Charity Finance Group

Charity Finance Group
Name	Charity Finance Group
Formation	1987
Type	Charity membership body
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive

Charity Finance Group is a United Kingdom-based membership body for finance, resource and charity professionals working within the voluntary sector. It supports financial leadership across charities, non-profits and social enterprises through training, guidance, events and policy engagement. The organisation connects practitioners with regulators, funders and specialist advisers to strengthen financial resilience and accountability.

History

Founded in 1987, the organisation emerged during a period of reform and scrutiny affecting the charitable sector, intersecting with debates involving the Charities Act 1960, Charities Act 1993, and subsequent Charities Act 2006. Early engagement placed it alongside groups such as NCVO, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and professional bodies like Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Its development mirrored sector responses to large-scale events including the aftermath of the National Lottery launch and shifts in funding from statutory bodies such as Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care. Over time it has interacted with regulatory institutions including the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Office for Civil Society.

Mission and Activities

The organisation's mission focuses on strengthening financial stewardship, risk management and sustainable income for charities and third-sector bodies. Activities include capacity building that complements standards promoted by Financial Reporting Council, links with auditing practices from Grant Thornton and Mazars, and guidance consistent with reporting frameworks influenced by International Financial Reporting Standards where applicable for non-profit reporting. It runs conferences and seminars that have featured speakers from bodies like Big Lottery Fund, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, and academic centres such as the Cass Business School and London School of Economics. Collaborative initiatives have involved partnerships with networks including Social Investment Scotland, Nesta, and regional infrastructure bodies like the Greater London Authority and County voluntary councils.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises finance directors, chief executives, trustees and resource managers from organisations ranging from local community foundations to national charities such as British Red Cross, Oxfam, RSPCA, Cancer Research UK and Shelter (charity). Governance structures reflect trustee boards and executive leadership interacting with external stakeholders including auditors from PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and legal advisers with expertise in charity law such as firms linked to the Law Society of England and Wales. It operates working groups and committees that echo models found in membership bodies like Federation of Small Businesses and Chartered Institute of Fundraising. Regional chapters and specialist networks mirror arrangements used by organisations such as YouthLink UK and FaithAction.

Policy and Advocacy

The body advocates on fiscal policy, regulatory clarity and funding practices affecting the sector, engaging with ministers and civil servants in departments such as the Treasury, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and devolved administrations including the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. It responds to consultations from regulators like the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and international policy dialogues involving European Commission initiatives on social finance. Campaign topics have included transparency standards comparable to debates around the Public Accounts Committee and tax policy interactions with the HM Revenue and Customs. It co-authors briefings and evidence submissions alongside networks such as Civil Society Europe, Charity Trustees Network, and university research units including the Birmingham Business School.

Training, Publications, and Resources

The organisation provides accredited training, online courses and practical toolkits for finance and governance professionals. Resources include model documents akin to templates produced by Institute of Fundraising guidance, forecasting tools resonant with work from Joseph Rowntree Foundation research, and sector reports paralleling studies by NCVO and Resolution Foundation. It publishes briefings, case studies and annual surveys that inform trustees and finance teams, drawing on methodologies used by think tanks such as King's Fund, IPPR and The Smith Institute. Training events have been held in venues associated with institutions like Royal Society and academic partners including University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters attribute improvements in financial governance, risk awareness and reporting quality to the organisation's work, citing case examples from charities such as Mind (charity), Age UK and Save the Children. Impact assessments reference links with improved audit practices promoted by firms like BDO LLP and advisory inputs used by trustees in national campaigns including those led by Amnesty International and Greenpeace. Criticism has occasionally arisen over representativeness, with commentators comparing its reach to that of broader umbrella bodies like NCVO and questioning whether its policy positions align sufficiently with smaller grassroots organisations and debates involving Mutuals or community interest companies such as those exemplified by Big Issue Invest. Other critiques mirror sector-wide tensions addressed in investigations by the National Audit Office and inquiries into charity accountability.

Category:Charity sector in the United Kingdom Category:Non-profit organisations based in London