From a good intention to a giving programme you can defend.
A twelve-step method that turns what a family or funder wants into a written policy, a scorecard every grant is judged against, and a record of what the money achieved.
Stage one finds the intent. Stage two runs the programme.
Where zakat or waqf is involved, religious-compliance governance runs through every step: the category identified, the funds ring-fenced, and distribution reported separately. Conflicts are declared and recorded, and every round leaves an audit trail.
Documents your board, your family and the regulator can read
| Document | What it settles | Step |
|---|---|---|
| Funder profile | What the family wants, who decides and what rules a route out | 1–6 |
| Grant-making policy | Mandate, outcomes, what you will and will not fund, grant size, risk appetite | 7 |
| Structure and tax note | The right vehicle, chosen after the purpose, with a qualified adviser's sign-off | 8 |
| Scored shortlist | Candidates ranked against your criteria, with proportionate due diligence | 9 |
| Grant agreements | Conditions and tranches. Nothing released before signature | 10 |
| Portfolio report and evaluation | What each grant achieved, and what changes for the next round | 11–12 |
NAS Foundation: from a family's informal waqf to a registered foundation in six months
The situation
A family had been giving generously for over a year through a waqf hosted by another charity. That arrangement was ending. Grants had been committed but only about half drawn down, most grantees had not yet reported, and the family wanted its own vehicle and a clearer direction.
What we did
Workshops with the family on vision, values and goals. Their past grants narrowed to six giving categories. Zakat separated from general giving. A choice between a registered charity and a private structure, then a CIO, with a donor-advised fund alongside for shorter-term giving. Board and grantee reporting templates, and a funding guide for the committee.
What changed
NAS Foundation was registered with the Charity Commission within six months of the first workshop, for less than the legal fees quoted. It now has a board, a disbursement committee with quarterly reporting, and a chief executive to run it. I stayed on as an adviser to the board.
Strategy, governance, crisis support and coaching for boards and chief executives
Step one is a conversation.
Tell me what you are trying to decide. I will reply personally within two working days.
Kashif Shabir, Founder and Principal Consultant