Environmental, social, governance (ESG)

 

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 ...

Looking ahead with fresh perspective
19 December 2023
After another challenging year for the charity sector, CFG's CEO, Caron Bradshaw OBE, shares some personal reflections on looking ahead with renewed hope and fresh perspectives.

CFG Briefing: Autumn Statement 2023
22 November 2023
What does the Chancellor's Autumn Statement mean for you and your organisation? Richard Sagar, Head of Policy, CFG, takes an in-depth look.

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.

Revised guidance on investing charity money
2 August 2023
CFG's Head of Policy, Richard Sagar, takes a look at the Charity Commission's revised guidance on charity investments (CC14) and shares an update on the sector's work to develop complementary ...

How charity Keep Britain Tidy is clearing the path to net zero
17 July 2023
Ruth Jenkins, Finance Director at environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, talks about her transformative net zero work and shares the ‘easy wins’ she believes will go a long way to ...

Environmental reporting for charities
31 May 2023
What are charities required to report and where is environmental reporting likely to go from here? Simon Hughes from Crowe UK takes a look at current reporting requirements and what ...

Meet our conference sponsors: HSBC Global Private Banking
22 May 2023
Ahead of CFG's Annual Conference 2023, Sophie Ward, Head of Charities and Education at HSBC Global Private Banking, talks to Emma Abbott about the resilience of UK charities, how the ...

To divest or not to divest? That is the question...
10 May 2023
Is divestment always the right approach? Is there another, better way? Rathbones’ Andrew Pitt and Matt Crossman look at the issues and share a case study highlighting the power of ...

Is divestment the right approach for net zero?
14 March 2023
CFG continues to lead the debate on ethical investments and net zero. In this article, Patrick Trueman from James Hambro & Partners considers the issue of divestment and what difference ...

How can trustees balance ethics and returns?
1 February 2023
How can trustees weigh the financial implications of an ethical policy with their charity’s values and purpose? James Flett from RBC Brewin Dolphin explores the issues.

Investing in the energy transition
1 February 2023
How are investors viewing the transition to renewable energy? Conan McKenzie and Angus Dell from BlackRock take a look at the big picture and explain how BlackRock are playing a ...

Is your charity achieving optimal governance structure?
8 December 2022
What governance structure should your organisation aim for when working with an investment advisor? And what are the key considerations that lead to an optimal relationship? Brown Advisory share their ...

Writing an ethical investment policy
6 December 2022
A charity’s ethical investment policy forms an important part of the wider investment policy. But where to start when writing it? Isobel Fraser from Waverton Investment Management shares five top ...

Findings from the 2022 Newton Charity Investment Survey
25 November 2022
Rorie Evans explores the key findings from the 2022 Newton Charity Investment Survey, and what this means for the charity sector.

Supporting employees during the cost of living crisis
7 November 2022
What can you do to help your employees during the cost of living crisis? Luiza Jordan from HSF health plan share seven tips for employers.  

Enhancing reputation through a charity’s investment portfolio…
3 November 2022
Charities once led the way in ethical investment. So, where are they now? PMCL's Ed Jewson shares his insights on putting ESG at the heart of investment portfolios.

Understanding energy consumption
18 October 2022
Do we really understand the energy we use? And how can we get to grips with our consumption AND reduce it? Ruaire Glackin from Utility Aid shares a helpful guide.

How to invest in a world of high inflation
13 October 2022
How can charities respond to this year’s spike in inflation from an investment perspective? Patrick Trueman from James Hambro & Partners considers some of the implications and shares ways to ...

Charities and the path to net zero
7 October 2022
Climate change is no longer a fringe concern for charities. Richard Sagar, Head of Policy at Charity Finance Group, introduces a new guide that offers practical first steps on the ...

Endowments can help charities deal with soaring costs
20 September 2022
As costs rise sharply and investment income falls, how should trustees at endowment-based charities change their financial plans? John Redwood of Charles Stanley takes a look at the issues.  

Four ways to grow your charity's sustainability strategy
9 August 2022
How can the charity sector keep up with expected sustainability demands, as measurable performance and tangible outcomes become standard? Mia Brown from TSP, shares advice on getting started with your ...

Harness the power of ESG to boost your charity’s employer brand
1 August 2022
Jennifer Jackson from Third Sector Jobs, explores how communicating your ESG policies can help you stand out as a charity and an employer.

Bates Wells' Faith-based Organisations Update 2022
27 July 2022
Bates Wells' 2022 update for faith-based organisations contains insights from the team and guest contributors on current issues in social investment. Topics also span recent case law, recruitment and governance.

Remote working, works! Here's how…
26 July 2022
Does remote working really work? Presenting at this year’s CFG Annual Conference on 30 June, Kirsten Buck and Katy Stanley from PTHR, shared how they’ve made ‘remote first’ work for ...

Case study: How Stewardship is generating kingdom impact
25 July 2022
What are the impacts of your investments? Janie Oliver, Chief Financial Officer at Stewardship, shares a framework for impact that puts your most important goal at the centre of investment.

Why we’ve brought in a new area for diversity monitoring
6 June 2022
Dr Clare Mills shares CFG's ongoing EDI work and explains why CFG is making changes to make its events and speaker panels as inclusive as they can be.

Taking control of your energy costs
16 May 2022
CFG corporate partner Utility Aid takes a look at the utilities market and shares advice on how to keep costs as low as possible.

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 ...

Economic Outlook Briefing 2022/23
10 March 2022
Charity Finance Group and Pro Bono Economics provide an overview of the key economic issues and trends that may affect charities in the UK over the 2022/23 financial year. PDF ...

Gender equality? There's more work to be done!
7 March 2022
On this year's International Women's Day, Caron Bradshaw OBE considers how far we've come and how far we still need to go to ensure gender equality in the workplace.

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 ...

Finance Focus January 2022
28 January 2022
Welcome to the first edition of Finance Focus in 2022! This month, we welcome some new faces to CFG and dive into what the year ahead holds for policy and ...

Financial strategy and contingency planning for smaller charities
27 November 2021
How can smaller charities set out a plan for their finances? Where's the best place to start? As part of CFG's new Small Charities Programme, cost reduction analyst James Rimmer ...

Finance Focus October 2021
29 October 2021
This month, we consider reputational risk and what it means to charity finance leaders, and we share some of the stories of organisational change from this year's Annual Conference. We ...

Shifting the dial, one job advert at a time
25 October 2021
CFG reaffirms its commitment to #ShowTheSalary to end discriminatory recruitment practice.

Finance Focus September 2021
29 September 2021
This month, we look at some of the issues charities are tackling post-pandemic, including flexible working and what's to become of the office. Also in this edition, interviews with National Children's ...

Finance Focus July 2021
29 July 2021
Inclusivity - why does it matter to finance professionals? We speak to charity leaders this month about equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI). We also meet a small member charity - Jodie ...

POLICY: Response to the BEIS consultation on restoring trust, July 2021
13 July 2021
Charity Finance Group's response to the government's white paper and consultation on 'Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance'.

Facing organisational endings
1 July 2021
Charity consultant Iona Lawrence takes a look at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and explains why organisational endings can and should be good.

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 May 2021
28 May 2021
Responsible investment is the focus of this month's edition. Our corporate partners share their advice and insights on how to invest responsibly and ethically. We also hear from Rachel Hewitt ...

Why you should always show the salary on your job ads
24 May 2021
Jennifer Jackson at Third Sector Jobs explains why salary transparency is the right thing to do as well as an advantage for recruitment and retention.

What does the Queen’s speech mean for charities?
12 May 2021
A raft of new policies were announced in the Queen's Speech on 11 May. CFG's Policy Manager, Richard Sagar, sifts through the small print to find out what's in store ...

Finance Focus April 2021
30 April 2021
Welcome to the April 2021 edition of Finance Focus. This month we take a look at mental health and wellbeing in the run up to Mental Health Awareness Week in ...

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 ...

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

Finance Focus February 2021
26 February 2021
Welcome to the latest edition of Finance Focus! In this issue, we explore the art of reinvention with the help of a pop superstar. And Simon Hopkins from Blind Veterans ...

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 ...

And then the world turned upside down…
9 December 2020
With the publication of their new property research, property advice charity and CFG member the Ethical Property Foundation has never been in more demand. CEO Antonia Swinson reveals how the ...

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 ...

The balance between giving and receiving: why CFG is (temporarily) closing in mid-December
3 December 2020
This year, Charity Finance Group has taken the difficult decision to close from mid-December. CFG's CEO Caron Bradshaw explains why.

This is an emergency! CFG asks civil society to #MobiliseNotMothball and get behind its urgent message to government
10 November 2020
Thousands of charities and social enterprises are now in serious financial difficulty, but there is hope, says Caron Bradshaw, CEO of Charity Finance Group: Join CFG’s campaign and call for ...

Finance Focus October 2020
23 October 2020
Welcome to the October 2020 edition of Finance Focus. Issues covered inside: Mental health; fraud; audits; training; Brexit and much more!

Black History Month: The black people who inspire us
21 October 2020
As part of Black History Month, members of CFG's new Diversity Working Group have been talking about the black people who have inspired their lives. Read on to learn about ...

Bespoke interventions for the sector are never more needed
24 September 2020
CFG's Policy Manager, Richard Sagar, outlines what the government's Winter Economic Plan means for charities.

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

Finance Focus August
18 August 2020

Rethinking the future

Finance Focus July
17 July 2020
As Caron Bradshaw celebrates a decade at the helm, we ask what next for CFG?

Summer Economic Update
8 July 2020
Richard Sagar, Policy Manager, sets out a briefing on today's Economic Update by the Chancellor aided by commentary from our corporate partner experts. Together, they examine how the announcements might ...

From red to green, but what does it mean for us?
12 May 2020
Following the Government's announcement at the weekend about the subtle relaxing of lockdown measures and the Chancellor's announcement earlier today on the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until ...

What does the chancellor’s announcement mean for charities?
15 April 2020
By Richard Sagar, Policy Manager at CFG

Top ten tips for how to handle the year end in a pandemic
6 April 2020
Joanna Pittman, Partner at CFG corporate member Sayer Vincent gives her top ten tips for how to handle the year end in a pandemic.

#EveryDayCounts – The Florence Nightingale Museum
26 March 2020
Director David Green tells us about serious disruption from the Coronavirus pandemic in their bicentennial year, and how the museum is trying to cope with the challenges.

Leading in a crisis: Mark Goldring's lessons from personal experience
24 March 2020
Mark Goldring shares lessons learned for charity leaders (and maybe others) striving in the world of COVID.

What’s new for audit and accountancy?
8 January 2020
Ahead of her session at the CFG Midlands Conference 2020, Partner at Sayer Vincent, Fleur Holden, provides an update into what’s new in the world of charity audit and accounting.

Why safeguarding is vital for finance leaders
16 October 2019
If you work in the voluntary sector, the chances are you’ll have spotted that safeguarding has suddenly been rocketed up the list of concerns for charity leaders. As NCVO launch ...

Five takeaways from August’s Inflation Report
9 August 2019
CFG’s Policy Manager Richard Sagar outlines his five key takeaways from the August Inflation Report and explores what they mean for the charity sector.

Economic Outlook Briefing 2019/20
12 June 2019

The year ahead 

Charity Property Matters Survey 2018
7 February 2019
CFG members Ethical Property Foundation, in partnership with the Charity Commission and Charity Finance Group, have published the findings from their fourth Charity Property Matters Survey. Here Antonia Swinson, Chief ...

Economic Outlook Briefing 2018
9 May 2018
Headlines in this edition: Concerns over fundraising from the public over the medium term as higher inflation and weak pay growth means that households will feel the squeeze Interest rates ...

Review of Allia's Charitable Bonds
20 September 2011
Review of Allia's Charitable Bonds.

Better FX
8 May 2011
A guide to improved foreign exchange practice in the UK charity sector

How to Approach Investment in a Challenging Market Environment
29 November 2010
The aim of this paper is ensure that charity trustees understand how they need toadhere to the investment measures under by the Trustee Act 2000 and relatedguidance from the Charity ...

Management Approaches to Sustainability - Sustainability in Practice: Appendix D
1 May 2009
The full copy of the Green Dragon Environmental Standard, which is available by contacting them, contains a very useful appendix which shows how the Green Dragon Standard, the British Standard ...

Carrying out a Sustainability Audit - Sustainability in Practice: Appendix C
1 May 2009
Carrying out a sustainability audit will allow you to identify exactly what kind of impacts you have and the timing and scale of the action you need to take. You ...

Charity mergers - Findings and Recommendations from Research
1 February 2009
Do mergers in the voluntary sector provide financial stability for the newly formed organisation? Findings and Recommendations from Research

Mergers - Made Simple Guide No. 12
1 December 2008
The topic for research was “do mergers in the voluntary sector provide financial stability for the newly formed organisation?”

Pricing - Made Simple Guide No. 7
1 July 2008
Pricing - Made Simple Guide No. 7

Getting the price right
23 June 2005
Getting the price right for charities.

CFG responds to HMRC consultation on VAT relief
6 June 2023
CFG calls on government to reinstate VAT energy saving materials relief following member consultation.

Charities face cliff edge, warns Civil Society Group
25 November 2022
Civil Society Group, including NCVO and CFG, warns government that without longer term help on energy bills, communities will suffer.

CFG launches Net Zero Guide
7 October 2022
CFG helps set path to reduced emissions.

Stevie Spring CBE opens CFG's Annual Conference 2022
30 June 2022
Stevie Spring CBE, Chair of Mind and British Council, shares advice with charity finance leaders as she kicks off CFG's Annual Conference 2022.

Not long now!
22 June 2022
CFG's Annual Conference Week is just days away! Dr Clare Mills, Director of Policy and Communications, shares her excitement about what's coming up.

10 questions to ask before borrowing
10 December 2018
By Phil Caroe, Chief Operating Officer at Allia Impact Finance Whether your charity is looking at borrowing for the first time or you’ve taken out loans before, here are 10 ...

Large Charities Focus
23 August 2018
Rajit Gholap shares what he is expecting to take away from CFG’s Large Charities Conference 2018, and the rationale for the choice of programme this year.

“Who moved the cheese?” The case for innovation in the UK charity sector
31 May 2018
by Naziar Hashemi Partner, National Head of Non Profits, Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP

What do the latest Budget 2017 economic numbers mean for charities?
23 November 2017
The Budget is out, the CFG Budget Briefing for charities is available to download from our website, the dust appears to have settled pretty quickly on this Budget. But what ...

Live Blog: Autumn Budget 2017
22 November 2017
On Wednesday 22nd November at 12:30pm the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, will deliver the first Budget since the General Election in June. If you can’t tune into the Chancellor’s speech, then ...

What should charities expect from the Autumn Budget 2017?
17 November 2017
It’s that time of the year again when the newspapers are full of gossip about potential giveaways or shocking tax changes which are going to cost eye-watering sums of money. ...

Where are the ‘automatic stabilisers’ for charities income?
26 September 2017
This blog post is prompted by the Association of Charitable Foundation’s (ACF) latest Giving Trends research, which is a must-read for everyone in the charity sector. The news is ...

Government no longer has the luxury of ignoring charities
25 September 2017
Charity Finance Group has made two submissions to the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget. One alongside a coalition of other representative bodies. The other, on our own, regarding charity tax reform. ...

6 simple steps your charity can take to help protect themselves from fundraising fraud
25 September 2017
Fundraising fraud is where a fraudster (who might be known) collects money on behalf of the charity but keeps some or all of the money and can be difficult for ...

Could political instability create financial instability for charities?
23 August 2017
Charities have operated for some time in the midst of economic instability. This has become the bread and butter for most organisations - the recession, cuts in government spending or ...

NCVO Almanac points to fundamental shifts in the charity operating environment
9 May 2017
NCVO has just published summary data from its Almanac 2017 and as always, it is a fascinating read. The launch is tonight, so I’m looking forward to what the NCVO ...

Common Gift Aid Questions Answered by HMRC
27 April 2017
On the 31st March 2017, CFG hosted its regularly Gift Aid Conference which was attended by charities, tax specialists and HMRC. HMRC's Charity Outreach Team, led by Andrew Kayley, spoke ...

Better partnerships needed between finance and fundraising teams
13 April 2017
Fundraising isn’t just about fundraisers. It is about the whole organisation. One of the lessons that the sector has had to learn is that good fundraising requires the whole organisation ...

Live Blog: Spring Budget 2017
7 March 2017
Welcome to Charity Finance Group's Spring Budget Live Blog.

Autumn Statement In Focus: What is the economic outlook for charities?
23 November 2016
The Economic and Fiscal Outlook has been published by the Office for Budget Responsibility and this gives a picture of the future shape of the economy, this is important for ...

Saying what we want: Devolution & Voluntary Sector Summit
9 September 2016
On Wednesday, over 30 voluntary sector leaders came together in London to discuss devolution and the voluntary sector. Over the past few years, regions across England have been agreeing with ...

Devolution is our chance to advocate for the most vulnerable
2 September 2016
Kathy Evans, CEO of Children England highlights the important voice that the voluntary sector has and how they can use it to be a power of advocacy. 

How will the 'devolution revolution' be financed?
1 September 2016
At CFG, Locality, NAVCA and Children England's The Voluntary Sector and Devolution Summit we'll be looking at the key concerns about financing  local government under devolution deals. 

Caron asks: 'Why does the voluntary sector need a devolution summit?'
31 August 2016
Caron Bradshaw, CEO of Charity Finance Group, explains why CFG has worked with partners to organise the Devolution and the Voluntary Sector Summit and why she thinks it is important ...

First thoughts on impact of interest rates cut on charities
4 August 2016
For the first time since 2009 the Bank of England has moved interest rates, not up but down, to 0.25%. What does this mean for charities? Here are my first ...

Do charities need to become social enterprises to survive?
4 August 2016
Heather Black at Economic Change asks “Is charity becoming irrelevant?” - this will be the question posed at the Large Charities Conference taking place in September, hosted by Charity Finance ...

EU Referendum: Keep watching this space…
24 June 2016
The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union and the Prime Minister has resigned. What does this mean for charities? The decision to leave the European Union will ...

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 ...

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 ...

A ‘straightjacket’ Budget: Pay, Tax Avoidance, Welfare and Assets
11 March 2016
Next week the Chancellor has to stand up and deliver his 8th Budget and it promises to be an interesting affair.

How is local government using social investment?
29 February 2016
Geetha Rabindrakumar, Head of Social Sector Engagement, Big Society Capital talks about how local authorities are using innovative new social investment methods to tackle long term problems in the midst ...

Hunting for the silver lining; the IFS, the economy and charities.
12 February 2016
This week I attended the IFS’s Green Budget 2016 event, which provides an essential commentary on the economic issues facing the current government over the next Parliament. The report comes ...

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 in local government’s Christmas stocking?
17 December 2015
t’s Christmas and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has unveiled the government’s provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2016-17. The Local Government Finance Settlement is effectively ...

Public benefit is at the core of both charities and the tax system
13 August 2015
Some of you may have read a recent column in the Financial Times by its Money Week Editor, Merryn Somerset Webb entitled “Charity should not begin with a tax break ...

We can’t ignore the charity sector’s financial situation
13 July 2015
Our sector has had a few days to recover from the decisions outlined in the Chancellor’s Budget last week. Although charities were not the focus, the decisions taken within it ...

How much do we know about PbR?
19 June 2015
Today the National Audit Office (NAO) have published their report on the Government’s use of Payment by Results (PbR). I have drawn out some of the key points of relevance to charities. 

Budget 2015 – Missed opportunities and targeted giveaways
18 March 2015
The Chancellor has sat down, the media are pouring over the budget documents looking for stories to come out of the figures, but what has been the impact of the ...

#volsecbudget – What should charities look out for?
17 March 2015
Tomorrow will mark the last Budget of this Parliament, and already a great deal has been trailed in the media from inheritance tax cuts to raising the personal allowance. 

Fog of uncertainty makes post-election planning difficult for charities
4 February 2015
Today the Institute for Fiscal Studies unveiled its Green Budget 2015.

Looking back on 2014
9 December 2014
As we approach the end of 2014, it’s time for some reflection. The year has whizzed by shockingly quickly. 

Vision for sector post-2015. What did the politicians have to say at the CFG Annual Conferece?
19 May 2014
Following our overwhelmingly successful Annual Conference last Thursday, back at CFG-HQ we are now digesting the political nuggets that were debated in our closing plenary by the Minister for Civil ...

Managing in a Downturn Report Reflections....
11 April 2014
Yesterday saw the launch of the seventh ‘Managing in Downturn’ report – a survey series that we have run in partnership with the Institute of Fundraising and PwC since the ...

Mergers during the recession; why weren’t there as many as expected?
15 January 2014
In the wake of the launch of our most recent survey in the ‘Managing in a Downturn’ series, we take a look at what the last five instalments have told ...

The silver lining in the charity salary saga
12 August 2013
Another week and more headlines about charity executive pay. Given the focus on bankers, business leaders, senior civil servants and local authority chiefs of late, it was really only a ...

Business rate relief for charity shops in Wales: why it matters elsewhere too
11 July 2013
The business rates relief available to charities has been thrust into the spotlight of late. As well as a number of high profile cases linking charity rate relief to tax ...

The significance of the Spending Review
25 June 2013
In 2010 the Spending Review set departmental expenditure limits (DELs) from 2011/12 to 2014/15, outlining details of savings in the region of £86bn over that time.

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We have a strong track record of providing investment advice to charities of various sizes. Central to our strategy design process is ensuring that your sustainability targets and focus areas ...

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Octopus is a private markets investor and partners with charitable organisations to provide them with access to investment opportunities that deliver positive impact and support them to meet their income ...