IT, technology and digital

The perfect storm for charities - and a survival plan
18 October 2024
Simon Leicester poses some questions that may be affecting many charities in the sector, and also provides some potential solutions. By implementing these strategies, Simon argues that charities can improve ...

Smartdesc Charity Technology Leaders Report 2024: Key themes and calls to action
10 October 2024
From January to March 2024, CFG partner and charity IT specialists Smartdesc conducted its annual survey of charity technology leaders to understand the sector’s priorities, risks, challenges, and opportunities around ...

How can your charity approach income diversification?
8 October 2024
Charities should diversify their income sources to ensure that they are financially stable and resilient amid today's economic challenges. Allan Hickie from UHY discusses how your charity can approach income ...

Eight in 10 charities view digital as an organisational priority
23 July 2024
The 2024 Charity Digital Skills Report reveals some promising data showing the digital ambitions of charities, whilst also finding that economic challenges are stalling progress.

Charity membership schemes: the new law on subscription contracts
1 July 2024
New laws that change the way subscriptions or memberships are provided have come into force. Felicity Forward and Joel Murphie from Shoosmiths take a look at what the Digital Markets, ...

AI: how can charities respond to the hype?
14 March 2024
As AI technologies evolve and employees experiment, organisations should look to set out their AI strategy. Sarah Belsham from RSM UK explains how.

Finance data architecture: the hidden secret to success
5 March 2024
After spending a significant period of time working with various charities, we have found the hidden secret behind successful charity finance teams: finance data architecture. Iain Goldmann, partner at Cloud ...

We're celebrating The Finance Journey at 10!
13 February 2024
CFG's finance development tool celebrates its tenth birthday this year. Simon Hopkins - author of The Finance Journey - explains why it's more important than ever and shares a call ...

Risk and resilience in 2024
17 January 2024
What lays ahead in 2024? Sam Burne James speaks to charity sector leaders for their predictions, insights and advice on how to reduce risk, remain resilient and prepare for the ...

AI: opportunities, threats and policy
19 October 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly and adoption is moving at a lightening pace too. Eleonor Duhs from Bates Wells takes a look at how policy-makers in the EU, US ...

How will your charity harness the power and potential of AI?
4 September 2023
Generative AI presents an enormous opportunity to do more good with less. But what are the ethical considerations for charities? Emma Abbott and Clare Mills take a closer look.

Information and cyber security webinar
29 August 2023
Protecting your organisation from cyber security breaches is vital. Experts from Adapta Consulting shared their insights and best practice guidance with CFG's Arts Sector Special Interest Group in July and ...

Do you have cyber-security sense?
30 May 2023
What does the latest Charity Commission guidance on internal financial controls say about cybercrime, cryptoassets and public collections? Natalie Barbosa from Anthony Collins takes a look at the latest guidance ...

Quick read: Maximising the impact of grant-making
5 April 2023
Automating processes and using the right software can vastly improve the way your charity manages its grant-making process. Nell Dodge from SmartSimple shares five ways you can boost impact with ...

Hot topic! The pros and cons of remote working
4 April 2023
Three CFG partners come together to discuss the benefits and challenges of remote working in the charity and wider NFP sector.

Webinar: Getting in shape for 2023
6 March 2023
CFG partners Russell-Cooke share their recent webinar on legal and regulatory changes in the charity sector, from property to employment law through to the Charities Act 2022 and more.

Act now to plug digital capability gaps
2 February 2023
John Fitzgerald, digital evolution manager for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), has some top tips for charities to enhance their cyber security capabilities.

How to cut back on your organisation's IT costs
14 December 2022
With one eye on the rising costs of living, James Field from Smartdesc has produced a short guide to reducing and eliminating unnecessary IT costs and optimising your systems.

Charitable donations: the great digital transition
8 December 2022
Cash is no longer king, but it remains vital, say Barclays in a new report on charitable giving and the changing face of technology.

The human face of finance automation
17 October 2022
How can you make automation work for you, your team and your organisation? Ruth Bentley from LAKE shares some ideas on implementing new systems and getting the best out of ...

How to set up granular reporting to track revenue and spend
31 August 2022
Setting up your financial reports? Sinéad Brennan and Andrew Faulkner from AccountsIQ share the essential pre-prep stages and steps you won't want to miss.

Finance Focus June 2022
24 June 2022
In the June edition of Finance Focus, we take a look at the issues around the cost of living and rising inflation, and share some advice on what charities and ...

Five quick digital wins for charity finance teams
14 May 2022
Small changes, big impact. Patrick Lane from AccountsIQ shares five ways charity finance teams can use digital technology to boost productivity.

Finance Focus Mar/April 2022
4 April 2022
How can we connect with our purpose and empower our communities? This year's Annual Conference will explore those questions and more. Also in this edition, we take a look at ...

Finance Focus February 2022
28 February 2022
How can we shape tomorrow's world? In this edition, we take a look at the issue of leadership and how charity finance professionals can play a leading role in creating ...

Innovation: How do you do yours?
28 January 2022
Ahead of CFG’s Innovate for a Better Future event on 2 February, we talk to three of our expert speakers about what great innovation looks like and how you can ...

Finance Focus November/December 2021
10 December 2021
This month, we take a look at CRM solutions, data and fundraising and employer branding. We also explore what organisations are doing to ensure employee wellbeing.

Nonprofit storytelling
22 September 2021
Using Data and Performance metrics to motivate donors

Annual Conference 2021: Meet our Sponsors
22 July 2021
CFG is delighted to announce four sponsors for this year's CFG Annual Conference - Leading the Way: Effective, Inclusive, Resilient. We welcome HSBC Private Banking as the event's headline sponsor, ...

An enlightening experience
7 July 2021
Pascale Nicholls, Director of Finance and Governance at Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, shares a preview of her Annual Conference presentation, explaining how finance sits at the heart of ...

Finance Focus June 2021
30 June 2021
'Leading the Way: Effective, Inclusive and Resilient' is the theme of this year's CFG Annual Conference. Dive inside to find out all about it - who's speaking, who's sponsoring, and ...

Finance Focus March 2021
30 March 2021
Welcome to the March 2021 edition of Finance Focus! In this edition, we take a look at how the use of digital technology in the sector has evolved in the ...

The benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365 across all functions
18 March 2021
In advance of CFG's IT Conference on 25 March, event sponsor m-hance share their expert insights on the benefits of using Microsoft Dynamics 365 cloud-based solutions in all areas of ...

CFG Briefing: Budget 2021
3 March 2021
CFG's member briefing on the Chancellor's Budget Statement, 3 March 2021.

Finance Focus January 2021
29 January 2021
Welcome to the latest edition of Finance Focus! In this issue, we take a look at the subject of Risk and new ways to recognise and manage it. Plus, we ...

Finance Focus November/December 2020
4 December 2020
Welcome to the latest edition of Finance Focus! In this issue, we ask charities and CFG's trustees about what they've learned in 2020 and what lays ahead. Topics also covered ...

Finance Focus September
22 September 2020
Let's raise our voice to raise Gift Aid!

Why accountability is essential to a charity’s approach to the GDPR
11 November 2019
By Victoria Hordern, Partner & Head of Data Privacy, Bates Wells 1.0.0.20 1.0.0.20 1.0.0.20 1.0.0.20

A practical guide to selecting and using online giving platforms
4 November 2019
  1.0.0.20 1.0.0.20

The quest for the trusted tech partner
14 March 2019

By Gallery Partnership

Simon Community Elevates Its Service to the Homeless of Western Scotland
13 March 2019
by Oracle Netsuite who will be exhibiting at our IT & Digital conference 14 March 2019

Is “cheap” software really worth it?
11 March 2019
By Caroline Neighbour, Business Development & Marketing Administrator, Gallery Partnership  

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): A guide for charities
16 January 2018
Charity Finance Group, in partnership with Buzzacott, Crowe Clarke Whitehill and Kingston Smith, has launched the General Data Protection Regulation: A guide for charities. The guide has something for every ...

Risk Guide - Cyber Risk
3 March 2015

Risk Guide - Cyber Risk

Integrated information systems in the charity sector. Holy Grail or Poisoned Chalice?
1 January 2013
Integrated information systems in the charity sector. Holy Grail or Poisoned Chalice?

Reviewing Your Mobile Fleet: The Considerations
1 September 2012
This paper sets out to look at options that are open to any organisation looking to review their current mobile provision as well as looking at alternatives. It goes on ...

In a Cloud of Doubt? Hybrid clouds for charities
1 January 2012
In a Cloud of Doubt? Hybrid clouds for charities

Charities' Use of the Internet
1 November 2011
Charities' Use of the Internet

How to improve your charity website in 10 easy steps
24 October 2011
How to improve your charity website in 10 easy steps - experts at professional charity IT consultancy The Gallery Partnership share ten steps to improving your website and optimising your ...

White Paper - Reducing Complexity with Web-based Accounting
16 March 2011

White Paper - 10 Essential Questions to ask your Prospective Software Supplier
16 March 2011
This paper outlines 10 questions to ask your supplier during the selection process and highlights the key areas medium sized organisation should consider.

Contracts for Computer Systems - Dealing with some of the Pitfalls
1 April 2010
Contracts for Computer Systems – Dealing with Some of the Pitfalls

ICT Policy - Peel Institute
25 March 2010
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Policy

Choosing a Software Provider
1 March 2010
This white paper is intended to help you as a UK business choose between one business software supplier and another. It highlights the key factors you should consider during the ...

Computer System Maintenance Agreements
1 January 2010
Computer System Maintenance Agreements - Things to watch out for

Enterprise Communications and Collaboration in a fast Changing World
24 December 2009
Enterprise Communications and Collaboration in a fast Changing World

How well do charities use the internet and what are the barriers to its use?
17 December 2009
The Internet is a global communication tool. It has become an important part of our lives. There aren’t many charities left that haven’t taken advantage of it. There are a ...

Websites Made Simple
1 June 2009
This guide is aimed at anyone who is wondering whether their organisation is making the most effective use of their website, or who has already decided they need to make ...

Selecting Package Software Made Simple
1 May 2009
Selecting Package Software Made Simple

Information Security Management Made Simple
1 February 2009
This guide is based on the principles and best practice recommendations set out in the ISO/IEC 27000 series.

Accounting Software - Made Simple Guide No.11
1 November 2008
Accounting Software - Made Simple Guide No.11.

ICT Policy - Wales Council for Voluntary Action
1 February 2007
ICT policy template from WCVA.

New faces at CFG: Welcome Kath and Sue!
11 September 2024
CFG announces the appointment of experienced finance experts Kath Qualtrough and Sue Hall to its leadership team.

CFG unveils brand refresh
24 July 2024
New visual identity marks start of exciting era for CFG.

Our commitment on your data
1 June 2023
CFG's Director of Policy and Communications, Dr Clare Mills, explains CFG's commitment to data security and how we do and do not use your data.

CFG launches ‘Knowledge Hub’ for charity finance community
8 June 2022
CFG launches digital one-stop-shop for charity finance community's thought leadership, knowledge and expertise.

HSBC Private Banking leads the way for CFG's Annual Conference 2021
21 July 2021
CFG are delighted to announce that HSBC Private Banking, ORACLE NetSuite, Sarasin & Partners and SmartSimple are this year's Annual Conference sponsors.  

Why charity finance leaders are holding the key to digital success
25 July 2018
Zoe Amar, one of the charity sector's leading digital experts, launches The Charity Digital Code of Practice consultation and tells us why a good leader is a digital leader.

Embedding innovation in your organisational culture
18 June 2018
by Jean-Francois Bessiron, Director Europe, Business, Industrial and Scientific, Amazon Ahead of speaking at CFG’s brand new addition to its events schedule, Innovating for Success which is taking place on ...

Digital transformation - so what's this got to do with Finance?
15 February 2018
Simon Hopkins, Chief Executive of Turn2Us and Trustee of Charity Finance Group explains why digital should be at the centre of thinking for finance professionals.  

Charity Finance Group releases new guidance on GDPR
18 January 2018
Charity Finance Group has released new guidance for charities on how to prepare for the General Data Protection Rules.

Compassion in World Farming: Oracle NetSuite implementation
12 January 2018
Compassion in World Farming underwent a rapid implementation of a system called NetSuite with the help of a grant from NetSuite.org, a foundation who donate $70 million of software to ...

Record Management Toolkit Launch Roundup
20 June 2017
Last Thursday, CFG in partnership with  the British Academy Research Project ‘Digitising the Mixed Economy of Welfare in Britain’ based at UCL Institute of Education, launched the free Records Management in Charities: ...

What can charities learn from the international cyber attack?
16 May 2017
Following the widely reported cyber-attack over the weekend on the NHS, and over 300,000 computers in 150 countries, it is important to look at what charities can learn from this ...

Five things to look forward to in 2017
9 January 2017

Let's talk about the F-word
28 October 2016
So what do we mean when we say the ‘F’ word? Are we talking about watching Gordon Ramsay shout at helpless cooks for an hour or two on the TV? ...

Record management in charities: a toolkit for improvement
19 June 2016
Charity Finance Group and the British Academy Research Project Digitising the Mixed Economy of Welfare in Britain, based at UCL Institute of Education, have launched the Record management in charities: ...

EU Referendum: What could this mean for charities?
6 June 2016
As the 23rd June appears closer and closer this Europe's Final Countdown song has never felt more relevant as the UK public decides whether they will be voting to remain ...

Friday Afternoon Fraud
13 May 2016

Things to take from the NCVO Civil Society Almanac 2016
15 April 2016
Wisden…Whitakers…Old Farmer’s…all great Almanacs, but one of the most valuable statistical compendiums has to be the NCVO Civil Society Almanac, upon which so many of us in the sector depend ...

Budget Focus: What was hidden in the numbers for charities?
17 March 2016
The Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook is where the real detail of the Budget resides. What was hidden in the numbers for charities this time around? Here ...

If digital transformation means agile working, what are the implications for finance?
10 February 2016
This guest blog is by Nevil Durrant, Finance Director at Eduserv. Eduserv are delivering two workshops at CFG's IT and Data Insight conference on 2 March, 2016. Find out more ...

What did the Romans ever know about data protection?
19 January 2016
As usual, quite a lot. Caesar famously used his cipher device to protect important and sensitive military data among his generals. So what can we learn from the famous Roman?

What’s the latest data on charity sector income and expenditure?
10 June 2015
The UK Civil Society Almanac 2015 is here and as ever provides a wealth of valuable data.

Are IT teams in charities evolving from gatekeepers to digital enablers?
25 March 2014
John Simcock, Charities Director at eduserv, tells us about their latest research into Digital transformation in UK charities. 

Digital giving and gift aid: Our response
27 September 2013
Gift Aid enthusiasts have had a lot to chew over the past few months, with proposals on the table from HMRC and the Treasury to make Gift Aid work better ...

CFG’s IT Conference 2013
4 April 2013
CFG’s IT Conference 2013 was held at Inmarsat in Old Street on 21st March. .

Adapta Consulting
As leading independent IS consultants we provide NFPs with tailored advice and guidance to develop the key areas to achieving strategic and operational effectiveness - Processes; through business development. People; ...

Cloud Doing Good
Cloud Doing Good was established in 2017 based on the founding principles of technical excellence whilst being small enough to provide individual care for each client. We take Oracle NetSuite, the world’s number 1 ...

Emailage
The UK charity sector loses approximately £1.65 Billion per year to fraud – according to the Centre for Fraud Studies at Portsmouth University and BDO. Our mission is to help ...

Infor (United Kingdom) Ltd
The preferred Not-For-Profit Financial Management System: Infor SunSystems® is an easy-to-use, innovative finance ERP that delivers all aspects of accounting management, including nominal ledger, payables and receivable ledgers, cashbook, multi-currency, ...

iplicit
Finance Software to Innovate, Not Complicate. iplicit's true cloud accounting software enables charities and nonprofits to streamline existing processes with automation and intuitive workflows, with in-depth analysis capability to drive ...

Iris Financials Ltd
IRIS Financials, chosen by all types of Not-for-Profit organisations, is an industry-leading unified ledger system. Always in balance, our integrated financial management software eliminates the need to reconcile separate donations, ...

Lake Financial Systems
Charity specialist, LAKE, is a leading Infor SunSystems channel partner and is the UK Master Distributor for Proactis purchase-to-pay and procurement software in support of SunSystems customers.

M-hance
mhance is a Microsoft Solutions Partner, specialising in delivering tailored Microsoft Dynamics solutions designed specifically for the Not-for-Profit sector. With over two decades of dedicated experience in this field, we ...

Nutbourne LTD
Nutbourne is an MSP which provides a wide range of IT support services. We founded as a company to solve problems and help people and our guiding principle is to ...

Sage UK Limited
Sage Intacct’s non-profit cloud financial management software assists charities, foundations and faith-based businesses to save money as well as improve on operations. Cloud finance software with a mission Increase efficiency ...

Sapphire Systems Plc
Sapphire Systems is an established global provider of enterprise software solutions for the not for profit sector. Having worked in the industry for over 20 years, we are proud to ...

Smartdesc
Smartdesc offer technology partnerships to not for profits. They focus on IT Strategy, helping you build technology roadmaps and provide IT Support, Cyber Security & GDPR services, as well as ...

Xledger
Xledger software gives charities and NFP organisations greater reporting capabilities and control over their finances through real-time data and automation. Its highly configurable functionalities enable long-term budgeting, in-system financial controls, ...

Optimising and securing the charity cloud
Optimising Microsoft 365 for nonprofits