Knowledge Hub

Building on phase one of the University of Bath student research team that looked at trustee motivations and effectiveness, this phase two research report extends that insight to the board as a collective, examining how composition shapes the quality of group decisions. Recommendations include introducing psychometric screening at trustee recruitment, implementing annual skills audits and building psychological safety into board culture. The report’s central deliverable is the DREAM Diagnostic Framework.

Between January and April 2026, more than 2,400 charity staff, trustees and volunteers took part in CFG's third charity banking survey. The findings are captured in this final report which looks at the challenges charitable organisations face with banking services and makes recommendations on how charity banking can be improved.

This report presents evidence-based recommendations for a substantive refresh of CC26, the Charity Commission’s guidance on risk management for charities in England and Wales. It was written by CFG and The Risk Collaborative and shared with the Charity Commission in June 2026.

This publication, produced in partnership with HaysMac, offers a practical framework for understanding and calculating your charity's cost base. It is written for finance leaders, trustees, executive teams, and for funders who want to understand what sustainable partnership truly requires.

Encountering difficulties with banking services is not uncommon for charities. This step-by-step guide supports charities when raising an issue or concern with their bank, and explains what steps to take when an issue isn't satisfactorily resolved. The guide aims to promote better understanding and communication between banks and charities.

How can charities navigate the increasingly complex and urgent world of sustainable investment? In this article, the team from Isio provides a whistlestop tour of three papers that discuss what charities should consider when implementing a sustainable investment strategy.

This guide by the Charity Investment Consulting Partnership is for trustees looking to understand how to access investment advice. It explains the what, why, when, where and who and also contains a handy checklist for trustees.

There are around 170,000 charities on the Charity Commission register. Most of those are small with an annual income of less than £1m. This guide is to support the Chairs of these charities, who have a unique role - to lead the board and ensure that the charity practices good governance.

Gift Aid is a vital tax relief worth £1.6bn every year to charities. This report, based on a survey of more than 100 charity leaders, shows that more can be done to streamline the claims process and support charities to maximise Gift Aid.

Interim finance specialist, Simon Hopkins, shares how finance professionals can lead the way on turnaround. Read the conference report.

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 social change organisations can do to manage. 

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 how to take the pain out of implementing a new finance system; how to protect your organisation from cyber attacks and how finance leaders can get behind ESG strategies.