Charities and Not for profit

Menzies Charities and Not for Profit accounting and Audit services

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The not-for-profit sector faces many challenges. At Menzies we are here to support you through the financial climate that the charity sector is facing, especially as income from local and national government continues to decline. Yet the provision of services by the sector continues to grow, partly due to demand, and partly due to government policy.

The success of not-for-profit organisations ultimately relies on their reputation and good governance, but transparency and effective regulation of the sector all have a role to play. At Menzies we are able to assist in areas outside of the compliance work, ensuring we are available for discussions throughout the year on governance matters, financing and changes that the sector is facing.

The not-for-profit sector encompasses a wide range of entities carrying out diverse activities. Our not-for-profit sector experts understand the issues facing both trustees and executive management, supporting them with a range of services.

Key challenges for the Charities and Not for Profit sector

Funding / Fundraising

Austerity continues apace within public sector budgets. The NFP sector has to develop new, innovative ways to raise funds. Although income grew by £2.2bn in 2017, this is mostly due to growth of the largest charities, and those that are smaller and locally focussed are struggling to break even.

Strategic review

With the increased pressure on funding and the Charity Commission’s continued focus on public benefit, charities must be clear in their objectives and provide demonstrable and objective outcomes to their stakeholders.

We independently review how well an organisation is performing against its objectives, helping verify the content of their Annual Report. We also help clients explore mergers with similar organisations, advising on both the strategic and operational issues, including due diligence.

Operational efficiencies

Annual spending by UK charities continues to rise and, with the pressure on income; charities must demonstrate value-for-money with a real grasp of the “Three Es”: economy, effectiveness and efficiency.

People issues

A total of nearly one million people work in the UK charity sector, a small increase on previous years. Retaining good quality staff has long been a key concern for many charities. Trustees and managers have extra obligations placed on them by the Charity Commission. We advise and also help to train new trustees, help on employment issues, including those affecting volunteers and executives, and can assist with pension auto enrolment.

Risk and reputation

There have been a number of high profile charities in the spotlight for financial mismanagement (at worst) or ineptitude (at best). Charities operate under increasingly stringent financial and trading regulations and any breach can have a long-term damaging effect on public reputation. We can assist by giving assurance to boards of trustees that these are complied with, as well as identifying activities where there is risk to any stakeholder.

CONTACT THE CHARITIES AND NOT FOR PROFIT ACCOUNTING AND AUDIT TEAM AT MENZIES

Menzies Charity and Not for Profit accounting team have a wealth of experience and knowledge to offer reporting, accounting management, audit, bookkeeping, compliance and governance and gift aid services to charities of all sizes and from every sector. Discover how Menzies charity and not for profit team can support your organisation with specialist accounting services.

    Service head

    Janice Matthews - FCA

    Partner

    Janice Matthews is a Menzies Partner with a wealth of audit and compliance experience. Janice also heads up the charity and NFP sector