation will fund a specific named person or exact item, photographs, examples and suggested amounts may illustrate the type of support rather than guarantee a one-to-one allocation.

9. What happens when a project changes

Humanitarian work does not always proceed exactly as planned. Circumstances may change because of access, weather, safety, prices, local need, beneficiary circumstances, project completion or events beyond our control.

Where an appeal includes a valid secondary purpose, KWF may use surplus or unusable funds for that stated alternative.

Where no suitable secondary purpose exists, restricted funds will not simply be redirected for convenience. KWF will follow charity law and any required regulatory process. This may include contacting donors, offering an alternative, returning funds where appropriate or seeking permission to apply them differently.

10. How donations are tracked

1Donation received

Payment is recorded against the donor, campaign and payment reference.

2Fund identified

The donation is classified as Zakat, restricted, programme-based or unrestricted.

3Delivery recorded

Projects and distributions are supported by operational and financial records.

4Impact reported

Updates, reports and accounts explain how charitable funds have been used.

The level of evidence will vary according to the project, location and safeguarding needs. KWF will not publish sensitive beneficiary information simply to create publicity.

11. Transparency and reporting

We aim to demonstrate impact through a combination of:

annual reports and financial statements;
campaign and project updates;
receipts and payment confirmations;
photographs and videos where appropriate consent exists;
field reports and beneficiary records;
trustee oversight and financial reconciliation;
responses to donor questions and complaints.

Not every donation can be traced to a single photograph or named beneficiary. In pooled programmes, funds may be combined so that KWF can purchase, distribute and deliver support efficiently.

12. Our Supporter Promise

We will be transparent

We will explain what we do, how appeals work and where your money goes.

We will protect your Amaanah

We will handle donations carefully, maintain records and use funds only for lawful charitable purposes.

We will respect you

We will never pressure you to give, increase or continue a donation.

We will protect your privacy

We will safeguard your data and will not sell personal information for marketing.

We will remain accountable

We will listen to concerns, investigate complaints and correct mistakes.

We will keep improving

We will continue strengthening governance, safeguarding, systems and project delivery.

13. Your privacy and communication choices

We use personal information to process donations, provide receipts, manage Gift Aid, maintain donor records and deliver services.

Marketing is optional. You can unsubscribe or change your communication preferences at any time. We do not sell personal data or swap donor lists for marketing purposes.

Full details are available in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

14. Donation mistakes, refunds and recurring payments

Donations are generally final once accepted, but we understand that errors and exceptional circumstances can happen.

We will normally consider requests involving an incorrect amount, duplicate payment, unauthorised transaction or clear technical error. Contact us as soon as possible with the donor name, amount, date and payment reference.

Recurring donations may be managed through the donor portal, the payment provider or by contacting KWF. A payment already submitted for collection may not be stoppable immediately.

More detail is available in our Terms of Service.

15. Fundraising standards

KWF is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and is committed to the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Our fundraising must be legal, open, honest and respectful. This applies to trustees, staff, volunteers, fundraisers, agencies, commercial partners and online activity carried out in KWF’s name.

Read our full Fundraising Policy for information about conduct, complaints, cash controls, partnerships, vulnerable people, public fundraising, communications and oversight.

16. Contact us

Questions about a donation, campaign or this promise are always welcome.

Kashmir Welfare Foundation UK
Registered Charity Number: 1206824
Ikhlas Community Centre
127–129 Clarence Road
Derby, DE23 6LS
Phone: 020 3900 3790
Email: hello@kashmirwelfare.org.uk
Website: www.kashmirwelfare.org.uk

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