As 2026 starts, there are many challenges facing finance leaders, but CFG's Finance Leaders' Group is helping to address these head on. We spoke to the group's Chair, Jon King, to find out more about how the group has helped finance leaders to support each other and what his hopes are for the group in the year ahead.
Senior finance roles in charities can be surprisingly lonely. As remote and hybrid working becomes the norm, the opportunities for spontaneous collaboration, informal advice-sharing, and the kind of peer support that makes difficult decisions feel more manageable have diminished. For finance leaders navigating an increasingly complex landscape, from AI integration to tightening budgets, that isolation can feel particularly acute.
This is precisely the gap that CFG's Finance Leaders' Group was designed to fill, and in 2025 the group demonstrated just how vital that mission has become.
According to Jon King, who chairs the group, last year was marked by substantive, timely discussions that reflected the sector's most pressing challenges. The group covered the integration of AI into charitable operations, effective financial reporting to boards, and hosted a session led by the CEO of the Charity Commission on current regulatory updates and sector challenges.
Throughout the year, the group was home to practical, grounded conversations among peers facing similar pressures. What makes the group work, Jon explains, is its close-knit, collegiate nature.
"Finance Leaders’ Group is a network united by a genuine commitment to supporting one another and making a positive difference across the charity sector," he says. The forum provides space for sharing best practice and practical advice, particularly valuable for colleagues who are completely new to the charity sector and navigating unfamiliar terrain.
The context in which these finance leaders are operating has grown noticeably more challenging. Jon has observed a shift over the past year: finance leaders, particularly in small charities, are managing rising operational costs and tightening funding while simultaneously being expected to maintain efficient, high-quality operations and keep pace with innovation. Time and resources are stretched thin, forcing difficult decisions about priorities and timing.
Across the sector, budgets remain constrained. Funding is increasingly difficult to secure, and the pressure to demonstrate strong value for money has intensified. Maintaining high-quality financial operations within these tightening parameters continues to be one of the most significant challenges facing the profession.
Yet CFG’s Finance Leaders’ Group offers something increasingly rare and valuable: a trusted network that provides peer support across a wide range of topics, not limited to finance alone.
Jon describes it as fostering "a strong sense of belonging" and offering "a safe, collaborative space for discussion, brainstorming, and problem-solving." For professionals who might otherwise feel isolated in their roles, this sense of community matters.
Looking ahead to 2026, the group has an ambitious agenda. Jon is keen to build on last year's success, with plans to welcome a different guest speaker at each of the four scheduled meetings throughout the year. The challenge, he notes, will be surpassing the high standard set by 2025's sessions.
“We plan to welcome a different guest speaker at each of our four scheduled meetings throughout the year”, Jon explains. Key topics on the horizon for the group include continued monitoring of AI developments, cybersecurity and fraud prevention.
Additionally, Jon highlights that discussions around affordable and effective finance systems for smaller charities, deserve sustained attention as this remains a persistent challenge for many.
For Jon, chairing the group is a privilege made possible by the invaluable support of the CFG team, particularly Zoe Bennett, CFG’s Membership Engagement Manager. But the real value lies in what members bring to one another: expertise, empathy, and a shared commitment to strengthening the charity sector.
For finance professionals considering joining in 2026, Jon's message is straightforward: do it! New members are warmly welcomed and gain access not only to this supportive network but to the full range of CFG benefits, including expert helplines.
More importantly, they join a community genuinely committed to helping one another navigate the complexities of charity finance with greater confidence and less isolation.
In an environment where the challenges are mounting and the margins for error are shrinking, that kind of peer support is essential.
If you're interested in joining CFG's Finance Leaders' Group, email our membership team and they will guide you through the process.