Knowledge Hub

An organisation’s culture lies at the heart of everything it does, including the way it thinks about and manages its financial resources. In this three-part series, Simon Perks explores how charities can better understand their financial culture, and how this understanding can drive financial awareness and accountability.

At this year's CFG Annual Conference, Sarah Fletcher, Chief Operating Officer at Alder Hey Children's Charity, led a session titled ‘Why putting people at the heart of strategy supports organisational growth and sustainability’. Her simple message was that the charities that invest in their people don't just do right by their staff, they grow faster, raise more, and become more resilient in the process.

CFG’s 2026 Annual Conference opened and closed with two inspirational speakers – Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE, CEO of Ploughshare and Chair of Refuge, and Lord Victor Adebowale CBE, former CEO of Turning Point and current Chair of the NHS Confederation. Together they explained how finance professionals are key to change and progress.

Carol Rudge from HW Fisher talks about what CFG's 2026 Annual Conference theme – 'Empowering Change, Inspiring Progress' – means to her and her team, and shares why she's excited that HW Fisher are once again supporting the event.

Leading a charity today means juggling competing priorities: financial sustainability, organisational culture, and delivering meaningful impact. Some days this balancing act can feel relentless. How do leaders keep the mission alive while ensuring the numbers add up? This article explores practical ways to navigate these tensions and build strong foundations for the future.

With rising demand, resource pressures and a rapidly changing funding environment, many charities are exploring whether collaboration or merger could strengthen their resilience and impact. This article from Hugo Walford and Jean Tsang at Bates Wells, sets out key considerations for charities contemplating collaboration or merger, along with top tips and common pitfalls to avoid.

The charity sector is at a crossroads, particularly around finances and operations. The pace and scale of change your organisation needs will vary but standing still is not an option. Knowing how far to push, and how fast to move, is one of the hardest calls you’ll face. PwC’s Amy McEwan & Emily Beatty provide a practical framework to getting it right.

Moving from dialogue to true collaboration isn't always a straight path, but it's one worth travelling. CFG's Emma Abbott shares the lessons learned through recent collaboration with some of the UK's biggest banks, and invites you to be part of the conversation too.

March is when people across the world celebrate the achievements of women and the contributions they make. We therefore spoke to Kate Oprava, who oversees financial management and company secretarial responsibilities at Funds for Women Graduates (FfWG), a charity with over a century of history supporting women in higher education.

Psychological safety is not a ‘nice to have’. It is the foundation of how well any team performs, communicates, and recovers from difficulty. When it is present, people are more engaged, more honest, and more committed. When it is absent, problems are hidden until they escalate, mistakes go unreported, and people disengage quietly — or leave.

How can we embrace risk and get ready for whatever life throws at us? Caron Bradshaw and Nigel Kippax's recent conference presentation takes a fresh look at risk management through the lens of sport, history, business and religion.

We recently spoke to the new chair of CFG's Arts and Museums Special Interest Group (ARTSIG), Margaret Anderson, Chief Finance Officer at Inspire. Margaret shared her journey from music student to CFO, her passion for the arts sector, and her vision for building ARTSIG into a thriving community where finance professionals can share knowledge, tackle sector-specific challenges, and support one another.