Qurbani and other appeals that can sell out: not taking money you can't use

Some appeals have a fixed limit. Qurbani is the clearest example: there are only so many animals, each sold in shares, in each country you work in. Once the shares are gone, every further gift is money given for something that can't happen. That money is restricted, and the Charity Commission has rules for what you may do with it.

What the Commission says

If an appeal raises more than it needs, the first thing to check is the appeal's own wording (Charity Commission: when you've raised more than you need).

• If the appeal stated a secondary purpose, you must use the extra donations for that purpose, and you don't need to contact donors or the Commission.
• If it didn't, trustees need to make a formal decision on a new purpose and keep a written record of it, such as in the minutes.
• If the extra comes to £1,000 or less, you don't need the Commission's authorisation. Above £1,000, you do.

There are separate rules for when an appeal can't achieve its purpose at all, including when you must offer donors their money back (Charity Commission: when you can't achieve your appeal purpose).

Write the secondary purpose before you launch

A single sentence in the appeal saves a trustee resolution later: what happens to gifts beyond what you need. For Qurbani that might be meat distribution in another country, or your general relief work. If the appeal can take Zakat, make sure the secondary purpose is somewhere Zakat may go too.

Stop taking money at the limit

The better fix is not to take the extra money at all. That means knowing, in real time, how many shares are left in each country, and closing the option the moment they run out, rather than checking a spreadsheet against donations as they come in. If you run the appeal across several countries, cap each one separately, so a popular country closes while the others stay open.

Keep the fulfilment list as you go

Every share needs a name for the sacrifice to be made in, and donors expect to hear when it has been done. A fulfilment list built from the donations as they arrive, with each donor, each name and each share, is far easier than rebuilding one from an export after the appeal closes. It is also the record that shows every gift went where the donor was told it would.