Beacon CRM Gift Aid: a charity planning guide
Good Gift Aid processes depend on clear declaration records, reliable donation data and agreed checks. Use this guide to plan the workflow with your charity team and Beacon’s current documentation.
Map the Gift Aid process before configuring it
Document how your charity receives donations, collects declarations, reviews eligibility and prepares claims. Include online and offline giving routes where relevant, and agree who owns each step. This helps the team spot missing information and process gaps before they affect routine work.
- List the ways supporters give and how gifts enter the CRM
- Agree where declarations are collected and who reviews exceptions
- Identify the people responsible for Gift Aid checks and claim preparation
- Decide what evidence and handover information staff need
Plan how declarations and donation details are recorded
Beacon’s guidance covers Gift Aid, collecting declarations through forms and adding declarations manually. Review the current instructions alongside your own data-capture routes, then check that the information your team needs is recorded consistently and linked to the right supporter and gift.
- Review the declaration routes your charity actually uses
- Check that form and offline processes are understood by staff
- Agree how corrections and questions about existing records are handled
- Use Beacon’s current guide for product-specific setup steps
Build review checks into the workflow
Before claims are prepared, make sure staff know how to identify records that need attention and where to record decisions. Agree how the team will check donation details, declaration information and any exceptions, and how the work will be reviewed and handed over. HMRC requirements can change; confirm current rules with HMRC and your charity’s appropriate adviser.
- Define who reviews records and who approves claim preparation
- Agree how unclear, incomplete or exceptional records are escalated
- Retain the checks and documentation required by your organisation
- Revisit the process when forms, policies or Beacon workflows change
Use a practical Gift Aid readiness checklist
Before launch or a process review, walk through a realistic supporter journey from donation to the charity’s review and claim-preparation steps. Involve the people responsible for fundraising and finance so the process works across teams, not just within the CRM.
- Test the donation and declaration journey used by your charity
- Confirm staff know how to find records that need review
- Check ownership, handovers and exception handling
- Provide role-appropriate guidance and a route for questions
Beacon CRM questions, answered
Can Beacon CRM collect Gift Aid declarations through forms?
Beacon publishes guidance on collecting declarations through Beacon forms. Check its current instructions for supported form types and setup, then confirm that the process fits your charity’s requirements.
Can existing Gift Aid declarations be added to Beacon?
Beacon’s current guide includes instructions for adding declarations manually. The right method depends on the source, evidence and condition of your records; review Beacon’s instructions and your charity’s data-handling process before importing or entering historic information.
Does this guide provide Gift Aid or tax advice?
No. It is a CRM planning guide, not tax or legal advice. Check current HMRC requirements and seek appropriate advice for questions about eligibility, declarations or claims.