Charity Financials Insider

Insight and Trends

Why data hygiene has never been so important for the charity sector

Martin Rides, Managing Director, The Software Bureau and Clean Contacts

Insight and Trends

Identifying and Tackling Emerging Risks

Over the past tumultuous year, the charity sector has realised how a single volatile and unexpected event can suddenly appear, and severely disrupt its plans and strategy. We asked the Institute of Risk Management, who spoke at our first CFLF event back in February 2020, how can charities identify and assess the potential impact of emerging risks and be better prepared when the next disruptive event comes along?

Identifying and Tackling Emerging Risks

by Alyson Pepperell Co-Chair of the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) Charities Special Interest Group (SIG)

Co-author Paula Karlsson-Brown, Co-Chair on the Charity Risk SIG, Institute of Risk Management, and lecturer at Glasgow University

Insight and Trends

My Leadership Style - Lisa Kiew, Director of Finance and Operations, Maudsley Charity

Charity leaders discuss evolving leadership style through the pandemic.

Insight and Trends

My Leadership Style - Adrian Warburton, Finance Director of World Wildlife Fund

Charity leaders discuss evolving leadership styles through the pandemic.

Finance

Charities taking action in a net zero world

Our latest webinar ‘Charities taking action in a net zero world’ took place on Tuesday 23rd March and is now available to watch.

Insight and Trends

Charity leaders discuss evolving leadership styles through the pandemic.

Martin Edwards, CEO, Julia’s House, Dorset & Wiltshire Children’s Hospice Charity

Insight and Trends

The Charity Financials Leaders Forum Key Takeaways

Black Swans, Micromanagement, and Virtual CEOs - the reality of leading a Charity throughout a global pandemic.

By Suzanne Watts, Wilmington Charities

Finance

Why social investment is putting ‘power’ in the hands of community organisations

Every David Attenborough fan knows the planet is in crisis. Our use of fossil fuels has led to rapid change in climate that is putting communities and habitats across the globe at risk.

Insight and Trends

Charity investment ROI increased for the first time in 4 years in 2019

According to the latest Charity Financials Investment Spotlight report, the 2018/19 financial year saw investment ROI increase by 0.03%. The increase may be small, but it demonstrates a significant change from the previous four years where it had been on a downward trajectory since 2016.

Finance

How can you be a socially responsible investor?

Building wealth for the future is important, but increasingly, people want their investments to make a positive contribution towards issues such as climate change, pollution and human rights.

Charities

The Reality of Managing Six Palaces through a Pandemic

With six palaces, hundreds of antique-filled rooms, and a thousand staff - Sue Hall, The Finance Director of Historic Royal Palaces reveals how she helped to save her charity from the brink of collapse during 2020.

Insight and Trends

Risks and opportunities faced by the Charity sector due to Covid-19

The COVID-19 Pandemic has had a damaging impact on Charities, many reporting various challenges from the inability to deliver on objectives, increase in operating costs as a result of the implementation of pandemic precautions through to dealing with possible funding gaps, to name a few.

Governance and Regulation

Brexit Implications for Charities

VAT, Trading and Imports: How will your charity be affected?

Aside from the ongoing 24/7 COVID-19 news, the other main story at the start of 2021 is of course the new Brexit agreement which came into force on 1 January. We asked Robert Warne, Partner and Head of VAT at Crowe UK LLP how charities might be affected, and what they need to do now.

Charities

The 10 most-read articles on Charity Financials Insider in 2020

As the year draws to a close, we’ve taken a look back at our top-read stories from 2020 to give our readers a chance to revisit any you might have missed.

Insight and Trends

September growth figures show some relief for UK charity sector income

Initial research from the latest Charity Financials Income Monitor report shows that although the challenges of the pandemic are still present, some charities began to see recovery over the past few months, with September showing an increase on total income compared to 2019…

Charities

If ever there was a need for finance leaders who are driving strategy and not just reacting to it, it's now

Interview with Simon Hopkins, Director of Resources at Blind Veterans UK

Charities

Charities must prepare now to benefit from predicted legacy giving surge

A recent report co-authored by Smee & Ford, Remember A Charity, the Institute of Legacy Management and Legacy Foresight, explores how vital legacy income has been in 2020 and emphasises how charities must act soon to benefit from further sector growth.

How to develop and value your relationship with your auditor

Auditing is a people-oriented activity, and the way in which we learn most effectively is not by filling in checklists, but by talking to trustees, senior management, finance, HR and fundraising teams to fully understand an organisation’s culture, risks and priorities.

5 steps to ensure your data is safe for remote working

With the pandemic yet to show any signs of abating, many of us are likely to be working from home for quite some time to come. But it’s not without its challenges, and for those working with personal data, whether it is details for supporters, beneficiaries or even staff, one of the most important areas to get right is data protection compliance.

Finance

Charity asset cash reaches an all-time high

The latest Charity Financials Banking Spotlight report finds that total current asset cash for the top 5,000 charities has now reached an all-time high of £17.9bn, having grown from £14.7bn since 2014/15

Insight and Trends

Total monthly income to charities showed cautious signs of recovery in June

The latest Charity Financials Income Monitor report shows that although total monthly income has been consistently down year-on-year since Covid-19 hit, June began to show recovery, with decline nearly halving on the previous 3 months…

Charities

Does your investment strategy fully reflect your ethical values?

When the whistle blew on the investment strategies of high-profile charities such as the National Trust and Comic Relief, other UK charities immediately sat up and took note. As a result, most will now actively avoid investing in the likes of tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels and armaments. But Alice Farrer, one of the Ethical Investment Managers at Sanlam, explains that responsible investing has come a long way, and more can be done to ensure charities are actively aligning their investments with their core values.

Charities

How a programme of resilience building paid dividends for one Hull charity during lockdown

In the first quarter of this year, life was ‘normal’. Do you remember? We had problems and we had plans about how to fix them. At Hull Women’s Network (HWN) that meant dealing with issues around domestic violence and doing our best to address them. Often the solutions came in quickly; finding housing for a woman that was in the right place and would keep that individual safe and away from an abuser.

How can charities facilitate a smooth audit process?

Running an audit can be a challenging task for charity finance managers, particularly as audits need to be fitted around the day job. Managers need to ensure 'business as usual', but also plan effectively to ensure deadlines are met and the whole audit process is as stress-free as possible...

10 tips for running a remote audit successfully

Since mid-March office workers have been required to work from home where possible and any feasible audit work has been carried out remotely…

Publicly fundraised income fell by £92 million for the top 100 UK charities in 2018/19

The latest edition of the Top 100 Fundraisers Spotlight, published by The Fundraiser, found that publicly fundraised income fell by £92 million in 2018/19. Following the effects of coronavirus it seems that these charities should expect to face an even bumpier road ahead…

Insight and Trends

Charity Financials Income Monitor: an initiative to provide insight to charities during COVID-19

The Charity Financials Income Monitor is an initiative set up by Charity Financials to support charities during COVID-19...

Governance and Regulation

Live Webinar: Managing charity governance, operations and finance during COVID-19

Charity Financials has partnered with Ashish Patani, Director, Ashlynwood, to host the live webinar 'Dealing with the "new normal": managing charity governance, operations and finance during COVID-19'

Professional Development

Developing a data-driven strategy: an interview with Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support have been subscribers of the Charity Financials tool for more than a decade. In an interview with Charity Financials, their Research and Insight Manager, Stephen Lavery spoke about the impact that the tool has on their business and the advice he would give to new subscribers...

Insight and Trends

Fundraising trading income fell by 63% in April 2020 on the previous year

Initial research from the newly launched Charity Financials Income Monitor shows that fundraising trading income took a severe blow in the first 2 months of lockdown...

Insight and Trends

Number of charitable estates declined by 12% in 2019

According to findings from Smee & Ford’s Legacy Trends 2020 report, the number of charitable estates declined by 12% in 2019 with falling death rates and a decline in the number of Grants of Representation the main contributors...

Finance

How have Gift Aid rules changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?

As a result of the pandemic, HMRC has agreed to relax a few Gift Aid rules, with many of these changes negotiated by the Charity Tax Group...

Finance

Investing in testing times: advice and insights from Sarasin & Partners

Sarasin & Partners is a London-based asset manager that manages c£13 billion of assets on behalf of charities, institutions, intermediaries and private clients, from the UK and around the world...

Finance

How social investment transformed CCP’s business model and financial sustainability

Since 1989, CCP (Caring for Communities and People) Charity has existed to improve the lives of children, young people, families and vulnerable adults who have multiple and complex needs...

Insight and Trends

Number of UK charities closing quadrupled after the last recession — a warning for COVID-19

More than 12,000 UK charities closed after the last recession – impact of coronavirus could result in even greater losses

Finance

Managing financial challenges and protecting your mental health

The current economic environment may not only be taking a toll on your charity’s finances but also on your mental health as you attempt to consider questions such as...

Finance

Investment advice through COVID-19: an interview

Philip Young works as an Investment Manager for Close Brothers Asset Management. Amidst coronavirus uncertainty, he spoke with Charity Financials about how Close Brothers are handling the pandemic and adapting their services and advice to support their charity clients during this time...

Finance

Cash and COVID: tips for uncertain times

“Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is king”. A quote aimed at the commercial world, but just as relevant to non-profits…

Insight and Trends

Q1 2020: the quarter the world changed forever

The outbreak of the coronavirus has had a devastating impact on all of our lives. While keeping ourselves healthy is the primary concern during this period, maintaining a continuing means of income comes a very important second. Few sectors understand this more than charities, where the focus is on helping the neediest in society...

Professional Services

Adapting to COVID-19: an interview with MHA MacIntrye Hudson

Amidst the unfolding global pandemic, Chris Harris, Advisory Partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, spoke with Charity Financials about how the firm are adapting their services to continue to provide business support to charity clients, and shares his top advice tip for charities post-pandemic...

Creating fraud awareness through COVID-19

Organisations have taken swift action to comply with government guidelines over social distancing, which has led to many organisations now working remotely and establishing new ways of working...

How to be a good trustee in a period of rapid change

By the time you read this article, events in the external social and economic environment will have moved on considerably. The current pace of change means that as fast as we are thinking about how to react to a government announcement, and in the time we have implemented or even considered any actions arising, the situation has evolved again...

How social investment could help charities affected by the financial impact of COVID-19

Before the arrival of COVID-19, “impact investing” was much discussed as a new way of thinking about investment…

10 tips to handle year end during a pandemic

As charities prepare to close the financial year and step straight into a new one, the coronavirus will be impacting their organisation and how they operate in a number of ways - effecting both staff and beneficiaries. The next few weeks and months may be chaotic as organisations get used to new ways of working...

Managing charity finances amidst COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic is undoubtedly creating an increasing financial crunch on charities and their advisers...

Donor benefit rules and navigating your way through them

Against the challenging backdrop of the wider economy, it is important that charities understand and take full advantage of the tax reliefs available to them…

Adapting investment strategies in uncertain financial times

Christopher Querée is Head of Charities and Investment Director at Ruffer LLP. He has over 30 years’ investment experience, with around 10 years looking after private clients and 20 focusing on charities and endowments. In a recent interview with Charity Financials, Christopher explained the financial climate charities are facing and how they should adapt their investment strategies to suit...

Keeping on top of new financial regulatory changes in 2020

It’s crucial that charities keep up with the latest financial regulatory updates that have an impact on their audit and financial statements. However, for busy finance teams concentrating on everyday finances, it can be difficult...

A look back at the Charity Financials Leaders' Forum

Ashlynwood was one of the proud sponsors of the Charity Financials Leaders' Forum 2020 which was organised by the Charity Financials team. The event was held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London on 12 February 2020...

Charity insurance – public liability vs trustee indemnity?

Charity insurance can be complicated and knowing whether you have purchased the right cover to protect an organisation’s best interests isn’t always obvious...

2019 — a good year for charity investments

2019 has proven to be one of the most successful years on record for the investment returns of balanced discretionary charity funds. According to the latest quarterly report produced by Teknometry and the Charity Investor Group, the average annual return for the universe, now consisting of 1,296 charities, was 16.08%...

Serious incident reporting – what you need to know

The Charity Commission requires prompt, full and frank disclosures when there has been a serious incident within a charity. Because of this, trustees should familiarise themselves with the guidance provided to be able to identify these incidents, report on what has happened and report on what they are doing about them – even if a report has been made to another governing body...

Overcoming the external risks influencing charity finance today

Simon Hopkins, Director of Resources at Blind Veterans, spoke at the 2020 Charity Financials Leaders’ Forum. In advance of his session on the factors affecting charity finance, he spoke to us about his experience with these issues and the vital role of the Finance Director in overcoming them...

Financial controls: essential checks and procedures for charities

Effective internal financial controls are essential for trustees to meet their legal duties of safeguarding their charity’s assets and managing resources effectively...

How to run a charity like a business

In advance of the Charity Financials Leaders' Forum, Colin Kerr, Finance Director at The Children's Trust, spoke to us about the challenges faced by today’s FD in reaching the goal of running a charity like a business...

Safeguarding: a continuous system of review, action and improvement

The Charity Commission recommends that “safeguarding should be a key governance priority for all charities” and that safeguarding policies, procedures and culture should be reviewed at least once a year...

Charity income grew by £4.3bn in 2018

The 2019 Charity Financials Income Spotlight report, in partnership with Charles Stanley, explores the income trends faced by all charities registered in England and Wales between 2008 and 2018...

How trustees can better manage charity finance

Trustees’ Week is an annual event that showcases the work trustees are responsible for and any highlights any opportunities to get involved and make a difference...

An analysis of UK charity investment performance

In 2017, Teknometry, in conjunction with the Charity Investors Group established the Teknometry CIG Charity Fund Universe, to provide a representative peer group for the analysis of UK charity investment performance...

How can charities fight against fraud?

In 2017 the Annual Fraud Indicator estimated that charity fraud costs the sector £2.3 billion a year. A figure that has now risen to £2.5 billion in the 2019 report...

6 steps to prepare for your next financial audit

Audits can be a stressful time for any organisation. Even if your records are completely blemish-free, the experience can still be taxing. This is heightened if you’re a charitable non-profit and your future funding depends on it...

Don’t leave your fraud response in a drawer

It’s Charity Fraud Awareness Week between 21st-25th October. This annual event aims to raise awareness on fraud in charities and demonstrate the ways to combat it...

Charities: key strategies for financial sustainability

At times of political or economic instability, it’s imperative for charities to be financially sustainable in the long term. However, weathering storms isn’t always that simple, something that the Charities Aid Foundation understand...

Trustees: how resilient is your charity?

To deliver their key duties, trustees must continuously consider the long-term resilience of their charity, by identifying any critical issues around financial resilience and solvency, as well as the resilience of its purpose, plans and governance...

The importance of donor data (and how to keep it secure)

Regular analysis of your charity’s donor data is invaluable. The collection and maintenance of it is something that needs to be carefully considered by members of every charity’s management team...

Managing conflicts of interest—what do trustees need to do?

Often seen as a ‘tick-box’ exercise, trustees should remind themselves of the importance of declaring and managing conflicts of interests, not only to maintain public trust, but to ensure compliance with the legal responsibility to act only in the best interests of the charity...

How can charities assure their risks are properly managed?

All charity boards need confirmation that their key risks are constantly being identified and managed, but how can they be assured that these risks are managed properly and effectively?

Investing for the greater good

Many charity and pension trustees, and some individual investors, are asking if they can use their investment portfolios to make the world a better place. The answer to this is yes, however in today’s complex interconnected world, tough decisions must be made...

How digital accounting software can help charities improve financial transparency

A recent report from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) highlighted how public trust in charities is in decline. Topical news of the misconduct of some well-known charities has fueled concerns...

Good and bad practice in the stewardship of long-term endowments

As an increasing number of UK charities seek to invest more responsibly and address environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues through their endowment portfolios, it seems right to ask if they are getting what they want from the asset management industry...

Managing your income: how to navigate a smooth and steady course

A surge in equity markets since early January means portfolios have performed strongly in the first half of 2019. However, at Sarasin we believe that it is best to prepare for stormy conditions when the waters are calm, and that it is much easier to ensure one’s vessel is truly watertight when the sun is shining and time is on your side...

How the social investment market is maturing

The UK has one of the world’s fastest growing social investment markets. Figures from Big Society Capital show that by the end of 2017 the UK social investment market was worth over £2.3 billion, spread across approximately 4,000 transactions...

The impact of digital on face-to-face fundraising

The 2019 Top 100 Fundraisers Spotlight report highlights that income growth to UK charities has been on a downward trajectory since 2014/15 and raises concern that this might continue into the next period...

A Case for Support: 6 steps to increase your charity’s income

Data published in the 2019 Charity Financials Income Spotlight report exemplifies how the income growth of 157,995 UK charities has slowed in recent years, spiking at 9.6% growth in 2014, before reducing to just 4.4% growth in 2017 and 5.8% in 2018...

Charity management and shared responsibility

Fundraising – what is the trustee responsible for?

Whether charity trustees manage fundraising themselves or delegate it to others, they remain legally responsible and accountable and must ensure diligent oversight of all activity...

Why support is key to helping charities maximise their investment returns

In January 2019, a report from the National Voluntary Council Organisation (NCVO) warned that charities should expect a difficult financial year and that a combination of factors, including ongoing Brexit negotiations, tight government budgets and a slow economy would continue to add pressure on beneficiaries and front-line services…

43% of charities have not changed auditor in the last 10 years

The latest Charity Financials Audit Spotlight report uncovers the landscape of auditors used by the top 5,000 UK charities between 2017 and 2018. It also analyses the current fees by income band and highlights the top auditors used by charities today…

What questions should trustees ask about finance?

As a trustee, your role involves keeping on top of the legal and regulatory sides of an organisation, just as much as the financial. While finance is my day job, and one that I truly love, I know that for most trustees the thought of poring over accounts is not what draws them to the role. But what does it take to become a good trustee?

5 fundraising trends for 2019 and beyond

In the last few years, fundraisers have had to fight against the unknown impact of Brexit, increased media scrutiny, a reduction in government funding and much harder competition…

Making business decisions amidst uncertainty

New world disorder?

‘There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes “What the hell is water?”’ – David Foster Wallace, This Is Water, 2005

VAT made simple for charities

Most businesses charge VAT on all of their sales and recover VAT on just about all purchases. However, charities are different and face complicated scenarios when it comes to VAT, with only some of their income taxable. This means that only part of the VAT they incur is recoverable...

Overcoming the top 5 challenges in preparing your annual report

Preparing charity accounts and an annual report are requirements for most registered charities and the reporting requirements are much more detailed than those of equivalent sized companies...

Trustees: 6 ways to maintain a strong rapport with your non-charity entities

As part of its continued work to improve public confidence in the sector, in March 2019 the Charity Commission published new guidance on how trustees should manage their connections with non-charities...

Why culture and finance go hand in hand

Public trust in charities has declined in recent years and ensuring a charity has the right culture is becoming increasingly important. Having a good culture can be the bedrock of financial performance, reputation and governance…

So, one of the trustees wants us to consider internal audit…

Board members come from all walks of life, with different skills and life experiences, many of which will have worked in organisations where governance was paramount and internal audit was a key element of providing comfort…

The Brexit effect: 5 ways to achieve financial sustainability

Voluntary sector organisations continue to face increased demand for their services against a backdrop of funding challenges, shrinking public sector budgets and local authority cuts. And the Brexit effect is compounding the situation…

Off payroll working rules: what charities need to prepare for

Off payroll working will be a major change for larger charities when it is introduced in April 2020. It will mean that those charities will have new responsibilities to pay PAYE and national insurance (and apprenticeship levy where appropriate) where a personal service company is engaged...

How will making tax digital affect charities?

HMRC are introducing the new Making Tax Digital (MTD) system in order to make it easier for businesses and individuals to submit accurate records of their tax affairs…

Spring Statement 2019: what does it mean for charities?

Ashleigh Milson, Campaigns and Public Affairs Manager at the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), delves into how the Chancellor’s Spring Statement could impact the charity sector…

6 ways to protect your charity's reputation

Kids Company, RSPCA, Oxfam. We can all think of scandals and governance issues that have rocked the charitable sector...

The auditors are coming…

Is that your heart sinking I can hear? Impending doom? You really don’t have the time? We know, as auditors we are subjected to our own institute audit review and annual independent compliance review so we can emphasise. However, we can’t avoid it, and neither can charities – let’s call it a necessary evil!

6 new principles for grant reporting

‘Bureaucratic, time-consuming and misunderstood.’ That was the verdict of a group of charity funders and grantees that recently attended a series of workshops to discuss the state of grant reporting in the UK...

How to raise funds through social investment

Charities and social enterprises have a greater need for capital than ever before and social investment can help to plug the gap…

Charity trustee reports: transparency vs length

The changes that SORP 2015 brought to the Trustees' Report have been bedding in for the last few years. Transparency and balance were the requirements, although achieving that is not as clear as those changes that required a mere disclosure…

Charities and contractors: the tax changes you need to know about

New tax legislation which comes into force in April 2020 addresses the use of contractors using personal service companies…

3 ways leaders of NGOs can tackle the weak pound

Here's how those responsible for financial management of an organisation, exposed to currency fluxuations, can safeguard against future hits...

How to start a major gifts programme

Active engagement with potential major donors is essential as the number of high value donations to the charity sector continues to increase…

10 tax-free benefits that the charity sector can provide to staff

Tax is levied on pay and on many expenses and benefits provided to staff. Most will know about pensions and childcare and cycle schemes, but there are other less well known and less often provided benefits that could make a real difference to your staff’s financial, physical and mental wellbeing...

Q&A with Jo Keaney, Director of Finance and Corporate Services at St John Ambulance

Jo Keaney discusses the collective responsibility of managing finances within an organisation, the challenges of ensuring GDPR compliance and how the social impact evaluation process is evolving for charities…

3 ways to measure your charity’s investment performance

Charities have different objectives when it comes to investments and this will be reflected in their differing investment policies. However, all charities should be looking at similar measurements to determine the overall performance of the fund…

6 things to consider before adopting new payment methods

When deliberating the adoption of any new payment method, there are a number of issues that charity finance teams will need to consider to ensure they bring benefits rather than headaches...

In conversation with Martin Miles, Chief Financial Officer at the British Heart Foundation

Martin explains the challenge of gift aid, the importance of improvement over perfection and the necessity of shining a light on risk mitigation practices within the charity sector…

How to avoid corporation tax traps in the charity sector

Charities benefit from favourable tax reliefs and exemptions; however, you must first qualify for them. This is especially the case for corporation tax. If you do not qualify for it, you’re in danger of facing an unexpected tax bill…

4 red flags of insider fraud in charities

Insider fraud is a growing issue in the charity sector. The Charity Commission estimates that over a third of all frauds are internal, committed by staff, volunteers and trustees and it fears these figures are just the tip of the iceberg…

UK charities’ top 3 banks revealed

The latest Charity Financials Banking Spotlight report finds that the three most popular banks used by the UK’s top 5,000 charities in the last financial year were Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds…

Charities increase cash levels by half a billion pounds

A new report from Charity Financials reveals that in 2017-18 charity cash levels exceeded £16.7 billion, a considerable growth on the £16.2bn reported in the previous financial year…

Top 3 charity investment managers revealed

The 2018 Charity Financials Investment Spotlight report found that the three investment management firms which made the greatest charity client gains in the last financial year were Rathbones, Cazenove and CCLA...

Charity investment income hits 10-year high

The 2018 Charity Financials Investment Spotlight report finds that charities have recorded the highest level of income from investments in a decade; a trend that is expected to continue into 2019...

In conversation with Bill Cunningham, Chief Operating Officer at Plan International UK

Bill discusses the size and complexity of restricted awards, why VAT fails to put a spring in his step and suggests that donor compliance and expectations might be the biggest challenges facing the sector…

10 Gift Aid bear traps for the charity sector

Gift Aid is a great boon to many organisations in the charity sector but when things go wrong it can be very expensive when HMRC Gift Aid auditors pounce...

4 steps to developing your charity’s reserves policy

Charities need a clear understanding of their income streams and their risk profile to develop an intelligent reserves policy…

7 approaches to help investment portfolios withstand volatility

It is always critical to plan ahead for outcomes that might throw investment portfolios off course. Strategic defenses can be deployed well ahead of upsets, while tactical flexibility should help navigate specific market scenarios.

Charity corporation tax: the 10 rules you need to know

Corporation tax poses significant challenge to charities of all sizes – here are some of the common bear traps and how to avoid them…

4 reasons why 360˚ data will benefit your charity’s donor retention

By using a joined-up approach to data, charities can boost loyalty and retention…

How can charities yield better investment outcomes?

As funding from other sources continues to be squeezed, it is essential for charities to implement a transparent and comprehensive investment policy that balances risk and reward...

How to set your charity’s investment objectives

A charity’s investment objectives should form an integral part of its strategy and explain why the charity holds these funds as it does…

Preparing charity accounts / managing money

Preparing charity accounts: 6 important considerations

Charity accounts can be a bit of mystery, even to accounting experts. But what will a good set of accounts contain? And what makes charity accounts different?

Corporate partnerships: How risky are they for your brand?

For charities, partnerships with companies can be an attractive proposition. At their best, they can offer high profile awareness-boosting campaigns, strategic support and/or large amounts of cash. At their worst however, they can be directionless, low-value or even damaging to the charities involved…

More legators now leave gifts in Wills to overseas aid and the environment

Early evidence from Smee & Ford’s five-year legacy trends report suggests that the emerging population of legators are leaving more gifts to environmental and overseas aid organisations than ever before…

Lloyds Bank Foundation: Investing in charities

As part of its response to the Civil Society Strategy consultation, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales brought together leading sector organisations to highlight their key priorities for a new strategy. Caroline Howe, Policy and National Programmes Manager at Lloyds Bank Foundation tells Charity Financials Insider why…