26 August 2011
The charity sector faces diverse and sometimes highly complex issues where using external help can often be the quickest and more effective solution. We therefore offer a selection of consultancy services which have been devised especially for charities.
There are many demands on the sector to improve its financial reporting. Drivers include the need for close financial contact in tight budgetary situations and changing fund requirements. High quality financial reporting combined with appropriate measurement can greatly improve performance.
Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction of the charity, although it is often the management who are responsible for the detailed work. It is important that charities produce robust strategic plans supported by effective operational plans. You may need help to improve or set up your planning systems, or help in critiquing and accrediting your plans.
Effective governance of charities is vital to meet the challenges in the sector. It encompasses a range of subjects from evaluation of the composition of trustee boards and committee structures to reporting to the trustees. A review of your governance arrangements may prove very valuable.
Comparisons with other similar organisations can indicate areas for improvement. You may wish to have assistance in benchmarking your activities and then help with improving your performance in weaker areas. We have considerable experience of undertaking benchmarking exercises.
Change in the Finance Department or elsewhere in the organisation always presents major challenges. We can assist you with managing change effectively as well as advising on what changes would be most valuable. In particular, we can review the efficiency and effectiveness of your finance department.
Mergers are on the increase in the sector and there are many areas to consider together with due diligence to carry out. You may require our assistance to ensure the right areas are considered and that the due diligence is appropriate and properly performed.
Many charities are considering whether they need an internal function and how to
set it up. This requires consideration of the benefits of an internal audit function,
the resources required and the various options for the service provision. We provide internal audit services and ad hoc reviews as required. We have experience in providing these services to both large and small charities.
We have much experience in assisting clients in dealing with the Charity Commission, for example in obtaining schemes or assisting with enquiries. Our approach is pragmatic and focused on results.
Whilst risk assessment has been good practice for many years, there are many charities who are not getting the full benefit from the process and where the process perhaps needs reconsideration. This involves looking at best practice, assessing your methodology and considering how the process can be made most effective and beneficial to the organisation rather than a mere paper exercise.
Getting the right people in your finance team is vital. We can assist you with the interview and recruitment process to help ensure the best decision is reached.
Measuring the performance of your charity is important for both external reporting and to influence future activities. This requires identifying the main measures and establishing the reporting framework.
Our consultancy services are delivered by our charity specialists who are as follows:
· our charity specialist partners and managers. We have a group of nine partners and eleven managers who work extensively in the charity sector but who also have wider experience to draw on. A number of them also work in the sector as Trustees.
· our dedicated consultant, Les Jones OBE. Les has worked in the charity sector for many years, most recently as Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Services for WWF. He was also deputy chair of CFDG, a board member of the Charities Consortium and is a treasurer of a number of charities. He recently chaired the CFDG committee which issued their report on inputs. Les can therefore bring his first hand experience of the charities sector to assist with your issues.
newsletter sign up
If you would like to be included on our mailing list to receive regular updates,
please take a few minutes to fill in our newsletter
sign up.