Insights for charities

Labour’s plan to levy VAT on private education is making bursars’ lives even harder. We shed light on opportunities and risks that you may face in the months ahead.

Exploring ways to create positive outcomes for society with your investments.

As the threat of VAT being added to independent school fees becomes more realistic, we understand that there has been a surge in interest in advanced fee payment schemes. For those independent schools in receipt of funds from such schemes, we look at the options to earn a monetary return on the cash before the associated expenditure falls due.

Building, powering and managing the built environment is responsible for a huge portion of global emissions. To transition to net zero, the building and construction industries urgently need to reduce their emissions. We discuss what this could mean for charities and their investments.

Property is often a relatively low maintenance asset for a charity – until something goes wrong. In some cases, unexpected property liabilities or disputes can threaten a charity’s long-term viability. We talk to Simon Taylor from the Ethical Property Foundation about some key property challenges, and how charities can manage the risks.

The sale of its Grade II-listed London property has helped NAFAS reduce its operating costs, finance new initiatives, upgrade its technology and invest in the charity’s future. We spoke to CEO Steven Lane.

In our post-pandemic, cost-of-living-crisis world, many charities are facing a property conundrum: how to optimise their office space usage while reducing overheads? We talk to Rui Domingues, director of finance and operations at the Charity Finance Group, and Dan Bishop, head of operations and services at the Association of Chairs, about their mutually beneficial solution.

John Fitzgerald, digital evolution manager for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), has some top tips for charities to enhance their cyber security capabilities. 

Mark Sait, CEO of SaveMoneyCutCarbon (SMCC), a leading UK-based money-saving and sustainability platform, tells us about some of the ways charities can cut their surging energy bills and boost their ESG credentials into the bargain. 

John Brady, head of fundraising at St Andrew’s Hospice and Anna Baker Cresswell, executive director of HighGround, share their thoughts on how the cost of living crisis is affecting their charities, and their response to it. 

Given the much more difficult economic environment we’re all facing, charities may be struggling to raise funds using the same techniques they’ve relied on in the past. To help, we’ve put together five top tips that charities could use to review and fine tune their fundraising strategies.

We spoke to Gen Dearman, chief executive of children’s charity Challengers, to find out more about their important work supporting disabled children, young people, and their families.

Demystifying responsible investment

Our approach to responsible investing, in particular our use of proxy voting to encourage sustainable practices among the companies we invest in, has recently been recognised with two major industry awards.

Helen Wilson, responsible business lead for Rathbones Group, outlines our strategy for delivering on our commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050 and minimising climate-related risk in our investment portfolios.

A recent survey into charities’ action to tackle climate change suggests many organisations need to do more to prioritise environmental awareness and care for the planet.

The fortunes of all investors – charities included – are bound up to some extent with global economic growth. We look at how the transition to net zero could play out on the global economic stage over the longer term – and, by implication, how that could impact on investors’ portfolios.

The charity inspired by the father of modern computing has shown that giving old computers new life has environmental as well as social benefits.

Responsible investment – thinking about environmental, social and governance issues as an investor and shareholder – is a priority at Rathbones.

Equities – which markets?

Considerations when selecting an investment manager

Equity selection – how to identify winners and avoid a permanent loss of capital

Should charities employ an income-only or total return approach?

Understanding investing: CC14 and how to develop an investment policy

 Understanding investment tools: the relationship between risk and return

Understanding investment tools: An introduction to asset classes.
A brief overview of the main asset classes that can typically be used in a charity’s investment portfolio.