Safeguarding has shifted from a peripheral issue to a defining standard for faith-based and development organisations. At the same time, donor expectations for accountability and transparency have intensified. These developments are directly linked: safeguarding now sits at the heart of donor engagement, institutional credibility, and mission sustainability. Donor trust increasingly depends on demonstrable protection for those served.
This understanding shaped the three-day Resource Mobilisation and Donor Engagement Training, organised by the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM) with JCSA and related apostolic works. The training let participants examine how safeguarding, stewardship, and donor relationships intersect, and how institutions can respond responsibly as funding demands increase.
Safeguarding as the Foundation of Donor Trust
The training emphasised: donor engagement starts with trust. Donors are now highly attentive to how organisations protect children, vulnerable adults, staff, and communities. Safeguarding failures harm victims, erode credibility, damage reputations, and weaken donor confidence.
Participants were urged to see safeguarding as a culture, not just a policy or department. It must span governance, programme design, financial management, and reporting. Institutions with strong safeguarding systems show donors they use resources responsibly, ethically, and with respect for human dignity.
The sessions showed that effective safeguarding strengthens donor relationships. It reduces risk, improves accountability, and reinforces shared values. Safeguarding is not a fundraising obstacle; it is an asset for donor engagement.
Ethical Resource Mobilisation and Mission Integrity
A recurring theme was aligning donor engagement with mission and values. Participants were challenged to move from opportunistic fundraising to principled resource mobilisation. This includes declining funds that do not meet safeguarding standards, Jesuit values, or institutional priorities.
The training highlighted that accepting funds without due diligence brings safeguarding, legal, and reputational risks. Ethical donor engagement requires clear internal guidelines, strong leadership, and collaboration among programme, finance, safeguarding, and leadership teams.
Safeguarding was included in discussions on donor selection, proposal development, and partnership management. Participants explored how safeguarding commitments should be embedded in donor agreements, project designs, and monitoring frameworks. Protection measures must be essential—not just add-ons.
Proposals, Risk, and Safeguarding Accountability
The training focused on proposal development and risk management. Safeguarding emerged as a key risk area needing attention. Donors now expect organisations to identify safeguarding risks, show mitigation strategies, and prove internal capacity to manage them.
This includes clear safeguarding policies, reporting systems, staff and volunteer training, and survivor-centred response protocols. Proposals missing these areas are now considered incomplete or high-risk by donors.
The training encouraged participants to integrate safeguarding indicators into monitoring and evaluation frameworks. By doing so, institutions can demonstrate not only programmatic outcomes but also the safety and well-being of those involved. This approach strengthens accountability and provides donors with credible evidence that safeguarding commitments are being actively implemented.
Reporting, Storytelling, and Responsible Communication
The final day focused on reporting and communicating results, where safeguarding and donor engagement intersect clearly. Participants considered how reports, stories, and impact narratives shape donor views and reputation.
Responsible communication is a safeguarding issue. Storytelling must respect dignity, consent, and confidentiality, especially for children and vulnerable adults. Donors now scrutinise how organisations present beneficiaries and align with safeguarding principles.
The training gave guidance on writing honest, balanced reports. This means acknowledging challenges, reporting incidents properly, and showing learning and corrective action. Participants learned that transparency builds trust better than polished but unrealistic narratives.
By communicating both impact and integrity, institutions become credible, trustworthy partners. This is vital for maintaining long-term donor relationships.
Stewardship Beyond Compliance
A key insight from the training was the understanding of stewardship as more than financial accountability. Stewardship encompasses safeguarding, ethical leadership, collaboration, and institutional learning. Participants were encouraged to see donor engagement as a long-term relationship rooted in shared responsibility for mission outcomes and human dignity.
In this context, safeguarding is a joint concern for institutions and donors. Rather than an external imposition, safeguarding standards are co-owned, discussed, and strengthened through dialogue and reporting. This approach turns donor relationships into partnerships based on trust and shared values.
From Training to Institutional Practice
At the end of the training, participants were challenged to turn learning into real change. This means improving safeguarding systems, building safeguarding into donor strategies, and supporting cross-departmental collaboration.
For JCSA and partners, the training confirmed that safeguarding and donor engagement are inseparable. Institutions that protect, are accountable, and act ethically are better placed to secure funding, help the vulnerable, and advance their mission.
Today, credibility is as important as capacity. Safeguarding is central to relationships with donors, communities, and society. By making safeguarding part of mobilisation and donor engagement, institutions boost funding and demonstrate justice, care, and responsibility.
