Fundraising is a means to an end: us charities spend a large amount of time fundraising, but ultimately we exist to deliver projects and/or services that benefit society. We fundraise so we can begin doing what we are set out to do.
The bad news is that there is more work to do even before the fundraising begins: setting up robust internal financial controls is vital for successful fundraising. Efforts should be made to ensure our organisations can effectively administer funds once we secure them. Many funders will also want to see good internal financial controls are in place.
Good financial controls mean we are accountable to our management committees, members, and ultimately our beneficiaries. Get your Trustees and staff taking ownership of putting a strong system in place. Not only does this share the burden, but it also means people are more likely to follow the procedures once in place.
The Charity Commission has a useful financial self assessment type check list, called Internal Financial Controls for Charities (CC8). Check it out:
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is a good place to go for advice and support: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/advice-support/trustee-governance/board/financial-controls
The LVSC is another useful place to obtain information on managing voluntary and community groups: http://www.lvsc.org.uk/advice-support.aspx
This video may also help:
Happy financial controlling...!
Rachid Choaibi, BSc MisntF Cert
No comments:
Post a Comment