Latest blogs
When Excel Is Enough, and When It Isn’t
One of the things I’ve come to recognise over the years is that financial challenges in charities rarely arrive suddenly, rather they build quietly. Often, by the time they are visible to everyone — at board level, in the accounts, or in the bank balance, they’ve been...
7 Finance Red Flags Small Charities Shouldn’t Ignore
One of the things I’ve come to recognise over the years is that financial challenges in charities rarely arrive suddenly, rather they build quietly. Often, by the time they are visible to everyone — at board level, in the accounts, or in the bank balance, they’ve been...
What ‘Proportionate’ Really Means in Charity Finance (and Why It Matters)
In charity finance, the word "proportionate" appears often. It appears in guidance. It comes up in conversations with auditors and independent examiners. It is often mentioned when trustees ask what is required and what is simply considered good practice. But...
Cashflow vs Surplus: The Difference That Trips Up Trustees Every Time
You can almost predict the moment. The finance report is presented.The surplus is mentioned.The figures look reasonable. And then someone says something that reveals a deeper tension. “If we’ve made a surplus… why does it still feel tight?”Or, “We’ve got money in the...
Budgets That Boards Can Actually Use (Not Just Approve)
There’s a moment that happens in many board meetings. The Treasurer presents the budget.There are a few questions.A comment about how tight things look. Then someone says:“Are we happy to approve?” Hands go up.The budget is approved. But here’s the question that...
Why Good Bookkeeping Is the Foundation of Strong Charity Governance
Good governance isn’t built at board meetings. It’s built quietly, month by month, in the numbers. Yet bookkeeping is often treated as a back-office task, something to “sort out later,” or something that only matters when the year-end accounts are due. In reality,...
SORP 2026 Is Here: What Charities Need to Know (Without the Overwhelm)
If your charity uses restricted funds, relies on grants, or even just wants to keep things tidy for your trustees, then the new SORP 2026, published in October 2025, will affect you. Before you sigh or tense up at the thought of “another set of changes”, here’s a bit...
Budgeting for Projects vs. Core Costs: Getting the Balance Right
Many small charities thrive on project grants — but struggle to cover the core costs that keep everything running. In this post, we explore how to budget for both, build in full cost recovery, and keep your organisation sustainable, not just busy.
Budget Like a Board Member: What Nonprofit Leaders Can Learn from Personal Finance
We talk a lot about keeping charity finances separate from personal ones; and rightly so! But sometimes, the best lessons about managing a charity’s money come from the everyday wins (and mistakes) we make in our personal finances. Whether you’re leading a small...