Insights for charities

Gemma Gooch, Rathbones’ Head of Charities Distribution, reflects on her experience sitting on the 2025 Charity Awards judging panel.

As the global financial system comes to terms with systemic risks such as climate change, nature loss and social inequality, do we need a fresh approach to understanding wealth generation? 

The next decade for the global economy will look very different to the 2010s, even as the immediate impact of the pandemic and war in Ukraine continues to fade.

The pandemic has transformed many areas of charity operations. However, it does not appear to have significantly affected charity finance management.

In today’s fast-changing digital world, adapting is essential for charities looking to increase their impact. This session will focus on practical ways to build digital resilience, highlighting how charities can use digital tools to improve storytelling, fundraising, audience engagement, and service delivery.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a minimal fiscal update on 26th March, honouring her pledge of one key fiscal event per year. Despite its brevity, the announcement included significant financial and economic updates impacting the charity sector.

The Autumn Budget 2024 presents a mixed picture for the UK charity sector, with both opportunities and challenges. Read our key highlights.

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.