CFG Annual Conference 2026

Content TBD

This panel discussion will explore how charities can balance transformation with risk, ensuring that new digital systems, online services, and data-driven tools are secure by design. The session will examine the most common cyber threats facing charities today, how digital change can increase exposure to risk, and the practical steps organisations can take to strengthen their cyber defences. Attendees will gain actionable insights into managing cyber security as a core component of digital strategy, safeguarding data, services, and the trust of supporters and beneficiaries.

Panellists: 

Paul Salter, Senior Information Security Consultant, Smartdesc

Steve Cross, Group Technical Director, PIB Insurance Brokers

Move beyond traditional grant funding and discover how collaborative commissioning can drive truly sustainable impact. This session offers a guide to co-producing contracts with multiple partners, from cost modelling and partnership bids to demonstrating measurable outcomes. You’ll get actionable strategies to unlock new funding opportunities, strengthen partnerships, and build sustainable futures through collaborative approaches.

Lisa Cowley, Chief Executive, Beacon Centre for the Blind

Reserves can be one of the trickiest and most debated areas of charity finance, balancing the tension between maintaining security and maximising impact. This session will discuss practical tools to create a robust Free Reserves Policy that aligns with your charity’s liquidity needs and risk profile, while reducing subjectivity and internal debate. Explore how to navigate the interaction between free reserves, designated funds, and fixed asset reserves, and gain insights into making confident, strategic decisions that protect your organisation while enabling mission-focused investment.

Chris Fyfe, Executive Director Finance, The Stroke Association

This session will explore how charities can embed the right risk culture across their organisation, ensuring that risk awareness is part of day-to-day decision making at every level. The discussion will focus on how leadership, values, and organisational culture influence effective risk management in practice. Attendees will leave with practical insights on creating a positive, people-centred risk culture that supports confident decision making and long-term sustainability.

Naziar Hashemi, Partner, Head of Social Purpose & Non Profit Organisations and Richard Evans, Partner, Crowe UK LLP

In a world marked by economic and geopolitical shifts, investment markets are expected to remain volatile through 2026. How can charities safeguard their investment portfolios and continue to deliver on their missions? Join HSBC Private Bank for an informative session exploring market trends and steps to strengthen your portfolio resilience.

Sophie Ward, Head of Charities and Education, and Jonathan Sparks, Chief Investment Officer, HSBC Private Bank

Implementing a new finance system is a major milestone, but the real impact emerges over time. Three years after go-live, Comic Relief shares what only hindsight reveals: how digital transformation reshaped efficiency, reporting, and decision-making. This session offers practical insights into sustaining benefits, avoiding pitfalls, and driving long-term value. Attendees will gain honest insights into what worked, what didn’t, and strategies to maximise technology investments for mission-driven success.

Neil Wildy, PM Manager, Xledger UK

Bex McGann, Head of Finance, Comic Relief

This panel explores how organisations can embed sustainable finance into decision-making, investment, and day-to-day operations. Panellists will share insights on integrating purpose with financial governance and discuss practical approaches to ethical giving, responsible investment, and embedding sustainability at all levels of a charity. Attendees will leave with strategies to balance mission and financial performance, turning sustainability from a principle into practice.

Panellists: 

Daniel Chan MBE, Partner, PwC

Tracy Elliott, Assistant Director Sustainability, Arthritis UK

This session will encourage Charity Executives and Trustees to consider their financial assets and how they can make them work as hard as they can for them in the support of beneficiaries both today and in the future. It will consider current guidance on such matters and the different approaches necessary for grant making and fundraising organisations. Investing for income versus the development of a sustainable drawdown strategy will be considered. Ultimately it will demonstrate that through careful consideration and planning, your investments can help drive even greater impact in the support of your charitable objectives.

Lynne Lamont, Head of Charities, RBC Brewin Dolphin

Take your Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) impact to the next level. This session will show you how to inspire and empower colleagues, influence decision-making, and champion a culture of inclusion across your organisation. Learn practical strategies to demonstrate empathetic, productive behaviours that drive real change and help shape EDI strategy from the ground up. Attendees will leave energised with actionable tools to make inclusion a tangible, everyday part of their workplace.

Keren Caird, Retail Gift Aid and Data Compliance Manager, Sue Ryder

Learn how a prominent, operationally conservative, and slow-to-adapt organisation shifted away from 'traditional' risk management methods to a new approach for identifying, assessing, and managing risk across its diverse and extensive programming. The journey wasn't always straightforward, but it was definitely worth taking.

Sabrina Segal, Director, The Risk Collaborative and Gilly Conway, Head of Enterprise Risk Management, Save the Children UK

Panellists:

Hobby Dean, Senior Solutions Consultant, Sage

Discover how IPPF’s Global Competency Centre (GCC) has driven a digital-led finance transformation, moving from fragmented, country-specific processes to a unified, “glocalised” model that centralises expertise while preserving local flexibility. This session will explore how harmonised systems, standardised processes, and digital innovation have improved collaboration, efficiency, and decision-making across the organisation. Attendees will see how the GCC has enhanced knowledge sharing, optimised data use, and built a scalable, agile model that supports both global priorities and local contexts.

Varun Anand, Director, Finance & Technology, and Bhawna Bisht, Head of Hub-Finance, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

As traditional funding streams come under pressure, charity finance teams are playing a growing role in building more resilient income strategies. This session explores how philanthropy can be used not just as an additional income source, but as a strategic tool for long-term funding diversification. Attendees will gain insight into the changing philanthropic landscape, the financial implications of major donors and trusts, and how finance leaders can strengthen forecasting, governance, and return on investment, while balancing unrestricted philanthropic income with other funding models.

Diccon Thornely, Audit Partner, HW Fisher

Sujit Peris, charity sector consultant

New Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension schemes could offer the opportunity of improved member outcomes, and for charities to provide better value pensions than more traditional options.  In this session, we’ll explain why CDC could offer higher pensions for the same spend, why the Church of England is exploring CDC for its future pensions and how a charity’s employees could benefit. The outcome of the Verity court case (a key pensions court case affecting many charities) is expected in Q1 2026. LCP will also explain the ruling, and steps charities could take in response.

Mike Richardson, Partner, LCP

Change is a constant in the charity sector, and effective leadership is key to navigating uncertainty while keeping teams motivated and aligned with mission. This panel brings together senior leaders from across the sector to share their experiences of leading through transformation. From managing organisational culture and fostering resilience to making strategic decisions under pressure, attendees will gain practical insights and real-world examples of how strong leadership can turn change into opportunity and drive lasting impact.

Panellists: 

Alison Taylor, CEO, CAF Bank

Olaide Olunloyo, Head Finance, Jesus House

Drawing on recent work with charities navigating complex change, Pesh Framjee reframes governance as both “hardware” (structures, schemes of delegation, and frameworks) and “software” (culture, behaviours, decision-making and mindset). This session explores how many organisations can move from the current “as is” to the desired “to be” state by strengthening governance practice, clarity and behaviours within existing structures, rather than rebuilding them entirely. Through practical examples, lessons learned and simple governance-focused methodologies, attendees will gain insight into what has worked, what to avoid, and how boards and executives can enable effective change, better oversight and sustainable impact.

Pesh Framjee, Social Purpose and Non Profit Consultant and Special Advisor to the Charity Finance Group

This session explores the often-overlooked factors that determine whether a finance system truly succeeds—focusing on how to choose the right technology partner from the outset. Drawing on real experience, we’ll share candid insights into the challenges Quakers in Britain inherited post-implementation and the qualities, behaviours and sector understanding they now consider essential in a partner. Attendees will learn the key questions to ask, the red flags to spot and the conditions that support a strong, collaborative partner relationship.

Nicole Hill, Business Central Product Strategist, ForGood.tech and Ayman Sharabi, Head of IT, Quakers in Britain

Are charity leaders in fundraising, marketing, and finance always on the same page when it comes to growth and investment? This session explores how charities can break down silos to build financial resilience and make confident decisions about when to save and when to spend. Chaired by a charity trustee, the discussion brings together Martin, an investment consultant, and Tobin, a fundraising consultant, to examine the benefits of both fundraising and investing, and how to balance short-term needs with long-term sustainability.

Martin Mercer, Head of Charitable Trusts, Cartwright; Tobin Aldrich, Partner, AAW; Dinesh Visavadia, Director, Independent Trustee Services

The release of SORP 2026 brings significant changes to charity accounting, reporting, and governance, and staying ahead is essential. This panel discussion brings together experts from across the sector to provide a technical deep dive into the new SORP requirements. The session will cover practical implications for statutory accounts, reporting on sustainability and ESG metrics, and how to ensure compliance while making the most of digital tools and systems. Attendees will gain expert guidance, real-world examples, and actionable strategies to navigate the updated SORP with confidence.

Panellists:

Sarah Broad & Elliot Trevithick, COO & Principal, NPC

Androulla Kazamias, Tax Director, RSM

Suzanne Goldsmith, Partner, Price Bailey

Alder Hey Children’s Charity has placed people at the heart of its strategy, resulting in remarkable growth, with income doubling over five years. The charity focused on supporting staff through initiatives such as introducing a four-day working week and enhancing its employee value proposition. These strategies have driven higher productivity, improved retention, reduced sickness absence, and contributed to overall organisational success. By embracing a flexible and balanced approach to work, Alder Hey has created a thriving, fulfilling environment for employees while sustaining growth and delivering long-term impact.

Sarah Fletcher, COO, Alder Hey Children's Charity

This session will cover legal responsibilities around going concern, how to determine financial health through scenario planning and reverse stress testing, and the guidance and support available to charity finance professionals. It will explore when and why to seek external support, highlighting the benefits of early intervention, and will provide an overview of the CFG Financial Difficulties Helpline. We’ll share practical advice and real-world insights to help charities navigate financial challenges confidently.

Sudhir Singh, Partner, and James Mackie, Restructuring and Recovery Director, MHA

Lord Victor Adebowale