Northern Conference

Governance and Trustees

HR and Talent Management

Investment

In-person event

The CFG Northern Conference brings together charity finance professionals for a focused day of insight, practical learning and peer connection. Through expert panels, interactive sessions and real-world case studies, we will explore financial benchmarking, collaboration, and AI.

Why should I attend?

Please see the full programme below, but as a summary we will be covering:

Financial benchmarking
Collaboration and partnerships
Maximising your use of AI and tech with limited resources

When and where?

Thursday 14 May
09:00-14:00
Location: 1 George Leigh St, Manchester M4 5DL

How do I book?

Book below. You'll receive updated event information approximately one week prior to the event date.

Who should attend?

This event is appropriate for whole finance departments including Finance directors, managers and accountants, as well as Leadership Teams in the North.

About CFG events and membership

Becoming a CFG member gives you access to exclusive benefits including event discounts, so find out more about CFG Membership before you book. Association of Independent Museums members can register for free CFG membership through our partnership.

CFG events, training and members' meetings can count towards your continuous professional development (CPD), and this event could provide you with 3 hours of CPD. For more details contact your association or email events@cfg.org.uk.

Book now

Event Details

Individual - Members
£88.00

Corporate - Members
£221.00

Charities - Non-members
£131.00

Charities - Members
£88.00

Charities - Members
£66.00

Itinerary

Speaker

Sarah Lomax

Sarah is Co-CEO and joined CFG in August 2020 to lead the Commercial Services directorate. She is responsible for business development, partnerships, design and delivery of the events programme, membership and marketing.

Speaker

Naziar Hashemi

Naziar is Head of Social Purpose and Non Profits, based in London. Naziar joined Crowe in September 2008 from a Big Four Firm as a specialist non profits partner. In addition to providing assurance services she also provides advisory services to a range of charities.

In this session, Leeds Mind shares how collaborative financial benchmarking across the wider Mind network helped uncover significant cost-saving opportunities. By conducting a comprehensive review of expenditure and working openly with peer organisations to compare key cost areas — including IT, telephony, insurance, utilities and staffing structures — the team established meaningful benchmarks that drove action. The result was renewed supplier scrutiny, smarter procurement decisions, and substantial year-on-year savings. This session will demonstrate how benchmarking can create urgency, strengthen financial leadership, and unlock efficiencies while maintaining service quality.

Effective collaboration is essential for charities navigating rising demand and limited resources. This session explores how to build purposeful partnerships that go beyond good intentions, helping organisations share expertise, pool capacity, and strengthen their collective voice. Attendees will gain practical insight into creating equitable collaborations, sustaining cross-sector relationships, and ensuring partnerships deliver meaningful outcomes for communities as well as long-term organisational resilience.

AI and digital tools are rapidly transforming how charities operate, but many organisations face barriers around capacity, cost, and confidence. This session explores practical ways to adopt AI and technology to reduce administrative burden, improve insight, and enhance service delivery without overwhelming teams. Attendees will discover realistic tools, ethical considerations, and low-cost approaches that help charities work more efficiently while staying focused on mission and impact.