Knowledge Hub

For this year’s Small Charity Week, alongside our programme of guides, interviews, and policy insight, we conducted some research of small charity members for the second year in a row to get a clearer, more current picture of the pressures they're navigating.

What are small charities telling us about their banking services? Isaac Bristol, CFG's Policy Officer, crunches the data and shares initial insights from the 2026 Charity Banking Survey.

Why do banks need to know more about your charity? And how can you help your charity stay protected and compliant? Sarah Tickner from Lloyds Bank explains what you need to know about Ongoing Know Your Customer (OKYC).

Though it has almost become cliche to say, it is still the case that small charities are the backbone of civil society. Across the UK and internationally, they deliver vital services, build communities, and tackle some of the most complex challenges facing people today, often with limited resources and lean teams. During Small Charity Week, we want to shine a light on the organisations and individuals doing this work every day.

We appear to be at yet another political inflection point and it remains unclear what direction the country is heading in. Even so, there are a few specific updates worth recapping.

Ahead of CFG’s Annual Conference 2026, CFG’s Emma Abbott catches up with Sophie Ward from the event’s headline sponsors HSBC Private Bank about what this year’s conference theme, 'Empowering Change, Inspiring Progress', means to her and what charities can do to remain resilient and impactful.

HM Treasury has published its response to consultations on two parts of the UK's SME finance framework: Commercial Credit Data Sharing (CCDS) and the Bank Referral Scheme (BRS). Neither was designed with charities in mind, but both have implications for the sector.

UK charities are generally exempt from reporting obligations under the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, thanks to their Deemed-Compliant Financial Institution status under the UK–US Intergovernmental Agreement. However, charities operating internationally should plan ahead, as foreign banks may be unfamiliar with UK charitable status and could apply withholding to US-sourced payments.

This short guide from CFG outlines the types of limits on cash deposits that charities may encounter, and what steps trustees or finance teams can take if they expect to deposit large amounts of cash.

In the last policy update I remarked how the start of 2026 would likely be defined by uncertainty. Not a unique hypothesis, though one that has been proven intimidatingly correct so far.

The 2026 Banking Survey is now live. Find out why your experiences matter and get involved in CFG's latest research on charity banking services. 

For charities, financial reserves are essential. They provide stability, support future projects, and act as a buffer during uncertain times. But in a landscape of fluctuating interest rates and multiple savings options, how do you make the most of those reserves, without losing access when you need it?